The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

Extract of a letter from one of the council of Boston, in New England, to a merchant in London, 1763.

"Our trade is most grievously embarrassed, by reason of some men of war being stationed in our ports, invested with the power of custom house officers, who seem regardless of our interest, and so vigorously execute their office, that no vessel hardly comes in or goes out, but they find some pretence to seize and detain her. One Captain has libeled a brigantine in her way to St. Eustatia, and a ship which was cleared out here for the West Indies, both which cases are depending in the court of admiralty; and even should it happen that they are cleared, yet it is a great discouragement to those merchants to have the voyage broke up by the long detention of a trial at law; but should they and all others in like circumstances, be condemned, we have reason to fear our trade under such severe checks, must fall through. But what more alarms us, is, the attack made upon our molasses trade to Surinam and the West India islands, which is a principal support of our rum manufactory, fishery, and lumber trade. These stopped, we cannot possibly make our remittances to London, and in that case, I am satisfied, England must sensibly feel the loss of her colonies, as a market for her manufacturers".