George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 4, 15th edition.

[227] of Great Britain in American affairs. To New York¹

chap. IX.} 1756.

instructions were sent ‘not to press the establishment of a perpetual revenue for the present.’ The northern colonies, whose successes at Lake George had mitigated the disgraces of the previous year, were encouraged by a remuneration; and, as a measure of temporary expediency, not of permanent policy or right, as a gratuity to stimulate exertions, and not to subsidize subjects, one hundred and fifteen thousand pounds were granted to them in proportion to their efforts. Of this sum fifty-four thousand pounds fell to Massachusetts, twenty-six thousand to Connecticut, fifteen thousand to New York.² At the same time the military affairs of the continent were consolidated, with some reference to opinions and precedents as old as the reign of William the Third. The Board of Trade, first called into existence in 1696, had hardly been constituted, before it was summoned to plan unity in the military efforts of the provinces; and Locke, with his associates, despaired on beholding them ‘crumbled into little governments, disunited in interests, in an ill posture and much worse disposition to afford assistance to each other for the future.’ The Board, in 1697, ‘after considering with their utmost care,’ could only recommend the appointment of ‘a captain-general of all the forces and all the militia of all the provinces on the continent of North America, with power to levy and command them for their defence, under such limitations and instructions as to his Majesty should seem best;’ ‘to appoint officers to train the inhabitants;’