"You are not appointed. "I do not understand your lordship; I have the appointment in my pocket. "You are mistaken; I have later and better advices. I have a letter from Governor Hutchinson; he would not give his assent to the bill. "There was no bill, my lord; it was a vote of the House. "There was a bill presented to the governor for the purpose of appointing you and another, one Dr. Lee I think he is called, to which the governor refused his assent. "I cannot understand this, my lord; I think there must be some mistake in it. Is your lordship quite sure that you have such a letter? "I will convince you of it directly; Mr. Pownall will come in and satisfy you." So Mr. Pownall, invoked by the official bell, appeared upon the scene. But he could not play his part; he was obliged to say that there was no such letter. This was awkward; but Franklin was too civil or too prudent to triumph in the discomfiture of the other. He simply offered the "authentic copy of the vote of the House" appointing him, and asked if his lordship would "please to look at it." His lordship took the paper unwillingly, and then, without looking at it, said:-- "An information of this kind is not properly brought to me as secretary of state. The board of trade is the proper place. "I will leave the paper then with Mr. Pownall to be-- "(_Hastily._) To what end would you leave it with him? "To be entered on the minutes of the board, as usual. "(_Angrily._) It shall not be entered there. No such paper shall be entered there while I have anything to do with the business of that board. The House of Representatives has no right to appoint an agent. We shall take no notice of any agents but such as are appointed by acts of Assembly, to which the governor gives his assent. We have had confusion enough already. Here is one agent appointed by the Council, another by the House of Representatives.[27] Which of these is agent for the province? Who are we to hear in provincial affairs? An agent appointed by act of Assembly we can understand. No other will be attended to for the future, I can assure you. "I cannot conceive, my lord, why the consent of the governor should be thought necessary to the appointment of an agent for the people. It seems to me that-- "(_With a mixed look of anger and contempt._) I shall not enter into a dispute with _you_, Sir, upon this subject.