Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

in mine 19^th Sept: From New Yorke gave Acco^tt of affaires as then
represented, haveing travelled through all the Goverm^tts as far as
pensilvania, an Acco^tt of my observations doe here inclose; hopeing
you will Exscuse the trouble thereof

haveing touched on the Goverm^tts ; onely give a hintt as to matt^rs
relateing to the Treasury

Thatt of Boston Goverm^tt am enformed the Treasurer pays greatt
Sums of Mony att Once Soe onely kepes an Acco^tt Currant the
Mony p^d unto one Major Jn^o Walley; s^d Walley disposes of itt as he
doth Se cause Soe y^tt noe ^particular Acco^tts for whatt the Mony is disbursed
for is laide before & Allowed of, by the Councill, w^ch is an ingenious
way for the Kings revenue to be imbezeled, in S^r E Andross
time, all the particulars was laid before him & Councill w^th rec^ts
& theire ord^rs issued outt for payment of monys disbursed for the
Goverm^tt , Cooke Russell Hutchison & foster very exactt in Examin
ing my Acco^tts as to particulars though allowed by Governor &
Councill as to y^e Exceptions made, onely to yo^r Exc^ys , S^r E Andross
& my Sallary.

Am informed an Auditt has bin upon Walleys Acco^tt , & s^d Walley hath
neither vouchers nor receipts for paying moste partt of y^e
Mony, as to Walley when I wentt for England, none would trustt him
for 20£: & now he can lend the Country 2 or 3000£; y^tt is to say the
Countrys Mony w^ch he calls his own. wish my L^d may have ord^rs
to inspect the Acco^tts of Major Jn^o Phillips, M^r Ja^s Tailor Treasure^rs
& Major Walley y^tt the Mony raised in time of revolution
& to this day An Acco^tt may be Sentt to England; itts judges Phillips
Owes the Country aboutt 900£; Walley aboutt 2000£ as he was treasurer
to Plimoth Collony, & sence if yo^r Excy doe finde an ord^r to be sent
as to Examining the Acco^tts Shall recomend Cap^tt Nathanaell
Byfoild Cap^tt And^r Belcher, Cap^tt Rich^d Sprauge Cap^tt Sam^ll [Loy]
& Cap^tt francis foxcraftt, Cap^tt Lawrence Hamon; or
any three & rather then y^e villany in Embezling the Kings
mony should nott be discoverd, Shall redily putt my helping
hand; y^tt Naked truth may apear the difference betweene true
Kingly Loyall Goverm^tt ; & Comon Wealth, w^ch Boston is in factt though
[de nomina] otherwise.

mustt say the imbezeling of the Kings Mony raised of his Subjects
is very greatt, had y^e same ben in S^r E Andross time [illegible] noe
less then hanging him, ceizeing his Estate & all to little I am a
mazed & a Shamed to Se y^e inequallity & injustices; & I
thinck y^e Acco^tt ing att White Hall for y^e mony w^ch hath ben
raised will be of greatt Service to y^e Crown: & place: y^e
Crown to se how one y^tt robs Shall be favord more than a looker
on, in a word will discover a greatt deale of villany; if those
Acco^tts be nott strictly inquired into att White Hall, judge my selfe
then in the wrong box, to make up my Acco^tts there, butt if they
be obliged to make up there Acco^tts , w^th the particulars for whatt
Shall then thinck justice done, otherwise thinck a wrong done
me: one Weaver when in New England I heard him say in Compa that it was unresionable the Acco^tts for Mony raised Should be
Sentt home to England for allowance, & y^e fee of An Auditor
unreasionable, the Governor Councill & Assembly raises the Mony
may dispose of itt as they pleas, & may allow & discharge the
Treasurer of his Acco^tts as they pleas, being noe ways obliged to acco^tt
for the Same in England, & this is the minde of N: England presentt
Goverm^tt , for in truth att presentt ^itts Comon Wealth & nott Kingly Gover
m^tt , the Councill doe whatt they pleas, y^e L^t Governor for peace,
& [Salvoe] of his Name w^th the people letts them doe whatt they
pleas, & by itt partts w^th the Kings prerogative & will be hard
for his Successor to retrieve; though theres a Saying give Men
Rope enough they will hang themselves. I crave pardon for
my prolixity & trouble on those subjectts wish hapiness may
allways attend you remain

From M Usher

[1698 Sept]