properly under the immediate care and direction of the Secretary of State.
The war being now happily ended, and the most important of our acquisitions in America ceded to His Majesty, it becomes necessary to consider in what way the affairs of America in general are to be administered for the future, and whether the regulations made in the year 1752, in respect to the correspondence, are or are not to take place, and how they are to be understood.
It appears that upon Mr. Townshend's entry upon his office, the Board of Trade did notify their appointment to all the American Governors, as well of the old established as the new acquired colonies, and did transmit to them at the same time copies of the Order of Council of the nth of March, 1752, and the explanatory letters of the Secretary of State as the rule of their future correspondence.
The Board, though fully convinced of the propriety of that regulation in every view and consideration of it, and that American affairs can never be administered with advantage to the public or satisfaction to the subject, whilst the correspondence is divided between the two Offices, yet as the Board of Trade have not received His Majesty's commands in respect to the new acquisitions, and as many things may be in agitation and remain to be done by the Secretary of State in reference to the Treaty, and to the Settlement of Indian affairs under the direction of the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Shelburne does not think it advisable to take the step Mr. Townshend took which it is conceived may possibly embarrass His Majesty's Service and produce inconveniences; hoping and wishing for such an explanation with the Secretary of State upon this and every other point that regards the office His Majesty has conferred upon him, as may be for their mutual satisfaction, and may obviate any disagreeable circumstance whatever that may occur to affect the stability of the present system, or that harmony and good-will which he does most sincerely and cordially wish to see take place and for ever remain between the two Offices.In reply to this communication, Egremont stated that he was not prepared upon the subject; that he had never read the Commission of the Board of Trade; and at the same time spoke of the great fatigue he had recently undergone; whereupon Shelburne rather unceremoniously told him he must expect more if the affairs of America were to be put in order.[1] Thus to differences of opinion
- ↑ Shelburne to Bute, April 26th, 1763.
