Lordships that if His Majesty should think proper to honour me with the management of Indian Affairs, I am in Duty bound to declare, that I do not think I can fulfill his royal Expectations & do that Service to my Country w*^^. Majesty may expect from me, if my Proceedings are to be controuled by any Gov^. who may by being ill advised or from Personal Resentments or from other undue motives, take upon him to counteract my measures.

I must further beg leave to observe that unless the monies appointed to carry on Indian affairs are confided to my disposal & a certain Fund fixt on, I shall be ever liable to have my measures perplexed & opposed & often perhaps prevented from bringing into Effect Schemes w^h by a precarious Fund f may be forced to drop & so loose that chain w^h may bind the whole Structure.

By Gov^' Shirley's ill-grounded Resentments, from the imperious Stile he writes to me since Gen^ Braddock's Death, from his threatening Intimations, I am confirmed in this Lesson, that a Subordinate Power here with regard to Indian affairs & a Fund dependent upon the will & pleasure of his Majesty's Gov^^ in these Colonies will be incompatible both with my abilities and Inclinations to Conduct them, & as I have no private or mercenary views to serve by them, I must humbly beg leave to decline the Charge unless I am put upon the footing as above intimated. I shall always be desirous to take advice from any of His Majesty s serv** in these parts & to be accountable for my conduct to any* Judicature His Majesty may think proper to appoint, but to be subjected to the Caprice & political views of Gov^. I cannot think will ever harmonize wuth one uniform Direction of Indian Affairs, & persuaded