presentatives and Council, since it would be easy for him to instruct
the governor not to assent to the appointment of such and such men, who
are obnoxious to him; so that if the appointment is annual, every agent
that valued his post must consider himself as holding it by the favor of
his lordship;" whereof the consequences were easy to be seen.

There was a lively brush between the noble secretary and Franklin, when
the former first propounded this troublesome view. It was in January,
1771, that Franklin called upon his lordship--

"to pay my respects ... and to acquaint him with my appointment by
the House of Representatives of Massachusetts Bay to be their agent
here." But his lordship interrupted:--

"I must set you right there, Mr. Franklin; you are not agent.

"Why, my lord?

"You are not appointed.

"I do not understand your lordship; I have the appointment in my
pocket.

"You are mistaken; I have later and better advices. I have a letter
from Governor Hutchinson; he would not give his assent to the bill.

"There was no bill, my lord; it was a vote of the House.

"There was a bill presented to the governor for the purpose of
appointing you and another, one Dr. Lee I think he is called, to
which the governor refused his assent.

"I cannot understand this, my lord; I think there must be some
mistake in it. Is your lordship quite sure that you have such a
letter?

"I will convince you of it directly; Mr. Pownall will come in and
satisfy you."

So Mr. Pownall, invoked by the official bell, appeared upon the scene.
But he could not play his part; he was obliged to say that there was no
such letter. This was awkward; but Franklin was too civil or too prudent
to triumph in the discomfiture of the other. He simply offered the
"authentic copy of the vote of the House" appointing him, and asked if
his lordship would "please to look at it." His lordship took the paper
unwillingly, and then, without looking at it, said:--

"An information of this kind is not properly brought to me as
secretary of state. The board of trade is the proper place.

"I will leave the paper then with Mr. Pownall to be--

"(_Hastily._) To what end would you leave it with him?

"To be entered on the minutes of the board, as usual.

"(_Angrily._) It shall not be entered there. No such paper shall be
ent