War. Sunday afternoon the King's Order for declaration of war against the French, signified by the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, came hither by the proper Officer. They proclaim'd it at Rye a Saturday before their order arrived here, and we fir'd guns.
At our Club Sunday night resolv'd to do it yesterday at 2 in the afternoon, the Soldiers to be under Arms. Having settled preliminarys, met at 2. The Captain and other Offrs had their Corps, abt 110 men, drawn up in the fishmarket, all clean an powdered - when we assembled sent down to the Captain, and the March was to begin there to the Old Market (top of High Street). We went down and saluted the Offrs and after exercise proceeded ; first the Scotch Dragoons mounted, with their swords drawn, rode before to clear the way. Then the Mayor and Jurats, followed by Capt. Scot and the whole body, 2 drums in the front after one Rank. March'd as slowly as possible and the Soldiers drawn up at the Old Market, Patrick (Mr. Collier's Clerk and afterwards Town Clerk of Hastings) read the Declaration with the previous Proclamation, then 3 Loud Huzza's Then proceeded in like manner to the fishmarket, read again, and ordered the soldiers drink, and adjourned to the Swan. ... A prodigious number of people present."
11th December, 1744 Mr. Collier as General of the Riding Officers of the Customs is found writing to the Commissioners of Customs in reference to Smuggling. "The Smugglers are got to an amazing height on the Kentish and Sussex Coasts, that it has for some time become a very serious thing and highly worthy the consideration of the Senate. Vast quantities of goods are clandestinely imported and abuses given not only to the Officers of the Revenue, but any other persons that offer to speak against their detestable practises. (Here Mr. Collier advances that from his declining in years, his many duties and joyned thereto the audacious insolence of the Smugglers, " I don't think of being concern'd for the future in any prosecutions, and herein I have the advice and approbation of my Great Friends" (The Duke of Newcastle and his brother Henry Pelham).
The Editor of the Collier Letters gives us his reason for referring to Mr. Collier's decision the following. " I have transcribed this from the part of the correspondence which relates to Custom House matters, because it marks a stage in Mr. Collier's career. Hitherto he had been employed by the Crown in the prosecution of smugglers, and many of the briefs on such prosecutions are among the papers. Considering, however, the daring and insolence of the smugglers, and the number of them in - Hastings, and the neighbourhood, it is not surprising that Mr. Collier desired to be relieved from the invidious task of prosecuting them. In a draft letter about this date written to Mr. Fremantle, a Custom-House official, Mr. Collier, referring to the inquest upon a smuggler who had been shot by the Soldiers sent down to assist the revenue officers, says -
