[Extract]
No 51

My Lord I have the honor to receive your Lordships letter of the 2d Augt last N 18; with his Majesty's Approbation of my Conduct in Causing the Oaths to be Administered to all Persons coming from the. Continent, and taking the benefit of the Trade and Fishery: as I have information from the General & Admiral of several Suspicious designing men coming into this Province to Alienate the Minds of his Majesty's Subjects here: ー I thought it most expedient to Obtain an Act of this Province for preventing any of those mischiefs which might happen, and your Lordship will perceive by the said Act, That Persons coming with an honest design and taking the Oaths prescribed by Act of Parliament, will be entitled to all the priviledges of the Inhabitants, and suspicious persons are oblig'd to give Security for their good behavior during their residence here, and as I had been inform'd by the Admiral, That a Traiterous and dangerous Correspondence was kept up between some of the Inhabitants here, a Clause is inserted in the Act, Subjecting all such persons to the same pains and penalties, as are inflicted by the Laws of England, against persons Traiterously Corresponding with his Majesty's Enemies. I conceiv'd this Act, very necessary at this Conjuncture, and hope it will meet with his Majesty's Approbation, and the Earlier such approbation can be obtain'd & transmitted here, the more force and Efficacy it will have . . .

I beg leave to mention an Accident which has happen'd to a large French Ship which is now Stranded on Cape Sables of near five hundred Tons, from the West Indies, laden with the produce of their West India Islands: upon application of the Mate, who is arriv'd here, I have issued a Warrant to the Vice Admiralty Court of the Province, Ordering them to Impower the Marshall to use every possible means for the preservation of the Vessel and Cargo, and for that purpose to Impress Vessels, and employ them therein and to prevent all Waste, Embezzlement, and Imposition: I shall use every other means in my power that they may be assisted in this their Calamity and Distress. I have the honor to be with the Greatest Respect. My Lord. [&c.]