George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 5, 13th edition.

[161] ‘We depend,’ said a memorial from the

chap. IX.} 1763. Oct.

treasury, ‘upon the sea-guard as the likeliest means for accomplishing these great purposes,’ and that sea-guard was to be extended and strengthened as far as the naval establishments would allow. To complete the whole, and this was a favorite part of Grenville's scheme, a new and uniform system of Courts of Admiralty was to be established. On the very next day after this memorial was presented, the king himself in council gave his sanction to the whole system.¹

Forthwith orders were issued directly to the Commander-in-chief in America that the troops under his command should give their assistance to the officers of the revenue for the effectual suppression of contraband trade.² Nor was there delay in following up the new law to employ the navy to enforce the Navigation Acts. To this end Admiral Colville,³ the naval Commander-in-chief on the coasts of North America, from the river St. Lawrence to Cape Florida and the Bahama Islands, became the head of a new corps of revenue officers. Each captain of his squadron had customhouse commissions and a set of instructions from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for his guidance; and other instructions were given them by the Admiral to enter the harbors or lie off the coasts of America; to qualify themselves by taking the usual custom-house oaths to do the office of customhouse