LETTER VI.

London, August 7, 1773.

FRIEND G.

You

will receive from me without further application, re gular accounts of what is doing on this side the Atlantic, in relation to the colonies.

The burning of the Gaspee schooner near Providence, has giv en the chief rise to "an act for the better securing his majesty's dock yards, magazines, ships, ammunition and stores." If the button of a marine's coat, the oar of a cutter's boat, or the head of a cask belonging to the fleet, are included under the comprehensive term stores, then according to the act, a person wilfully and maliciously destroying, or aiding and assisting in destroying the same, is to suffer death on being convicted. But what will affect you more than all the rest is that the actis extended to the colonies, and subjects a person to a trial at the pleasure of his majesty, his heirs or successors, in any shire or county in GreatBritain. Your own feelings will furnish you. with the best comment on this new extension of parliamentary power.

The supporting of the authority of parliament was the only cause assigned by the minister himself, for retaining the tea-duty, at the very time when he acknowledged it to be as anti-commercial a tax, as any of those which he had repealed upon that principle. It now appears that government had something more in contemplation.

The East-India Company, feeling the bad effects of the colo~ nial smuggling trade, (occasioned by the retention of the duty) in the large quantities of tea which remained in their warehouses unsold, requested the repeal of the three-pence per pound in America, and offered that, upon its being complied with, government should retain six-pence in the pound on the exportation. Thus the company presented the happiest opportunity which could have offered, for honorably removing the cause of difference with America. Here was an opening for doing right, without infringing the claims on either side. The company asked, and their situation required relief. It could not be alledged, that it was done at the instance of American discontent. The minister was requested and intreated, by a gentleman of great weight in the company, and a member of parliament, to embrace the opportunity; but it has been rejected. New contrivances have been set on foot to introduce the tea, attended with

the

the three-penny duty into all the colonies. Various intrigues and solicitations have been used to induce the chairman and deputy chairman, to undertake this rash and foolish business. It has been protested against as contrary to the principles of the company's monopoly; but the power of ministry has prevailed; and the insignificant three-penny duty on tea, is doomed to be the fatal bone of contention between Great-Britain and America. A bill has been passed into an act, [May 10.] for enabling the company to export their own teas. In consequence of it they have adopted the system, and are become their own factors. They have ceme to a resolution of sending 600 chests of tea to Philadelphia, the like quantity to New-York and Boston, beside what is designed for other places; several ships are accordingly freighted for different colonies, and agents appointed for the disposal of the commodity.

The several colonies will undoubtedly consider the scheme as calculated merely to circumvent them into a compliance with the revenue law, and thereby to open the door for an unlimited taxation; for if taxation can be established in this instance, it will be extended to others. Consequences will not fail to convince the minister, that it would have been far more eligible to have repealed the duty, than in this way to attempt its establishment. It will be needless for me to assure you, that you may upon all occasions command the assistance of

Your, &c.

N. B. Some of the captains have refused to take the tea on board.

LETTER VII.

Roxbury, March 28, 1774.

BEFORE you to

EFORE you have an account of the American proceedings in respect to the teas of the East-India Company, you must be presented with some matters of an earlier date.

[May 14, 1773.] The Bostonians persisted in discovering on every occasion, a determined opposition to ministerial measures. Twelve days before the election day, the town resolved, "That if the council apply for Faneuil-hall for to dine in on the anni

versary

versary election day, the select men should not grant it but upon the express conditions that neither the commissioners of the customs, nor their attendants, nor the officers of the army and navy, stationed here for the purpose of enforcing unconstitutional acts of parliament by military execution, be invited." It has been an established custom for the governor, council, and many other gentlemen, to dine there on that day; but the resolve prevented an application, and occasioned their dining elsewhere, with the commissioners and officers.

Whether the votes of Boston, sent to Virginia, as the patriots say, or their own private letters might or might not lead to it, the house of burgesses resolved, in the beginning of March, to maintain an intercourse with the sister colonies. They therefore appointed a committee of eleven persons, "whose business it should be to obtain the most early and authentic intelligence of all such acts and resolutions of the British parliament, or proceedings of administration, as may relate to or affect the British colonies, and to keep up and maintain a correspondence and communication with their sister colonies." They then resolved, "That their speaker transmit to the speakers of the different assemblies their resolutions, to be laid before their assemblies, and requesting their appointing committees." Nothing could be more acceptable to the Massachusetts assembly. It was the first particular business they entered upon when they met. [May 28.] They came to several resolves, and were careful in the first to speak highly in praise of Virginia. They appointed a committee of fifteen members, and directed them "to prepare a circular letter to the speakers, requesting them to lay the same before their respective assemblies, in confidence that they will comply with the wise and salutary resolves of the house of burgesses of Virginia." Connecticut, Rhode-Island, Maryland, and NewHampshire, entered into similar measures; but the answer ordered by the New-Hampshire assembly, to be given to the speakers of Virginia and Rhode-Island, was guardedly expressed; they gave assurance that their sister colonies might rely upon their sincerely joining them in every constitutional plan for securing the rights of America. The institution of these committees tends greatly to unite the colonies, and to render them more alert and formidable in resisting the encroachments of ministry. They by this mean become early prepared to meet new and unexpected occurrences; and are drawn in to look upon themselves as jointly interested in each others safety and public concerns.

