8. JAMES BOWDIN Manuscript L.S. as Governor of Massachusetts, 2pp. legal folio, Boston, Dec. 7, 1785 to Samuel Elbert, Governor of Georgia enclosing a printed broadside, 1p. folio, November 29, 1785 "An Act repealing in Part an Act, entitled 'An Act of the regulation of navigation and Commerce.'" In Bowdin's letter of enclosure, he notes that "...As some of the regulations and restrictions of that Act extended to foreigners indiscriminately and were found in some instance to militate with the principles of a friendly reciprocation, the Legislature thought proper to repeal it in part, and the repealing Act is enclosed. The principal intention of the first mentioned Act being to endue Great Britain to relinquish her commercial regulations respecting the United States..." Bowdin notes that New Hampshire and Rhode Island had passed similar acts and "...should like Acts be passed by... the other States, it is highly probably, that Great Britain would recede from her new regulations. She has adopted them by way to experiments, and upon the idea, that the thirteen States would not be united in measures that would effectually counteract them. But I hope and trust she will soon find herself disappointed in that idea..." Needless to say, Bowdin was being optimistic, and the several states under the Articles of Confederation were rare to be in agreement on any one issue. It was not until 1794 that John Jay was able to secure a treaty of commerce with Great Britain. Partial fold separations, marginal tears at bottom margin, otherwise very good. Broadside bears the usual folds, otherwise very good. Together two pieces.$200-300