My Lord

Your Lordship having, in your Letter of the 3d Instant, acquainted Us that the Kings Assent had been that Day given to "An Act of Parliament to empower his Majesty to secure and detain Persons charged with or suspected of the Crime of High Treason committed in any of His Majestys Colonies or Plantations in America or on the High Seas or the crime of Piracy" and that there is a Clause which makes it lawful for His Majesty by Warrant under his sign Manual, to appoint one or inore Place or Places of confinement within the Realm for the Custody of such Prisoners; And your Lordship having in your said Letter desired that we will name to you for His Majestys information such Place or Places of Confinement as we think most expedient to be appointed in the manner and for the purposes aforesaid instead of the common Goal: We are to acquaint your Lordship for His Majestys information, that there is at Plymouth a large Building call'd Mill Prison; And another at Portsmouth on the Gosport side, about a Mile from that Place, call'd the Forton Hospital, with large airing Grounds; which Buildings were used for the Custody of Prisoners during the last War; and, being the property of the Crown, they may in our opinion be proper places to be appointed for the purposes mentioned in your Lordships said Letter: And should it be thought expedient to order them to be so made use of, and any of the Prisoners confined therein be sick, so as to make it necessary to have them removed, they may be accomodated with seperate Appartments, in the Royal Hospitals for Sick Seamen at Plymouth and at Haslar, until their Numbers are too large to allow of its being done without inconvenience to His Majestys Service. We are My Lord [&c.]