been graciously pleased to order your requisitions to be laid 1768. before the representatives of your people in the general assembly, who have never failed to afford the necessary aid to the extent of their ability, and sometimes beyond it; and it would be ever grievous to your majesty's faithful subjects to be called upon in a way, that should appear to them to imply a distrust of their most ready and willing compliance. . . . Under the most sensible impressions of your majesty's wise and paternal care for the remotest of your faithful subjects, and in full dependence on the royal declarations in the charter of this province, we most humbly beseech your majesty to take our present unhappy circumstances under your royal consideration, and afford us relief in such manner as in your majesty's great wisdom and clemency shall seem meet." to the other To secure the union and cooperation of the other colonies, Mass. cirthe assembly of Massachusetts drew up a circular letter, dated cular letter the 11th of February, and addressed it to the representatives colonies, and burgesses of the people throughout the continent. In this letter they observe, that they had "taken into their serious consideration the great difficulties, that must accrue to themselves and their constituents by the operation of several acts of parliament, imposing duties and taxes on the American colonies;" related the measures which they had taken in petitioning the king, and making representations to the ministry; and requested the colonies to unite with them in suitable measures to obtain redress. The letter was closed with strong expressions of loyalty: "This house cannot conclude without expressing their firm confidence in the king, our common head and father, that the united and dutiful supplications of his distressed American subjects will meet with his royal and favorable acceptance." Most of the colonial assemblies approved the transactions of Massachusetts; and harmonized with that colony in resolves and petitions. brage in The circular did not fail to give umbrage to the British ad- gives umministration. On the 22d of April, lord Hillsborough wrote to England. governor Bernard of Massachusetts, stating, that the proceeding, which gave rise to the circular letter, was "unfair, contrary to the real sense of the assembly, and procured by surprise;" and instructing him," so soon as the general court is again assembled, to require of the house of representatives in his majesty's name to rescind the resolution, which gave birth to the circular letter from the speaker, and to declare their disapprobation of and dissent to that rash and hasty proceeding." In case of a refusal to comply with this requisition, he was to dissolve the general court, and transmit to his lordship an account of its transactions. 1768. A circular letter was at the same time transmitted from the earl of Hillsborough to the governors of the several colonies, inclosing a copy of the Massachusetts circular letter, and conIntter from taining the following passages: "As his majesty considers this Circular Hillsbo rough. Massachusetts refuses measure to be of the most dangerous and factious tendency, calculated to inflame the minds of his good subjects in the colonies, and promote an unwarrantable combination, and to exhibit an open opposition to and denial of the authority of parliament, and to subvert the true principles of the constitution, it is his majesty's pleasure, that you should immediately, upon the receipt hereof, exert your utmost influence to defeat this flagitious attempt to disturb the public peace by prevailing upon the assembly of your province to take no notice of it, which will be treating it with the contempt it deserves." When the general court of Massachusetts convened in June, to rescind. governor Bernard laid before the house of representatives the communication from the earl of Hillsborough; which, far from repressing their spirit, served to heighten it. The house addressed a letter to the earl of Hillsborough, setting forth the several votes and resolutions which passed in the last house of representatives, relative to the circular letter; showing that the business was transacted in the height of the session, in a full house, and by a large majority; and defending, in strong and manly but decent terms, the letter, which had given the English government such offence. A message to the governor was also agreed on, a few passages of which show the independent spirit, which animated that enlightened assembly. "It is to us incomprehensible, that we should be required, on the peril of a dissolution of the general court, to rescind a resolution of a former house, when it is evident, that that resolution has no existence but as a mere historical fact. Your excellency must know, that the resolution is, to speak in the language of the common law, not now executory, but to all intents and purposes executed. If, as is most probable, by the word rescinding is intended the passing a vote, in direct and express disapprobation of the measure taken by the former house as illegal, inflammatory, and tending to promote unjustifiable combinations against his majesty's peace, crown, and dignity, we must take the liberty to testify and publicly to declare, that we take it to be the native, inherent, and indefeasible right of the subject, jointly or severally, to petition the king for the redress of grievances; provided alway, that the same be done in a decent, dutiful, loyal, and constitutional way, without tumult, disorder, and confusion.-If the votes of the house are to be controuled by the direction of a minister, we have left us but a vain semblance of liberty.-We have now only to inform you, that this house have voted not to rescind, and that, on a division on the question, there were 92 nays, and 1768. Before the dissolution of the assembly, the same committee Petitions for which prepared and reported the letter to lord Hillsborough, was the removal of gov. Berimmediately nominated to prepare a petition to the king, to re- nard. move Mr. Bernard from the government of the province. The committtee, without leaving the house, drew up and reported a petition, which, after a long list of accusations against the governor, requested his majesty, that one more worthy to represent so great and good a king might be sent to preside in this province. The reported petition was accepted by the house.2 latures dis The circular letter of the British minister to the governors of Other legisthe colonies, exhorting them to crush in the bud the proposed solved. correspondence and concert among the colonial legislatures, by exacting from them an assurance that they would not answer the circular of Massachusetts, did not avail. The legislatures refused to give such assurance, and were dissolved.3 nia instruc Early in February, the Pennsylvania assembly took into con- Pennsylvasideration the act imposing duties on paper, glass, painters' tions to colours, and teas; and gave positive instructions to their agents agents. to unite with other agents in applying to parliament for relief. agreements In August, the Boston merchants and traders, generally, sub- Non imporscribed a paper in which they engaged, not to import, nor purchase tation any kinds of goods or merchandise imported from Great Britain, of merfrom January 1769 to January 1770, excepting a few enumerated chants of articles; nor to import, or purchase of any who shall import from any other colony in America, within that time, any tea, paper, glass, or other goods, commonly imported from Great ConnectiBritain. The Connecticut and New York merchants came into cut, N.York 1 Ramsay, Amer. Rev. i. 78. Gordon, i. 165, 166. Adams, N. Eng. 256. MS. The Massachusetts Petition and Letters were printed in London, this year, with other papers, and entitled, "The true Sentiments of America: Contained in a collection of Letters sent from the House of Representatives of the Province of Massachusetts to several persons of high rank in this kingdom: Together with certain Papers relating to a supposed Libel on the Governor of that Province, and a Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law."