Boston Decemr. 30th. 1770 Brother Payne,

Saml. Quincy tells me1 he wrote you some time since by his Brother, requesting you to furnish Mr. Fleeming with your Argument on the Trial of the Soldrs., but has reced. no answer at all from you.

The Trial is now in the press, and We all shall be extremely sorry, it should appear so very deffective as it must do, unless your Argument is inserted. The person who appointed to take the Trial in Short hand was so much fatigued that he was obliged to omit writing what you said in closing that Cause, so that unless you will prepare it yourself from your minutes the Trial must be published without it.2 If you have not time to prepare the whole at large, I entreat you to send such analysis of it as you can conveniently collect from your minutes & I will take care any apology, you desire, shall be printed with the Trial. Both Mesrs. & J. Quincy have omited their observations on the Evidences your Argument will not appear singular without them.

As a State of the Trial will certainly be published both the Court & Bar are solicitous it should appear in such manner as to bring no disrepute on the Country, its therefore expected that if your Love of Fame will not, your patriotism will be, a sufficient inducement for you to take some pains, the publication may appear as compleat as possible. I am with much esteem your affectionate hum. Servt.,

SAMPN. S. BLOWERS

RC ; addressed: "To Robt. Treat Payne Esqr." The ellipses in this letter indicate missing text due to holes in the letter.

1.

Sampson Salters Blowers (1742–1842) graduated from Harvard in 1763 and was admitted to the bar in 1766. He practiced in Boston until the Revolution. He became a judge of the royal Court of Vice Admiralty in Rhode Island (1779), served as solicitor general of New York (1780–1783), and as attorney general, speaker of the House, and from 1797 to 1833 as chief justice and president of the Council in Halifax (DAB).

2.

An unsigned, undated note in the RTP Papers reads: "The author of these minutes will esteem it a particular favour, if Mr. Pain wou'd give them their original Dress & add some material observations that must have escaped his Notice."