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which had been the occafion of continual altercation. This altercation was carried on with great afperity on both fides, and both parties feemed more attentive to keeness of expreffion, and feverity in their replies, than to the propriety of measures, or the advantages of civil government. Thefe difputes fo foured the tempers of the parties, that it was not eafy for them to purfue measures in connection, without fhewing a temper inconfiftent with mutual confidence. Governor Bernard was confidered as a perfon who was looking up to the fovereign for a dignity which his pride fuggested to him he deferved, and for that rea. fon, was more careful to please the miniftry, than to study the real advantage of the colony. He had thewn an imperious ftiffnefs in his behaviour, which did not fuit the temper of a people that were exceeding jealous of their liberty. His answers to their petitions and requests were formal, arbitrary, and willfully disobliging*; and inftead of endeavouring to

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ing, for their candid and particular attention.

Deprived of the councils of a general affembly in this dark and difficult feafon, the loyal people of this province will, we are perfuaded, immediately perceive the propriety and utility of the propofed committee of convention: and the found and wholefome advice that may be expected from a rum ber of gentlemen chofen by themfelves, and in whom they may repofe the greatest confidence; muft tend to the real fervice of our gracious fovereign, and the welfare of his fubjects in this province, and may happily prevent any fudden and unconnected measures, which in their prefent anxiety, and even

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agony of mind, they may be in dan ger of falling into.

As it is of importance that the convention fhould meet as foon as may be, fo early a day as the 22d of this inftant September has been propofed for that purpofe--and it is hoped the remoteft towns will by that time, or as foon after as conveniently may be, return their refpective committees.

Not doubting but that you are equally concerned with us, and our fellow citizens, for the prefervation of our invaluable rights, and for the general happiness of our country, and that you are difpofed with equal ardour to exert yourselves in every conftitutional way for fo glorious a purpose.

Signed by the felect-men.

To the Gentlemen Affembled at Faneuil-hall under the name of a Committee of Convention.

As I have lately received from his conftitutional authority within this majesty strict orders to fupport his government. I cannot fit ftill, and

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foften the tempers of the affembly already fufficiently rankled and over heated, he added fuel to the flame, by talking of prerogative, and the determination of the fovereign to fupport his dignity. It was ftrongly fufpected that the royal determination depended much upon the reprefentation that he had given of the colonists, and that the minifterial vengeance proceeded in a great measure from those partial accounts of the temper of the people reprefented in his letters to the minifters of state.

A letter which the governors received from the Earl of Shelburne, one of the principal fecretaries of state, and which contained fome fevere ftrictures on the behaviour of the colonies, and the conduct of the Maffachusetts affembly, was, by the order of the governor, and according to its original defign, read to that body by their fecretary. This produced great debates in the affembly, when feveral fevere things were faid, with very little temper, and obfervations made

fee fo notorious a violation of it, as the calling an affembly of the people by private perfons only. For a meeting of the deputies of the towns is an affembly of the reprefentatives of the people to all intents and purposes; and it is not the calling it a committee of convention that will alter the nature of the thing.

It is therefore my duty to interpofe, at this inftant, before it is coo late. I do therefore earnestly admonifh you, that inftantly, and before you do any bufinefs, you break up this affembly, and separate yourfelves. I fpeak to you now as a friend to the province, and a wellwifher to the individuals of it.

But if you should pay no regard to the admonition, I must as a governor affert the prerogative of the crown in a more public manner. For affure yourfelves (Ifpeak from inftruction), the king is determined to maintain his entire fovereignty over this province; and whoever fhall perfift in ufurping any of the rights of it, will repent of his raflr At nefs.

I am willing to believe that the gentlemen who fo haftily iffued the fummons for this meeting; were not aware of the high nature of the offence they were committing, and they who have obeyed them have not well confidered of the penalties which they will incur if they fhould perfift in continuing their feffion and doing bufinefs therein. prefent, ignorance of law may excufe what is paft: a step farther will take away that plea.

