pleasure, that you do forthwith order one regiment, or such force as you shall think necessary, to Boston, to be quartered in that town, and to give every legal assistance to the civil magistrate, in the preservation of the public peace, and to the officers of the revenue, in the execution of the laws of trade and revenue; and as this appears to be a service of a delicate nature, and possibly leading to consequences not easily foreseen, I am directed by the king to recommend to you to make choice of an officer for the command of those troops, upon whose prudence, resolution and integrity, you can entirely rely.” And on the eleventh, he informed the governor, that his majesty, from the representation made by him and the commissioners of the customs, had directed one regiment at least to be stationed in Boston, and to garrison, and (if necessary) to repair the castle; and had ordered a frigate, two sloops, and two cutters to repair to, and remain in the harbour of Boston, for supporting and assisting the officers of the customs in the execution of their duty. His lordship’s letter to Gage being dated two days before the riot occasioned by the seizure of the sloop Liberty, the order contained in it, could not possibly be founded on such riot; though the riot, with the subsequent transactions of the town, might be related as a reason in the resolves afterward drawn up, exhibiting the necessity of sending a military force to Boston. But persons in office are liable to fall into mistakes, through the multiplicity and hurry of business, and for want of due consideration or better intelligence. In this way you may account for his lordship’s signing a circular letter, [Sept. 2.] to the governor and council of _Rhode-Island_, to the following purpose—“Gentlemen, the king having observed, that the governors of his colonies have, upon several occasions, taken upon them to communicate to their councils and assemblies, either the whole or parts of letters from his majesty’s principal secretary of state, I have it in command to signify, that it is his majesty’s pleasure that you do not, upon any pretence whatever, communicate to the assembly, any copies or extracts of such letters, unless you have his majesty’s particular directions.” This was soon published in the _Providence_ Gazette after being received. That colony chooses its own governor annually and he has neither right nor power to with-hold from the assembly copies of any such letters. Upon another occasion his lordship gave orders to the governor of _Pennsylvania_, in case the assembly did not act conformable to what was expected, immediately to dissolve them; whereas it is the inherent privilege of that house to set on their own adjournments; and the governor has no power to dissolve them.