An event has happened in the Massachusetts, which has excited on the part of the people, the utmost indignation and animosity; on the side of the governor and other, the greatest confusion.

The

The agent, Dr. Franklin, has by some means yet unknown, obtained and sent over to Mr. Bowdoin, a number of letters, to be communicated by him, after perusal, to a few trusty gentlemen, viz. the honorable James Pitts, Mr. Thomas Cushing, Mr. Samuel Adams, Dr. Winthrop, Dr. Chauncey, and Dr. Cooper: it is added, they are to be returned and put into the place whence they were taken. The letters are signed Tho. Hutchinson, And. Oliver, Ch. Paxton, Thomas Moffat, Robert Achmuty, Nath. Rogers, George Rome. Though they were partly private and confidential, they were designed to procure public coercive measures; and tended to incense the mother country against her colonies, and by the steps recommended, to widen the breach, which they have undoubtedly effected. Their contents were the subject of conversation and solicitous enquiry; till at length Mr. Sam. Adams acquainted the assembly [June 2.] that he had perceived the minds of the people to be greatly agitated with a prevailing report, that letters of an extraordinary nature had been written and sent to England, greatly to the prejudice of this province-that he had obtained certain letters, which with the consent of the gentleman from whom he had received them, might be read in the house under certain restrictions, namely, that the said letters be neither printed nor copied in whole or in part; the proposal was considered, and they were read under the said restrictions. A committee of the whole house afterward reported, "that the tendency and design of said letters was to overthrow the constitution of this government, and to introduce arbitrary power into the province."-Yeas 101-Nays 5.

The restrictions under which the letters were communicated, were invalidated by contrivance; and in a week's time [June 9.] Mr. Hancock acquainted the house that he had received copies of certain letters, which he supposed were copies of the letters before the house, and moved that they might be compared. The next day [June 10.] one of a committee appointed to consider some means whereby the house might be honorably and fully possessed of the letters, reported, "That Mr. S. Adams had acquainted him, that having conversed with the gentleman from whom he received the letters, he was authorised to inform the house, that the said gentleman consented (as he found that copies of said letters were already abroad, and had been publicly read) that the house should be fully possessed of them, to print, copy, or make what use of them they pleased, relying on the goodness of the house, that the original letters be returned, they retaining attested copies for their use." Mr. S. Adams being called upon, declared the same. [June 16.] At length the assembly resolved to petition the king to remove governor Hutchinson VOL. I. Ee

and

and lieutenant governor Oliver for ever from the government of the province. [June 22.] They agreed also to furnish the council with the original letters upon the express condition, that the board would by no means suffer them to go out of their hands. The council complied with the insulting stipulation aimed at the governor; and upon his requiring the letters for examination, refused to deliver them into his hands, but sent a committee to open them before him, that he night examine the hand writing. [June 24.] To this indignity he was obliged to submit, as well as to the mortification of acknowledging the signature. After which they resolved, "that the removal of the governor and Lieutenant governor will be promotive of his majesty's service."

The Boston committee of correspondence, that they might add weight to the doings of the general court, enclosed the governor's letters and also the resolves of the house, in a spirited circular letter, and sent them to the several town clerks through the province, to be communicated to their respective towns.

The house of assembly in their petition and remonstrance to his majesty, charged the governor and lieutenant governor with being betrayers of their trusts and of the people they governed, and with giving private, partial, and false information; declared them enemies to the colony; and prayed for justice against them, and for their speedy removal. So prevalent was the resentment, that these charges, with many others, were carried through by a majority of 82 to 12.

To enter now upon the subject of the TEA. While the bill for allowing the East-India Company to export it, was in parliament, letters from Britain insinuated into the minds of the colonists, that a plan was laid to bring them into a snare; that a nobie resistance on this occasion, would free them from the slavery intended for them; that if this opportunity was lost they never would have another; and that if they suffered the ships to land the tea, and the duty to be paid, they would rivet their own chains. The British merchants have been alarmed with the thought of the losses which must necessarily accrue to themselves from the exportations of the company, and from the sales going through the hands of consignees; and have contributed to the strengthening of that resistance to which the people were already inclined, through their prevailing jealousy at the reservation of the tea duty when the other duties were repealed. The united opposition of the colonies was to be secured; but the event was precarious. The Bostonians were much suspected by the sons of liberty in the other provinces, on account of the many goods which were imported into the town during the general non-importation agreement, and

afterward.