has caused the blood of those sons of liberty to recoil within 1765. them-men, promoted to the highest seats of justice; some who, to my knowledge, were glad, by going to a foreign country, to escape being brought to the bar of a court of justice in their own. They protected by YOUR arms! They have nobly taken up arms in your defence; have exerted a valour, amidst their constant and laborious industry, for the defence of a country, whose frontier was drenched in blood, while its interior parts yielded all its little savings to your emolument.-And believe me, remember I this day told you so, that same spirit of freedom, which actuated that people at first, will accompany them stillbut prudence forbids me to explain myself further.-God knows, I do not at this time speak from motives of party heat; what I deliver are the genuine sentiments of my heart. However superior to me in general knowledge and experience the respectable body of this house may be, yet I claim to know more of America than most of you, having seen and been conversant in that country. The people, I believe, are as truly loyal as any subjects the king has; but a people jealous of their liberties, and who will vindicate them, if ever they should be violated—but the subject is too delicate-I will say no more."

This admirable speech, the more impressive for being unpremeditated, produced a profound silence, but did not defeat the measure. Nor did the colonial petitions and remonstrances, with the petition of the London merchants trading to America, avail to its prevention. When the question upon the bill was brought to a vote in the house of commons, there were about 250 for, and 50 against it. In the house of lords, it passed Stamp act without debate, with entire unanimity; and on the 22d of March, al assent. it obtained the royal assent.1

has the roy

This act, which was to take effect on the 1st of November, excited throughout the colonies a most serious alarm. It was viewed as a violation of the British constitution, and as destructive of the first principles of liberty; and combinations against its execution were every where formed. The house of burgesses in Virginia, which was in session when intelligence of the act was received, passed several spirited resolutions, asserting the May 29. Virginia colonial rights, and denying the claim of parliamentary taxation. resolutions. The resolutions were introduced into the Virginia assembly by Patrick Henry, and, with some amendment, passed as follows: "That the first adventurers and settlers of this his majesty's colony and dominion of Virginia brought with them and transmitted to their posterity, and all others his majesty's subjects,

1 By this act, a ream of bail bonds stamped was £100; a ream of common printed ones, before, was £15. A ream of stamped policies of insurance was £190; of common ones, without stamps, £20. Bradford, Mass, i. 13.

1765.

Mass. assembly proposes a general

congress.

since inhabiting in this his majesty's said colony, all the liberties, privileges, franchises, and immunities, that have at any time been held, enjoyed, and possessed, by the people of Great Britain: That by two royal charters, granted by king James I. the colonists aforesaid are declared entitled to all liberties, privileges, and immunities of denizens and natural subjects to all intents and purposes, as if they had been abiding and born within the realm of England: That the taxation of the people, by themselves, or by persons chosen by themselves to represent them, who can only know what taxes the people are able to bear, or the easiest method of raising them, and must themselves be affected by every tax laid on the people, is the only security against a burthensome taxation, and the distinguishing characteristic of British freedom, without which the ancient constitution cannot exist: That his majesty's liege people of this his most ancient and loyal colony have, without interruption, enjoyed the inestimable right of being governed by such laws respecting their internal polity and taxation, as are derived from their own consent, with the approbation of their sovereign, or his substitute; and that the same hath never been forfeited or yielded up, but hath been constantly recognised by the kings and people of Great Britain." The legislatures of several other colonies passed similar resolutions.

The assembly of Massachusetts, beside passing resolutions opposed to the claims of the British parliament, took measures to secure the benefit of united counsels in the common cause. The expediency of calling a continental congress had early occurred to the people of that province, and it was moved in the house of assembly. The consequence of this motion was, an agreement on the 6th of June, that "it is highly expedient, there should be a meeting, as soon as may be, of committees from the houses of representatives or burgesses in the several colonies, to consult on the present circumstances of the colonies, and the difficulties to which they are and must be reduced, and to consider of a general congress-to be held at New York the first Tuesday of October. A letter was prepared to be sent to the several speakers; and a committee was chosen for Massachusetts.2

1 Wirt's Life of Patrick Henry. The following additional resolution was passed; but it was rescinded the next day: "Resolved therefore, That the general assembly of this colony have the sole right and power to lay taxes and impositions upon the inhabitants of this colony; and that every attempt to vest such power in any person or persons whatsoever, other than the general assembly aforesaid, has a manifest tendency to destroy British as well as American Freedom." This, Mr. Wirt observes, "was asserting in effect, that the act which had passed, was an encroachment on the rights and liberties of the people, and amounted to a direct charge of tyranny and despotism against the British king, lords and commons."

2 Gordon, i. Lett. 3. Ramsay, Revol. i. c. 2. "This first advance towards

of rights & grievances.

On the 7th of October, a congress, consisting of 28 delegates 1765. from the assemblies of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Provideence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Penn- A continensylvania, the Delaware counties, Maryland, and South Carolina, tal congress. convened in the city of New York, and Timothy Ruggles, of Massachusetts, was chosen president. The first measure of the congress was a declaration of the rights and grievances of the Declaration colonists. They were declared to be entitled to all the rights and liberties of natural born subjects within the kingdom of Great Britain; among the most essential of which are, the exclusive power to tax themselves, and the privilege of a trial by jury. The grievance chiefly complained of was the act, granting certain stamp duties and other duties in the British colonies, which, by taxing the colonists without their consent, and by extending the jurisdiction of courts of admiralty, was declared to have a direct tendency to subvert their rights and liberties. A petition to the Petition & king, and a memorial to each house of parliament, were also Memorial. agreed on; and it was recommended to the several colonies to appoint special agents, who should unite their utmost endeavours in soliciting redress of grievances. The assemblies of Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia, were prevented by their governors from sending representatives to the congress; but they forwarded petitions to England, similar to those adopted by that body.

