that it fhould be the laft fupply they would ever grant, until their grievances were redreffed, and it gave fatisfaction. But the house in the prefent feffion, paffed a vote for a further fupply of 2000l. which greatly inflamed the minds of the inhabitants. Two papers were published upon the occafion: the one addreffed to the betrayed inhabitants of the city and colony of NEW YORK, and figned A SON OF LIBERTY: the other figned LEGION, defiring the inhabitants to meet in the fields. The papers were voted falfe, feditious, and infamous libels by the affembly, who defired the lieutenant governor to iffue out proclamations, offering rewards for the discovery of the authors, 100l. for the firft, and 50l. for the laft. A ftripling who had been journeyman to the printer of the firft, but discharged for bad behaviour, allured by the proffered reward, lodged a complaint against his late mafter, who was terrified into a discovery of Mr. McDougall as the publisher. Mr. McDougall was by the chief justice's warrant brought before him, and upon Feb. refusing to give bail was committed to jail. In confequence of the fecond paper, about fourteen hundred inhabitants met, and appointed Mr. John Lamb to propound questions relative to the vote of the affembly. After explaining it, the queftion was put, "Do you approve of the vote?" No, was the answer. He proceeded, "Are you for giving money to the troops, on any confideration whatsoever?" It was again No. There were but about half a dozen for the affirmative upon either of the questions. He then asked, " Will you appoint a committee to communicate the whole of this tranfaction to your members?" Yes, was the word. They then appointed for the committee, Meffrs. Ifaac

Sears,

8.

Sears, Cafper Wiftar, Alexander McDougall, Jacobus Van Zandt, Samuel Broome jun. Erafmus Williams, and James Van Vaurk. The meeting in the fields, and the tranfactions at it, were feveral weeks before the difcovery and commitment of Mr. McDougall. Mr. Lamb was called before the house to answer for his conduct; but in the mean time the committee wrote to the speaker, acknowledging themselves, in every refpect, parties with him, and anfwerable for each step that had been taken, and ready to defend their conduct in a conftitutional manner. When Mr. Lamb appeared before the affembly, he told them that he had affembled with the reft of his fellow citizens, and had propofed questions, which as a citizen, a freeman, and an Englishman, he had a right to do, and was furprifed to hear it controverted. The houfe finding that they had to do with men of fense and refolution, who were determined upon fupporting the rights of their countrymen and fellow citizens, gave up the point and difiniffed them. Their vote of 20001. for the troops foon paffed into a law: but the deficiency demanded by the lieutenant governor as arrears, amounting to upward of 1000l. was left unpaid. Had there been a provifion for the arrears, the compliance with the mutiny act would have been formal and complete. That matters were carried fo far must be attributed to an extraordinary and fudden coalition in the affembly between politicians, who had long been at mortal variance.

April. The grand jury found a bill against captain McDougall, but the trial was put off; and he was bailed out of jail. When the house met again toward the clofe of the year, he was ordered to attend at their bar. The

speaker

speaker asked him whether he was the author or publifher of the addrefs, &c. He declined anfwering, and affigned his reasons. It was refolved, that in his reply he denied the authority of the house, and was therefore guilty of a high contempt. On his refusing to ask pardon of the houfe, he was ordered into cuftody, and the speaker iffued his warrant to the jail keeper of the city to receive and keep him prifoner, until he should be discharged by due course of law. He remained in jail till the affembly was prorogued on the 25th of the following February 1771, when he was enlarged after a confinement of near three months. It was not till March the 27th that he was difcharged from his recognizance, by the fupreme court then fitting at New York, (without having been brought to a trial) after having been under bonds for near twelve months, and fuffered twenty and three weeks actual imprisonment. He was the firft fufferer for liberty after the commencement of the united efforts of the American fons, to fruftrate the minifterial plans for encroaching upon, and eventually fubverting their long claimed and enjoyed rights and privileges. This. honor belongs to a gentleman born in Scotland, and who is indeed, what he figned himself, A Son of Liberty. He bore his imprisonment with fortitude; but the difagreeableness of it was much leffened, and the difgrace of it wholly removed, as the citizens of the higheft and best characters, ladies and gentlemen, reforted to the place of his confinement. His character as well as his cause was good; fo that the most virtuous espousers of the latter, were neither afraid nor ashamed, by their repeated visits, to afford him their public countenance.

I

The

The Maffachusetts again demands your attention. May The new general court met at Cambridge; the house 31. remonstrated against being held there, or at any other place than Boston; and by a majority of 96 out of 102, voted it to be a very great grievance, and refolved not to do business out of Boston; on which the lieutenant governor prorogued them.

July

25.

Sept.

26.

29.

They met again, but the affembly refused to do bufinefs; and in their. meffage to Mr. Hutchinfon, infisted upon the right of the people to appeal to heaven in difputes between them and perfons in power, when there is an abuse of power; but they foftened what they advanced, by faying "We would, however, by no means be understood to fuggeft,. that this people have occafion at present to proceed to fuch extremity ;" and yet they afterward added, "thefe and other grievances and cruelties, too many to be here enumerated, and too melancholy to be much longer borne by this people, we have seen brought upon us by the devices of the minifters of ftate." They were prorogued afresh.

They met a third time. The lieutenant governor told them, that the garrifon at the castle in the pay of the province was to be withdrawn by order of his majefty, and the fortrefs to be garrifoned by his regular forces. His orders were to deliver the poffeffion of the fort to fuch officer as general Gage should direct to take the command of it. The information excited a fufpicion in the affembly, who defpaired of obtaining a removal to Boston by perfifting in a refufal to do bufinefs; the leaders therefore procured this vote: "Refolved, that next Wednesday (October 3) be obferved by the two houses as a day of prayer, to seek the

Lord

Lord for his direction and bleffing," which went up to the council, and was unanimously concurred. Men of a profane caft are too prone to ridicule religion, because of its being thus made a ftalkinghorfe to ferve the purpofes of politicians. Would they confine their wit and fatire to the parties offending, the correction would be proper. But let not the well-intentioned and undefigning children of devotion, be charged with hypocritical canting, because they are impofed upon and duped by the fubtilty of guides, who, like moft thorough-paced politicians, can change themselves into angels of light, that they may perfect their devices.

The house refolved to proceed to bufinefs from ab- o& folute neceffity, protesting against the restraint the ge- 9. neral court was held under to do it out of Boston. A few days after, they fent to the lieutenant governor to know whether he held the command of the Caftle. "If the custody and government of that fortrefs," faid they, "is now lodged with the military power, independent of the fupreme civil magiftrate within this jurifdiction, it is fo effential an alteration of the conftitution as muft justly alarm a free people." His anfwer was fo worded, as to leave the affembly, in general, ground for concluding, that the military in the caftle were dependent upon himself the fame as were the provincials. When he delivered it up, he repaired thither, fent for the keys, and upon colonel Dalrymple's coming into the state room with his officers, gave them to him, and lodged with him the cuftody and government of the fort, but retained fome trifling appearances of fuperior command. He foon learnt however, that he could not VOL. I.

X

come