Naval Stores at West Point.
As the General ... now informs me that there is no immediate prospect of the Troops being able to resume the above guards, and the substitution of Police entails upon the Colony an expense for which it possesses no funds for defraying, it is my duty to enquire of Your Excellency whether after the 1st January next you will be prepared to commit the safe keeping of the Naval Stores to some portion of the force under your Command, or whether you will undertake to authorize the payment of £19, 15, 4 monthly, this being the cost of the extra Police employed for that Service.
On the spot when the health of the Troops first required the adoption of this measure I should not, without communicating with you, have incurred the expense to be allowed which any junior Naval Officer would in the ordinary course have hesitated to take the responsibility himself. I preferred accordingly at the time becoming responsible myself to allowing the Stores to be left unprotected. But I repeat that the Colony has not the means of meeting such contingencies - and as Your Excellency is now here, I take the opportunity of ...
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