-Nothing is so propitious to eloquence, as liberty. The remarks of Longinus on this subject, toward the close of his Treatise on the Sublime, will naturally occur to the classical reader, while attending to the writings and speeches of the colonists from this period to the Declaration of American Independence. A writer in the London Magazine of 1768, having mentioned the Circular Letter of Massachusetts, and the proceedings of that colony in June, observes: "There is such just and cogent reasoning, such a spirit of liberty breathes through the whole of the American productions, at this time, as would not have disgraced ancient Greece or Rome, when struggling against oppression." 2 Warren, Amer. Revolution, i. 58. The principal members of this committee were Joseph Hawley of Northampton, James Otis of Boston, Samuel Adams, James Warren of Plymouth, John Hancock, and Thomas Cushing. 3 Wirt's Life of Patrick Henry, 83. Boston, and Salem. 1768. similar agreements the same month; and those of Salem early in September. Counties ware pe king. In October, the general assembly of the counties upon Delaupon Delaware voted upon a petition to the king. In this petition, they say, tition the it was with the most humiliating sorrow they had beheld his majesty's ancient colony of New York deprived of her legislative authority by an act of the late British parliament; and that with equal concern they observed that duties for the sole and express purpose of raising a revenue in America have been lately imposed, by other acts of the same parliament, upon several articles of commerce imported into these colonies; which they are obliged to purchase. "By the operations of these acts," say they, "our assemblies will be no longer the representatives of a free people... our monies will be taken from us without our consent;" and they express the humble opinion, that "these measures, if continued or drawn into example, must be totally destructive to our property, liberty, and happiness." Memorial and remonVirginia. strance of The council and the burgesses and representatives of the People of Virginia, met in General Assembly, sent a memorial to the lords spiritual and temporal in parliament; and a remonstrance to the house of commons. In their memorial they complain of the tax imposed upon such of the British exports, as are necessaries of life, to be paid by the colonists upon importation, and this not with the most distant view to the interests of commerce, but merely to raise a revenue, or, in plainer words, to compel the colonists to part with their money against their inclinations, which they conceive to be a tax internal to all intents and purposes." The manner also, in which this act is to be executed, they are apprehensive, may in time prove destructive to the liberties of the people. The act, suspending the legisla tive power of the province of New York, they cannot but consider as still more alarming to the colonies in general; though it has that single province in view, as its immediate object. In their remonstrance to the house of commons, after stating the grounds and reasons of their complaints, they say: "Thus have the remonstrants expressed, and they trust with decent firmness, the sentiments of a free and loyal people. It is hoped that the honorable House of Commons will no longer prosecute measures, which they, who are designed to suffer under them, must ever consider as much fitter for exiles, driven from their native country, after having ignominiously forfeited her favours and protection, than for the posterity of Britons, who have been at all times anxious and solicitous to demonstrate their respect and affection for their kingdom, by embracing every occasion to promote her prosperity and glory: But that British patriots will never consent to the exercise of anti-constitutional powers, which, even in these remote corners, may in time prove dangerous in their example 1768. to the interior parts of the British empire." resolves to On the 24th of December, the circular Letter from the As- Assembly sembly of Massachusetts, and a circular Letter from the house of Georgia of burgesses in Virginia, were communicated to the House of address the Assembly in Georgia, and ordered to be entered on the journals. king; The house immediately resolved, to prepare a dutiful and loyal address to the king, to be transmitted to their agent at London, "setting forth our indubitable rights, and imploring relief from the grievances and burdens which, by the late acts of parliament for raising a revenue in America, this province, in common with the other colonies, is now subjected to and labours under." A resolution was also passed, that, from the right of the subject to petition to the throne for redress of grievances, the said Letters do not appear to this house "of a dangerous and factious tendency," but on the contrary, only tend to a justifiable union of subjects aggrieved, in lawful and laudable endeavours to obtain. redress. The house also resolved, that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Speaker of the house of representatives of Massachusetts Bay, and to the Speaker of the house of burgesses in Virginia, by their Speaker, who was instructed to inform them, that this house approves of the measures by them pursued to approves obtain redress of our common grievances; also of the method the meaby them taken of communicating these measures to the other Mass. and provinces on the continent. These resolves were scarcely finish- Virginia; ed, when the governor came to the council chamber, and the clerk of the assembly directly carried the minutes up to his excellency, who immediately required the attendance of the is dissolved house, gave his assent to the bills that were ready, and dissolved by the govthe assembly.1 sures of ernor. wine vessel causes dis order in Boston. Great offence, in the mean time, was given to the colonists June 10. from another quarter. The laws of trade had been hitherto Seizure of a greatly eluded, but the commissioners of the customs were now determined that they should be executed. On the arrival of sloop Liberty, laden with wines from Madeira, belonging to Mr. John Hancock, an eminent merchant of Boston, the tidesman, Thomas Kirk, went on board, and was followed by captain. Marshall, who was in Mr. Hancock's employ. On Kirk's rejecting several proposals made to him in the evening, Marshall with five or six others confined him below three hours, during which time the wine was taken out. The master entered some pipes the next morning; but the sloop was seized for a false entry, and removed from the wharf under the guns of the Rom 1 American Gazette, 253-258, where governor Wright's speech to the assembly is preserved. |