FRA. BERNARD

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made, not quite confiftent with the dignity of fuch a meeting. It was alledged in thofe debates, that Lord Shelburne's letter proceeded upon topics which the governor's representation of the colonies had fuggeft. ed; and that the feverity of the fecretary's letter took its rise from a mifrepresentation of facts, given by the governor in his dispatches to the ministry. A committee was appointed to wait upon him, to defire a copy of Lord Shelburne's letter, as well as thofe that he had written himself, with relation to the affembly, and to which the charges in his Lordship's letter muft refer. These copies being refufed, the affembly wrote a letter to the secretary of state, in which, they recite the circumstances of the whole tranfaction, and endeavour to vindicate themselves, and their conduct, at the expence of the governor, whom they charge with mifrepresenting them, and being the occafion of the illopinion which the fecretary had concerning them. They also wrote letters to the Lords of the treasury, and several other great officers of ftate, wherein, together with profeffions of their loyalty, they remonftrated against the operations of the late acts of parliament; which they hinted, were contrary to the conftitution, and totally fubverfive of their rights and liberties.

Such a firm oppofition was by no means agreeable to the temper of the governor, who probably had given affurances to the fecretaries of state, that a fharp rebuke from thofe in power in Engiand, would make them return to their duty and obedience. He found himself deceived, as well as found that they had endeavoured to expofe him as neither a friend to the King nor to the colonies; fo when he found himself disappointed in all his other fchemes, he adjourned the affembly. In the fpeech which he delivered on

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this occafion, he made many animadverfions upon their conduct, especially with regard to Lord Shelburne's letter; and he complained greatly of fome turbulent and factious members, who, under false pretences of patriotifin, had unhappily procured too great influence in the affembly, and among the people, who facrificed their country to the gratification of their paffions, and to the fupport of an importance, which could have no existence but in times of trouble and confufion. It is a common thing for all men that are grafping at power and domination, to charge all people with the crime of factioufnefs, that oppofe their measures; the whole ftruggles for liberty, in all. agcs of the world, have been accounted factious operations, of reftlefs perfons, who had no other intention than to difturb good and peaceable governors, who never deferved to be refifted. The famous patriots who brought about the glorious revolution, were, by the Tories of those times, accounted a faction, and charged with the worst of crimes, for faving the nation from Popery and tyranny.

While thefe difturbances in America were gaining ground by minifterial incapacity and oppofition, a new fecretary of state was appointed at home, to the department of the colonies. Much was hoped from this new inftitution and arrangement; but though the inftitution itself was good, the advantages arising therefrom, depended upon the manner of difcharging the office. The firft who was fettled in this new department of fate, was Lord Hillsborough, who did not by any lenient or foftening measures, attempt to foften the tempers of the colonies. Whether his orders were exprefs to obferve the conduct which he purfued, or that he made ufe of the royal authority to awe the colonists into a compliance with the mandates

dates of government, I will not pretend to affirm; but in his circular letters to the governors of the colonies, which had received the circular letter from the affembly of Bofton, he expreffes his Majefly's dif like of that letter in very strong terms. It was declared in Lord Hillsborough's letter, that his Majefty confidered the conduct of the affembly of Bofton as of the most dangerous and factious tendency, calculated to inflame the minds of the people, to promote an unwarrantable combination; to excite an open oppofition to, and denial of the authority of parliament, and to fubvert the true principles of the conflitution; and that his Majefty expected, from the known affection of the refpective affemblies, that they would defeat this flagitious attempt to difturb the public peace, and treat it with the contempt it deferved, by taking no notice of it.

Another letter of the fame date was fent to Governor Bernard, in which the fame exceptions are made to the circular letter. It is there affirmed, that the measure had been carried in a thin houfe, at the end of the feffion, and in which the affembly departed from that spirit of prudence and refpect to the conftitution, which feemed to have influenced the majo rity of its members in a full house and at the beginning of the feffion:, from hence his Majefty could not but confider it as a very unfair proceeding, and to have been carried by furprife through the houfe of representatives. It was then required in his Majefty's name that the new affembly would refcind the refolution which gave exiftence to the circular letter, and declare their disapprobation of, and diffent to fo rafh and hafty a proceeding: That as his Majefty had the fulleft reliance on the affections of his fubjects of Maffachufets bay, he had the better ground to hope,

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