My Lord, I would willingly avoid any reflection on the people here, especially those amongst them whose Errors may be imputed to ignorance of the consequence & importance of a subject laid before them but when your Lordship considers the Characters disposition and practice of those who grant money for publick service in America it will not appear new or Extraordinary to suppose that they will not see the necessity of being at any expence adequate to the importance of the subject I could have recourse to undoubted authorities to prove their Extreme parsimony & backwardness, on the most alarming occasions, when their all was at stake, but I persuade myself that enough of this is known, to Justify my apprehensions concerning their Conduct, in matters which appear of less consequence, on the subject of which they are in general totally ignorant, and will of course judge the necessary (or perhaps any) Expence as needless, it is my duty to represent this as it will in its Consequences affect the Crown, -- I gave Sr H Moore a Sketch of my Regulations for the Trade & the last Instructions to my officers, who laid it before his Assembly, and they have as I am since informed, committed it to the Management of the Albany Representatives, I Likewise conversed on the Subject with the GoV^. of New Jersey & Pennsylvania, and from all that I can hear, there is little prospect that the Asserablys will do what may have been Expected from them on this subject. Thus my Lord it stands at present. Whatever Resolutions they may take I shall do all in my power to second, and promote them but I found that the dutys expected from the Colonies are so complicated with many others, and the Execution of them so uncertain that I fully persuade myself your Lordship will pardon me for the Liberty I have taken in declaring my thoughts as to the Event, -- If the duty of Commissaries could be dispensed with until the provinces make some provision for officers VOL.