ture.

that the attemps made by a defperate faction, to dif turb the public tranquility, would be discountenanced, and that the execution of the measure recommended would not meet with any difficulty. Both the miniftry and the governor were miftaken in this conjecOn the 21st of June, this part of the letter was laid before the new affembly by the governor, with a meffage, in which he earneflly requelled their compliance; but obferved, that in case of a contrary behaviour, he had received his Majefty's inftructions how to act, and must do his duty. This produced a mesfage from the affembly, in which they defired a copy of the inftructions which the governor alluded to, as well as of fome letters and papers he had laid before the council. The governor fent a copy of the remainder of Lord Hilifborough's letter, in which the inftructions were contained, to the affembly, by which he was directed, in cafe of their refufing to comply with his Majefty's reasonable expectations, to diffolve them immediately, and to tranfmit a copy of their proceedings upon it, to be laid before the parliament, The whole of thofe requifitions, made by the government of Britain upon this colony, were confidered by the colonists as the effects of the mifreprefentations of their own governor, who, as he wanted to rule over them with an arbitrary power, was provoked at their oppofition, and therefore reprefented them to the King and the ministry as a perverfe and factious fet of people that would be ruled by no law, and defpifed all government.

The affembly gave no answer to the governor's requeft, till his patience was almoft worn out, and he was obliged to fend a meffage to them, to urge their. compliance with the King's demands. In anfwer to this meffage, they applied for a recefs, that they

hight have an opportunity to confult, aud advife with their conftituents upon the occafion. This was what the governor knew would be of no fervice to his fcheme, but would rather add fuel to the fire that was already kindled; he therefore refufed their requeft. Upon which they put the queftion, for refeinding the refolution of the last affembly, which paffed in the negative, by a divifion of ninety two to feventeen. This fhews how badly the fecretary had been informed concerning the temper of the majori ty, when he affirmed, that the measure had been carried in a thin meeting, contrary to the opinion of the majority, who were abfent. It appears to be a common infirmity prevailing with men of all ranks to believe, at least on occafions to affirm, what is most agreeable to their own inclinations and interefts, however little evidence they have for their conduct.

The affembly then refolved to write a letter to Lord Hillsborough, aud an answer to the Governor. In both these letters they endeavour to vindicate the conduct of the laft affembly, as well as the prefent, and deny the charges brought against them, of carrying the refolution by furprife in a thin meeting of the affembly, and affirm on the contrary, that the refolution for the circular letter was paffed in a full feffion, and by a great majority. They alfo defended the legality of that meafure, and affirmed that it was the inherent right of all fubjects to petition the King, either jointly or feparately, for a redress of grievances. In regard to the refcinding the refolution, it was obferved, that to speak in the flile of the common law, it was not now executory, but to all intents and purposes executed: That the circular letters had been fent, and many of them anfwered: That both had appeared in the public papers, and that they

could

could now as well refcind the letters as the refolves on which they were founded, and that both would, be equally fruitlefs. In the letter to the fecretary of ftate, they made feveral strictures with great freedom on the nature of the requifition, and alleged that it was unconftitutional, and without a precedent, to command a free affembly, on pain of its exiftence, to refcind any refolution, much lefs that of a former houfe. They complained greatly of the bafe and wicked reprefentations that must have been made to his Majefty, to caufe him to confider a meafure perfectly legal and conftitutional, and which only tended to lay the grievances of the fubjects before the throne, as of an inflammatory nature, tending to create unwarrantable combinations, and to excite an oppofition to the authority of parliament, which are the terms in which it is defcribed in the letter. They concluded with the warmest expreffions of loyalty, and the ftrongeft remonstrances against the late laws. They were at the fame time preparing a petition to the King for removal of their governor, in which they bring many heavy charges against him, that were urged with great vehemency, and expreffed in very strong terms: before they had finifhed this petition, the governor took care to diffolve the affembly. The affemblies in America were now become fomething like the English parliaments in the reign of Charles the first, by no means tractable to the call of the court and fovereign; for which reason they were continually diffolved. But they were still as fimilar in their cafes, the new affemblies were as tenacious of their rights as the old ones, and took up the grievances where the former affemblies left them, and began with new remonftrances, while these matters were warmly purfued in the colonies, and their aflemblies continually diffolved, the

But

grand

grand affembly of Britain continued unflaken by the whole force of petitions and remonftrances that were levelled against it. The commons of Britain and the ministry understood one another, fo that the whole forces of national petitions, and rémonftrances could not procure a diffolution of parliament.

The circular letters which had been written by the fecretary of ftate to the other colonies, were attended with as little fuccefs as that which was fent to Bofton. The affemblies of the other colonies wrote anfwers to that of Maffachufett's-Bay, which were received by the late fpeaker, in which they exprefs the highest and warmeft approbation of their conduct, and a firm refolution to concur with their measures. Some of the colonies alfo addreffed the fecretary of ftate, and justified the measures taken by the affembly at Bofton, and alfo animadverted with great freedom upon feveral paffages in the requifition contained in his letter. In the mean time, feveral of them entered into refolutions, not to import or purchase any English goods, except what were already ordered for the enfuing fall, or fuch articles as they could not want, until the late acts were repealed.or

On the 10th of June, 1768, a little before the diffolution of the affembly, a great tumult happened at Bofton. The board of cuftoms had made a feizure of a floop belonging to one of the principal merchants of that town. That floop had been discharged of a cargo of wine, and in part re-loaded with a quantity of oil, which is faid to have been done under pretence of converting it into a store, without any great attention being paid to the new laws, or to the customhoufe régulations. Upon the feizure being made, the officers made a fignal to the Romney man of war, and her boats were fent manned and armed, who

cut away the mafts of the floop, and conveyed her under the protection of the man of war. The people, having affembled in great multitudes upon this occafion, pelted the commiffioners of the customs with ftones, broke one of their fwords, and treated them in other refpects with great outrage; after which, they attacked their houses, broke the windows, and hauled the collector's boat to the common, and burnt it to ashes.

The officers of the customs upon this outrage, took fhelter aboard the man of war, from whence they removed to caftle William, where they refumed the functions of their office. This tranfaction occafioned feveral town meetings, in which a remonftrance was prefented to the governor, wherein they claimed rights directly oppofite to the new laws of the British legislature, and demanded that the governor would iffue an order for the departure of his Majefty's fhips out of the harbour. The minds of the people were now greatly irritated; they perceived that the new laws would be enforced by every exertion of the king and parliament, and as they difputed the right of the British legislature to impofe fuch laws upon them, when they had no fhare therein, they looked upon themselves as oppreffed by an unwarrantable authority. Their fpirits were now wrought up to a degree of enthufiafm, which led them to thofe acts of outrage which men are ready to fall into, when they are bereaved of what they believe to be their natural rights. There is no queftion but the leaders in the oppofition neglected no arts that they thought neceffary to inflame the minds of the people, which when once they were wrought to a very high pitch, could not even be restrained by the authority of thofe who had inflamed them. In the fervour of controversy, it is difficult for men to reftrain their paffions, or to obferve