when they acquaint me for what
reason they have countenanced the admission of foreigners.

"I beg leave to hope, that I may be properly understood, when I
venture to say, that, at a time when Great Britain is using every
endeavour to suppress illicit trade at home, it is not wished
that the ships on this station should be singular, by being the
only spectators of the illegal trade, which I know is carried on
at these islands. The governors may be imposed on by false
declarations; we, who are on the spot, cannot. General Shirley
told me and Captain Collingwood how much he approved of the
methods that were carrying on for suppressing the illegal trade
with America; that it had ever been his wish, and that he had
used every means in his power, by proclamation and otherwise, to
hinder it; but they came to him with protests, and swore through
every thing, (even, as the sea-phrase is, through a nine-inch
plank;) therefore got admittance, as he could not examine the
vessels himself; and, further, by the Thynne packet, he had
received a letter from Lord Sydney, one of his Majesty's
principal secretaries of state, saying that Administration were
determined that American ships and vessels should not have any
intercourse with our West India islands; and that he had, upon an
address from the Assembly, petitioning that he would relax the
king's proclamation for the exclusion of Americans, transmitted
it to Lord Sydney to be laid before the king. The answer to
General Shirley was, that his Majesty firmly believed and hoped
that all his orders which were received by his governors would be
strictly obeyed.

"Whilst I have the honour to command an English man-of-war, I
never shall allow myself to be subservient to the will of any
governor, nor co-operate with him in doing _illegal acts_.
Presidents of council I feel myself superior to. They shall make
proper application to me for whatever they may want to come by
water.

"If I rightly understand your order of the 29th of December, it
is founded upon an opinion of the king's attorney-general, viz.
'That it is legal for governors or their representatives to admit
foreigners into the ports of their governments, if they think
fit.' How the king's attorney-general conceives he has a right to
give an