Boston Jany. 25. 1786 Sir,

The last year that Coll. Barber was in the Naval Office, He proposed to me, That we should give you an equal share with us of all Seisures. I then thought the Proposition hard on my part, as the amount of his Fees, I knew, were much greater than my Commissions—Besides He paid no Clerk, & I paid two—But I consented.

When Mr. Lovell came into office I said nothing to him of the matter—and the other Day when I went to make a Division of the Molasses Seisure, He said He could by no means consent to such a Deduction, For the Court had taken away Seven twelfths of his Fees, & out of the remaining five He had to pay a Deputy five hundred Dollars per annum, besides other Expenses. And one argument made use of by the members of Court when they secured to Government 7/12th of his Fees, was the benefit of Seisures to the Naval Officer. But the benefit will be very small, in ordinary seisures, to the officers, after paying the Informer his part—and an Informer we have to pay for every Seisure yet made, except the molasses.

Mr. Lovell consented that I should send you an equal Share of the money from Bartlet & Stevens—But in all other Cases, we shall expect to Fee 356 you as any other Persons would do, & dispose of the money arising from Seisures as the Law directs.

I have the Honor to be Sir, your very Humble Servant, S. Henshaw

RC ; internal address: “Mr. Attorney General.”

Boston Feby. 13th 1786 Sr.,

After taking more pains in procuring a Settlement of Dr. McKinstrys Estate than my1 demand was worth (tho’ it was the next to yours in magnitude) I am at last able to give you the information you have requested in yr. Letters,2 I did not do it Sooner for it was not in my power; the bulk of the Estate as I have informed you was paid into the Treasury by Order of the Government, and there you may must apply for your proportion there which is 10/6 on the pound, yr. claim as settled by the Cmmsrs. was 160.15.6: it is not likely the Treasurer has money to pay but it is likely he will may give a due bill on some Shff. wch. you may off the there is in my hands in proportion of 2/8 on the pound which on yr. claim amounts to 21:8:8 wch. I have saved out of the fine, it is ready for you on your receipting for it in full of your demand of the for your proportion of the Estate of Wm. McKinstry late of Taunton decd. which came to my hands as his Admr. if you incline to draw an Order for the money let the order include such a receipt.

Hoping yr. Welfare I rest yr. friend & hble. Ser. RTP

Dft. (RC at Rhode Island Historical Society); internal address: “Mr. Moses Brown at Providence pr. Post.” Drafted on verso of a note:

Boston January 1786

Sr., Please to send me by the Bearer a certificate of the conviction of one John Bancroft of Stoughton for Theft, of a brass Kettle, as I am informed.

1.

Moses Brown (1738–1836) was a prominent merchant in Providence, R.I., who joined the Quakers in 1774 and became one of their leading figures. He freed his slaves and became well known as a philanthropist (American National Biography).

2.

There is only one surviving letter from Brown in the RTP Papers, dated Nov. 19, 1781, which also concerns the McKinstry estate.