Yesterday I received your favor of June. 7th. and the day before I received from Boston the Navigation-Act of Massachusetts.1 It is probable that our People flatter themselves that this act, and other measures tending to the same end in other States will intimidate the English Nation & force them into an advantageous treaty of Commerce. If such are their views they will be disappointed, as far as I can hitherto judge. The Ministry are very reserved. I can get no answer to any thing. Nevertherless, I think the Massa: Act of Navigation a wise & necessary measure, and I hope it imitated imme: in every other State. But if no other State will adopt it, I hope the Massachusetts will persist in it: it will lay a deep foundation of Prosperity for that People: it will render the multiplication of Ships & Seamen inevitable, and in that way benefit that State beyond their present conceptions. I wish they would go farther, & lay on heavy duties upon all kinds of fripperies fm. Europe. I would not confine it to English ones; but make it general to all: Yet I wd. carefully insert in the list every article of luxury from any part of the British Dominions. My reason for not making a distinction betwn: British & other European manufactures is, the extreme difficulty—the total impossibility of distinguishing British manufactures from others. I observed so many frauds of this kind in the last war that I have long since given it up as impossible to prohibit or to tax British Commodities, unless you tax or prohibit all others of the same kind fm. Europe. They affix false leads, stamps & marks—Dutch Leads & Stamps and French ones are without difficulty annexed to English Goods. But after all, Massachusetts has fixed upon the best objects, wh: are Ships. There can be no impenetrable deception in them, and there is nothing wh: strikes deeper into the springs & motives of Commerce, Politics & War.— If this system is steadily & 339unanimously pursued it will infallibly, in a cours of time, obtain all we desire fm. G: B: or it will serve us still more essentially by introducing & establishing all necessary manufactures, erecting a bulwark of defence round abt: us, & making us truly an independant People— I think the other States will be necessitated to follow the example: they will soon see such effects of it, in the Massa: as will persuade them.—

I am, dear, Sir, with great esteem, / Yrs: &c: &c

The Governour of this Commonwealth will transmit to you Copies of Letters which lately passed between him and Capt Stanhope Commander of the British Ship of War Mercury.1 This is the same Person, as I am told, who, when a Prisoner here in the early time of the War, was not too delicate in Point of Honor to break his Parole. The Governor however had treated him from the Time of his Arrival with the Civilities and Respect due to a Foreigner in his Station, without personal or national Distinction. The occasion of this Epistolary Correspondence which the Governor was necessarily carried into by the Petulance of Stanhope, was a Fricas which happened on the Evening of the 31st Ulto, between the latter and a young Sailor who alledges that he and a Number of American Prisoners on board the Mercury had been flogged by Stanhopes order for refusing to do the Duty of Seamen. The Altercation caused the People near to collect, and the Captain, either really or pretending to be, apprehensive of Danger, hast’ned away, a Number following excited by common Curiosity, till his Fears were quieted in the House of one of his Friends and the Scene ended. This gave rise to Stanhopes Letter the following Day. Whatever his Opinion might be of his own Importance, the Governor considerd him intitled only to the Common Protection of the Law, nor could he see any Obstacle in the Captains Way to obtain legal Satisfaction if he had receivd Injury, which required the extraordinary Interposition of Government; for Stanhope was the same day abroad in the Town without the least Molestation or appearing to be apprehensive of any Affront. Perhaps this 340Gentlemans Ideas of Propriety of Conduct in the Governor might have led him to expect he would take the Part of a Grand Juryman or a Justice of the Peace to inquire into Misdemeanours, or decide on little Controversies which frequently happen among Persons who know not how to keep upon Terms with each other.

I should not have troubled you with this Detail, had it not seemed to me somewhat necessary. You know it was formerly usual for such kind of Men as Stanhope appears to be, to fly to their Ships from pretended Danger, and by false representations impose on their too credulous Government. Adieu my friend, & believe me / Yours