tumults in

In the mean time, the people, in the various parts of the Stamp act colonies, assumed the controversy without waiting the result of occasions legitimate measures. In August the effigies of Andrew Oliver, Boston. the proposed distributor of stamps in Massachusetts, was found hanging on a tree, afterward well known by the name of Liberty Tree, on the main street of Boston, accompanied with emblems designating lord Bute, and the wicked motives of the obnoxious acts of parliament. At night, the images were taken down, and carried on a bier, amidst the acclamations of an immense collection of people, through the court house, down King street, to a small brick building, supposed to have been erected by Mr. Oliver for the reception of stamps. This building was soon levelled with the ground, and the rioters, proceeding to Fort Hill to burn the pageantry, next assaulted Mr. Oliver's house, which stood near that hill, and, having broken the windows, entered it, and destroyed part of the furniture. The next day, Mr. Oliver authorized several gentlemen to announce on the exchange, that he had declined having any concern with the office of stamp master; but in the evening a bonfire was made, and a repetition of this declaration exacted of him.

continental union," Dr. Ramsay says, "was seconded in South Carolina, before it had been agreed to by any colony to the southward of New England."

1765.

Tumults renewed.

On the 26th of the same month, the tumults were renewed. The rioters assembled in King street, and proceeded to the house of William Story, deputy register of the court of admiralty, whose private papers, as well as the records and files of the court, were destroyed. The house of Benjamin Hallowell junior, comptroller of the customs, was next entered and purloined. Intoxicated by liquors, found in his cellar, the rioters, with inflamed rage, directed their course to the house of lieutenant governor Hutchinson, whose family was instantly dispersed, and who, after attempting in vain to secure himself within doors, was also constrained to depart, by secret passages, to save his life. By four in the morning, one of the best houses in the province was completely in ruins, nothing remaining but the bare walls and floors. The plate, family pictures, most of the furniture, the wearing apparel, about £900 sterling in money, and the manuscripts and books, which Mr. Hutchinson had been 30 years collecting, beside many public papers in his custody, were Discounte- either carried off, or destroyed. The town of Boston, the next nanced by day, voted unanimously, that the selectmen and magistrates be the town of desired to use their utmost endeavours, agreeably to law, to

Boston.

Treatment

act in R. Island,

suppress the like disorders for the future, and that the freeholders and other inhabitants would do every thing in their power to

assist them.

The first day of November, on which the stamp act was to begin its operation, was ushered in at Boston by the tolling of bells. Many shops and stores were shut. Effigies of the authors and friends of that act were carried about the streets, and afterward torn in pieces by the populace.

Massachusetts was not alone. The obnoxious act received of the stamp similar, though less flagrant treatment in the other colonies. On the 24th of August a gazette extraordinary was published at Providence, with Vox POPULI, VOX DEI, for a frontispiece. Effigies were exhibited; and, in the evening, cut down and burnt. Three days after, the people of Newport conducted three effigies of obnoxious persons in a cart, with halters about their necks, to a gallows near the town house, where they were hung, and after a while cut down, and burnt amidst the acclamamations of thousands.

N. Hampshire,

On the last day of October, a body of people from the country approached the town of Portsmouth (New Hampshire), in the apprehension that the stamps would be distributed; but, on receiving assurance that there was no such intention, they quietly returned. The next morning, all the bells in Portsmouth, Newcastle, and Greenland, were tolled, to denote the decease of Liberty; and in the course of the day notice was given to her friends to attend her funeral. A coffin, neatly ornamented, and

inscribed with "LIBERTY, aged CXLV years," was prepared 1765. for the funeral procession, which began from the state house, attended with two unbraced drums. Minute guns were fired until the corpse arrived at the grave, when an oration was pronounced, in honour of the deceased. Scarcely was the oration concluded, when, some remains of life having been discovered, the corpse was taken up. The inscription on the lid of the coffin was immediately altered to LIBERTY REVIVED; the bells suddenly struck a cheerful sound; and joy appeared again in every countenance.

cut,

In Connecticut, Mr. Ingersoll, the constituted distributor of Connectistamps, was exhibited and burnt in effigy in the month of August; and the resentment at length became so general and alarming, that he resigned his office.

In the same month, the spirit discovered by the citizens of N. York, New York produced a similar resignation. The stamp act was contemptuously cried about the streets, under the title of "The Folly of England and Ruin of America." The stamp papers arriving toward the end of October, lieutenant governor Colden took them into Fort George, and extraordinary preparations were made to secure them. On the 1st of November, many of the inhabitants of New York, offended at the conduct and disliking the political sentiments of Mr. Colden, having assembled in the evening, proceeded to the fort walls; broke open his stable, and took out his coach; and, after carrying it through the principal streets of the city, marched to the common, where a gallows was erected, on one end of which they suspended his effigy, with a stamped bill of lading in one hand, and a figure of the devil in the other. When the effigy had hung a considerable time, they carried it in procession with the gallows entire, the coach preceding, to the gate of the fort, whence it was removed to the bowling green, under the muzzle of the guns, where a bonfire was made, and the whole pageantry, including the coach, was consumed, amidst the acclamations of several thousand spectators. They next proceeded to the house of major James, who was a friend to the stamp act, and, after plundering it, consumed every article of the furniture in a bonfire. The next day, the people insisting to have the stamps, it was agreed that they should be delivered to the corporation; and they were deposited in the city hall. Ten boxes of stamps, arriving afterward, were committed to the flames.

phia,

At Philadelphia, on the appearance of the ships having on Philadelboard the stamps, all the vessels in the harbour hoisted their colours half mast high; the bells were muffled, and continued to

VOL. II.

1 Computed from the first landing at Plymouth, in 1620.

18