1796  4 May  Halifax  

597. W. Cottnam Tonge to Gideon White, in receipt of letter. With regard to a fee for certifying non-enumerated bonds, he refers to previous letter - "it appears to me that there is very good Ground for taking it, & I wish you do do it if not at the risk of a very violent Contest…a fee should however be taken for either List of Men, or Bill of Stores from every vessel that clears outwards, & here I invariably take it without Dispute, this a point we must not recede from." He encloses seizing commission, for which there is a fee of 31/8, some bonds under the new law "for which I suppose you have occasion for when your Coasters carry grain or Flour from one place to another," deputation for collecting the light duties "from the Americans, which I expect will turn out a valuable Business - I enclose you a Blank Deputation & Instructions which you will give to any Person within your District whom you can confide in if you see fit...you may have more assistants by giving them the Blank Certificates signed by you, if there are Persons you can well trust & you will make your own Bargain with them for doing the Duty as you will be allowed 25 per Cent on the Collections made by yourself or under your authority, I beg that you will be very particular & early in making report of any that refuse to pay...I suppose you will be soon making a trip to Barrington & should you catch any of those Jockies (?) at their usual Practices there it would give me great Satisfaction whether they were Americans or our own Lads - There is a Mr. Nehemiah Kinney who has often cheated the naval office, & I believe Seldom comes from the States without a few little odd notions." Friendly messages.  Holograph.
Overleaf: note in White's hand that letter was answered in person. 11 June, 1796.
Enclosure: seizing commission, 30 Apr. 1796, above.

White Family Nova Scotia Archives MG 1 Vol. 950 No. 597