xx          ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
in the power of the colonies. During the years 1764-1768, however, many letters were written about the plan, and in these the course of public opinion concerning this attempt to imperialize the West may be easily followed.
Two ministerial plans for the West will be found particularly illuminating. The first is Lord Barrington's plan of May, 1766, which was ultraconservative and was drawn up for the purpose of preventing permanently all settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains and of making it possible to concentrate all the British troops in the East, where they could be maintained at a less expense. This plan was, however, not even acted upon by the ministry. It is here printed, it is believed, for the first time. Concerning the later plans of Lord Shelburne, who was in favor of the rapid expansion of the settlements westward, there will be found in the following pages many documents. In the final draft of his plan he proposed the immediate founding of three colonies along the Mississippi River from the great lakes to the Gulf of Mexico; but political events in the mother country prevented him from putting his plan into operation, and the affairs of western America passed into the hands of the reactionary Lord Hillsborough.
Other phases of the imperial side of the government in the West will be also well illustrated. The maintenance of a British army with a commanding general in America brought about an imperialization of the military system and affected the development of the West in no uncertain manner. The many letters from General Gage to the ministry at home and to other persons will be found of particular interest to historians of the colonial era, and the changing plans for the West may be followed in the distribution of the troops in successive years.
Besides the military system there is the Indian depart-