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And if any vender of goods or merchandize fhall fell any fuch goods on higher terms, or fhall in any manner, or by any device whatfoever, violate or depart from this agreement, no perfon ought, nor will any of us deal with any fuch perfon, or his or her factor or agent, at any time thereafter, for any commodity whatever.

X. In case any merchant, trader, or other perfons fhall import any goods or merchandize after the firft day of December, and before the first day of February next, the fame ought forthwith, at the election of the owner, to be either re-fhipped or delivered up to the committee of the county or town wherein they fhall be imported, to be ftored at the risk of the importer, until the non-importation agreement fhali cease, or be fold under the direction of the committee aforefaid; and in the last mentioned cafe, the owner or owners of fuch goods fhall be reimburfed (out of the fales) the first coft and charges; the profit, if any, to be applied towards relieving and employing fuch poor inhabitants of the town of Boston, as are immediately fufferers by the Boftonport bill; and a particular account of all goods fo returned, ftored, or fold, to be inferted in the public papers; and if any goods or merchandizes fhall be imported after the faid firft day of February, the fame ought forthwith be fent back again, without breaking any of the packages thereof.

XI. That a Committee be chofen in every county, city, and town, by thofe who are qualified to vote for Reprefentatives in the legislature, whofe bufinefs it shall be attentively to obferve the conduct of all perfons touching this affociation: and when it fhall be made to appear to the fatisfaction of a majority of any fuch Committee, that any perfon within the limits of their appointment has violated this affociation, that fuch majority do forthwith cause the truth of the cafe to be published in the Gazette, to the end that all fuch foes to the rights

of British America may be publickly known, and univerfally contemned as the enemies of American liberty; and thenceforth we refpectively will break off all dealings with him or her.

XII. That the Committee of Correfpondence in the respective Colonies do frequently infpect the entries of their cuftom-houfes, and inform each other from time to time of the true ftate thereof, and of every other material circumftance that may occur relative to their affociation.

XIII, That all manufactures of this country be fold at reasonable prices, fo that no undue advantage be taken of a future fcarcity of goods.

XIV. And we do further agree and refolve, that we will have no trade, commerce, dealings or intercourse whatsoever, with any Colony or Province, in North-America, which fhall not accede to, or which fhall hereafter violate this affociation, but will hold them as unworthy of the rights of freemen, and as inimical to the liberties of their country.

And we do folemnly bind ourselves and our Conftituents, under the ties aforefaid, to adhere to this affociation until fuch parts of the several Acts of parliament paffed fince the clofe of the laft war, as impofe or continue duties on tea, wine, molaffes, fyrups, paneles, coffee, fugar, piemento, indigo, foreign paper, glafs, and painters colours, imported into America, and extend the powers of the Admiralty Courts beyond their ancient limits, deprive the American fubject of trial by jury, authorife the judge's certificate to indemnify the profecutor from damages, that he might otherwife be liable to, from a trial by his peers, require oppreffive fecurity from a claimant of fhips or goods feized, before he fhall be allowed to defend his property, are repealed. And until that part of the Act of the 12 G, III. ch. 24. intituled, "An act for the better fecuring his Majefty's dock-yards, magazines, fhips, am

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munition, and ftores," by which any perfons charged with committing any of the offences therein defcribed, in America, may be tried in any fhire or county within the realm, is repealed-And until the four Acts paffed in the last feffion of parliament, viz. That for ftopping the port and blocking up the harbour of Bofton-That for the altering the charter and government of the Massachusett's Bay and that which is intituled, "An act for the better administration of justice," &c.-and that " for extending the limits of Quebec, &c." are repealed. And we recommend it to the Provincial Conventions, and to the Committees in the refpective Colonies, to establish fuch farther regulations as they` may think proper, for carying into execution this

affociation.

The foregoing affociation being determined upon by the Congress, was ordered to be fubfcribed by the feveral Members thereof; and thereupon we have hereunto fet our réfpective names accordingly.

In Congress, Philadelphia, Oft. 20, 1774. Signed, PEYTON RANDOLPH, Prefident. New Hampshire. John Sullivan, Nat. Follom. Maffachufett's Bay. Thomas Cufhing, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine.

Rhode Island. Stephen Hopkins, Sam. Ward. Connecticut. Eliphalet Dyer, Roger. Sherman, Silas Deane.

New-York. Ifaac Low, John Alfop, John Jay, James Duane, William Floyd, Henry Weifner, S. Boerum.

New-Jersey James Kinfey, William Livingfton, Stephen Crane, Richard Smith.

Pennsylvania. Jofeph Galloway, John Dickinfon, Charles Humphreys, Thomas Mifflin, Edward Biddle, John Morton, George Rofs.

Newcafile, &c. Cæfar Rodney, Thomas M'Kean, George Read.

Maryland. Matthew Tilghman, Tho. Johnson, William Pace, Samuel Chafe.

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Virginia. Richard, Henry Lee, George Washington, P. Henry, jun. Richard Bland, Benjamin Harrifon, Edmund Pendleton..

North-Carolina. William Hooper, Jofeph Hawes, R. Cafwell.

South-Carolina. Henry Middleton, Tho. Lynch, Chriftopher Gadíden, John Rutledge, Edward Rutledge.

Two days after paffing the preceding. agreement, it was refolved, That fhould a redrefs of the grievances complained of not be obtained before the month of May, another Congress should be held at Philadelphia; and, neither the Declaration of Rights nor the Non-Importation Agreement making any impreffion on the British Miniftry, a General Congrefs affembled at Philadelphia on the 10th of May, 1775.

Conciliation was the avowed object of this, as it had been of every Congrefs, Provincial and Continental, which had been held fince the commencement of the difpute with GreatBritain; and, after many fruitless efforts to obtain a restoration of harmony, the Congrefs refolved on a final petition to the King, and Mr. PENN was deputed to carry the petition to England. The subjoined copy was thus authenticated by the gentlemen who prefented it. LAST

LAST PETITION TO THE KING.

The following is a true copy of the petition from, the General Congrefs, in America, to his Majefty, which was delivered to Lord Dartmouth the first of this month, and to which his Lordfhip faid no anfwer would be given.

Sept. 4, 1775.

RICHARD PENN,
ARTHUR LEE.

TO THE

KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

Moft Gracious Sovereign,

WE your Majefty's faithful fubjects of the Colonies of New Hampshire, Matlachusetts Bay, Rhode Inland, and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennfylvania, the counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Suffex, on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, in behalf of ourfelves and the inhabitants of these Colonies, who have deputed us to reprefent them in General Congrefs, entreat your Majefty's gracious attention to this our humble petition..

The union between our Mother Country and thefe Colonies, and the energy of mild and just government, produced benefits fo remarkably impor tant, and afforded fuch affurance of their permanency and increase, that the wonder and envy of other nations were excited, while they beheld GreatBritain rifing to a power the moft extraordinary the world had ever known. Her rivals obferving that there was no probability of this happy connection being broken by civil diffentions, and apprehending its future effects, if left any longer undisturbed, refolved

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