[Extract]

The King has strongly approved, Sir, the particulars which you discussed with the Earl of Suffolk regarding letters of marque; you have made that Minister feel and see the ill consequences resulting from such an extreme recourse; it seems that he perceived them by assuring you that our merchant ships would not be called upon for compliance. I most sincerely desire that the instructions to new privateer owners conform to this assurance; we can only judge them by the Bill to be offered in Parliament.