My Lord

I have received & communicated to my Lords Commissioners of the Admty your Letter of the 29^th: of last Month, on the Subject of furnishing an additional Guard for the Security of the Prisoners confined in the Prison at Forton, & expressing your Lordships hopes that as the Kings Service for the reasons you have mentioned will not admit of a larger Guard being furnished for that Service by the Land Forces, they will be able to find some proper mode of securing the Prisoners either by an additional Guard to be supplied from the Marines who are from time to time station'd at Portsmouth; or such other Means as their Lordships shall think effectual; In return thereto I have it in command to acquaint your Lordship that my Lords, in the proposition they had the honor to submit to His Majesty respecting the establishment of Prisons for securing Persons charged with the Crime of High Treason, or Piracy, expressly mention that, for effectually preventing their Escape, and keeping them in Order, a Military Guard from His Majesty's Land Forces should be constantly mounted; And I am further to observe that the Marines are so far from being in such numbers as to be able to spare any for that Service, that there are not now at Quarters sufficient to compleat the Complements of His Majesty's Ships which are in Port & in want of them, I have the honor to be &c^a: