“The great misfortune, and which I think is the origin of all the rest that attend this country, is, that no body in the winter season is empowered to keep peace, and administer justice; that the sober and industrious are every day liable to be insulted and robbed by the idle and profligate, unless they can oppose them with greater force. In the _heads of inquiry_ from the lords commissioners for trade and plantations, there is an article which directs, the names of the persons to be returned them, who administered justice during the last winter; but I cannot find that we are any where authorized so to empower proper persons upon leaving the country; which is so well known by every body, that were we to pretend to appoint any body, not the least regard would be shewn them.” Speaking of _Placentia_, and the part surrendered by the French at the treaty of _Utrecht_; he says,—“Before the arrival of the men of war, they are threatened and intimidated into a compliance with whatever is required of them; the admiral’s powers are contemned; their court represented as ridiculous and invalid, and of course, no justice to be had. But as this has been already represented by petition from the masters of ships, and other methods, I will not take up your time by enumerating more particulars, which would only be a repetition of what is already sufficiently known to their lordships. Although I could not settle every thing in the order it ought to be, I endeavoured to do all I could; and as I found the regard to the fishing admirals so mightily diminished, as made me justly apprehend, orders from them would be but negligently obeyed, I therefore gave out in my name, such as I found absolutely necessary, the copies of which I have herewith sent; and have also entered them in a book, which I have left sealed up with one of the principal inhabitants, to be delivered to the next officer that shall come after me, that he may know what I did, and my reasons for so doing. I beg leave to say, that if such a register of the proceedings of every officer had been kept ever since we had possession of the place, it would not be so difficult to decide every one’s property; which really, as things were, I could not pretend to do, without running a risk of doing injustice.” “I found disputes had been very differently decided; sometimes according to the laws and customs that were in force in the time of the French, and sometimes according to those observed in the other parts of Newfoundland. For no new act having passed since the acquisition of the place, and no certain rules presented by _the heads of inquiry_ from the lords of trade, every one has decided as he thought proper[39].”