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Both houfes of parliament were fo bent upon humbling the colony of Maffachufett's bay, that they had proceeded, on the 13th of February, to address his Majefty, for calling all the offenders in that colony to an account before the judicatories of this nation. This declared how earneft the majority in parliament were in exercifing the authority of the mother country over the colonies. Their addrefs is expreffed in the strongest terms of loyalty to the King, and feverity to the offenders in the colony *. His Majesty in his answer to the addrefs of both houfes of parlia ment enters warmly into the fpirit of the measures they

THE

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ADDRESS.

Moft Gracious Sovereign, We, your Majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Lords fpiri tual and temporal, and Commons in Parliament affembled, return your Majefty our most humble thanks, for the communication your Majefty has been graciously pleafed to make to your parliament, of feveral papers relative to public tranfactions in your Majefty's province of Maffachufett's Bay.

We beg leave to exprefs to your Majefty our fincere fatisfaction in the meafures which your Majefty has purfued, for fupporting the conffitution, and for inducing a due obedience to the authority of the legiflature, and to give your Majesty the strongest affurances, that we will effectually ftand by and fupport your Majetty, in fuch further meafures as may be found neceffary to maintain the civil magiftrates in the due execution of the faws, within your Majefty's province of Mallachufett's bay.

And we conceive nothing can be immediately neceffary either for the maintaining of your Majefty's authority in the faid province, or for guarding your Majefty's fubjects therein from being further deluded by the arts of wicked and defigning men, than to proceed in the

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most speedy and effectual manner for bringing to condign punishment the chief authors and inftigators of the late diforders. We moft humbly befeech your Majefty, that you will be graciously pleased to direct, your Majefty's Governor of Malla chufett's bay to take the most effectual methods for procuring the fi telt information that can be obtained, touching all treafous, mifprifion of treafon committed within his government fince the 30th of December, 1767; and to tranfmit the fame, together with the names of the perfons who were moft açtive in the commiflion of fuch offences, to one of your Majesty's principal fecretaries of ftaté in order that your Majefty may iffue a fpecial commiffion for enquiring of hearing, and determining the faid offences within the realm, purfuant to the provifions of the flatute of the 35th year of the reign of King Henry the eight, in cafe your Majefty fhall, upon receiving the faid information, fee fufficient ground for fuch a proceeding. To this Addrefs, his Majefty gave the following moft gracious Anfwer.

My Lords and Gentlemen, The fincere fatisfaction you exprefs in the meafures I have alrea

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they recommend, and breathes the spirit of vengeance against fome leading perfons in the colony of Maffaq chuffett's bay. It was now manifeft that nothing could bring matters to a proper temper, except an uncondi tional fubmiffion on the part of the colonifts; for both king and parliament were determined to humble them. At this time it appeared to almost all ranks of people, an eafy matter to have fertled the difference. Moderation in the government, equal to the fubmiffion of the colonists might have fettled all the commotions; but it was now determined to make afe of the most rigorous measures, and to bring the colonists to the feet of the minifter. Wife men began to perceive the abfurdity of the meafures of the miniftry, and publicly fhewed their dislike of their proceedings, and on that account were confidered as difloyal and difaf- · fected to the government. The moft wretched and defpicable tools of adminiftration, over all the nation, were, on all occafions, ready to infult every perfon that hinted the fmalleft diflike of the violent measures that were now propofed. Petitions and remonftrances were confidered as feditious libels, and the petitioner's and remonftrators accounted factious and difloyal perfons, The very Jacobites and Papifts, who, it is well known never were well affected to the revolution fettlement, nor the Hanoverian fucceffion, became now the accufers of the King's moft loyal fubjects, and were not afhamed openly to charge the revolution with rebellion, The great numbers of those who had been concerned in the rebellion in the year 1745

dy taken, and the ftrong affurances you give of fupporting me in thofe which may be ftill neceffary to maintain the juft legislative authority, and the due execution of the laws in my province of Maffachufett's bay, give me great pleasure,

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I will not fail to give those orders which you recommend as the most effectual method of bringing the authors of the late unhappy diforders in that province to condign punishment,

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being restored to their fortunes and eЛlates, as well as preferred in the army and navy, gave fupicion to thofe who were friends of the conflitution, that fome dark fchemes were operating to bring the empire under a more arbitrary government. What added to these fufpicions was, that ever fince, 1745, it had been the conftant converfation of the Jacobites in their private affemblies, that they would walk more furely, and play a more certain game in their future proceedings, than they and their fathers had done fince the revolution; that it would be a work of more time, to worm them, felves into places of power and trust, by a fpecious behaviour, but would operate with more certainty, than proceeding to acts of violence. Thefe fecret manœuvres were not kept fo clofe, as to be totally concealed; they had, upon occafions, admitted fome into their meetings who were unknown to them, not of their principles. Thefe made no fecrets of what they had heard, but told them to others, and they at last circulated fo wide as to fpread over the whole nation. These hints moved the friends of the revolution, and made them publish their fufpicions to the nation. The friends of the miniftry declared that all this was flander, proceeding from malice and difappointment: that the people in oppofition had nothing in view except to embarrals government, and to have the manage. ment, and the perquifites belonging thereto, into their own hands. This affertion was not unplaufible; for it oftentimes happens that the clamour againft the ministry proceeds more from a love of their places, than from any dislike of their measures. The miniftry on this occafion, as on many occafions fince, were but badly ferved h thofe whom they employed to defend their meafures, to the public. The writers upon their fide, were not equal in abilities to thofe in

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the oppofition; and though they had been equal to it, it indeed is impoffible for hirelings to write with fo much spirit and freedom as those who write from prin ciple, and from the heart.

What irritated the colonists to the highest degree, was an act paffed in 1767, for granting certain duties in the British colonies and plantations in America. This law contains a vast number of articles which the colo. nists thought heavy and grievous, and which were judged inconfiftent with thofe ideas implied in the law repealing the ftamp act. But that the reader may judge for himself, I have given this law, together with the declaratory act, in the notes below*. In no year fince his Majefty's acceffion to the throne, were there greater

*For every hundred weight avoirdupois of crown, plate, flint, and white glass, four fhillings and eight pence.

For every hundred weight avoirdupois of Green glafs, one shilling and two pence,

For every hundred weight avoirdupois of red lead, two fhillings. For every hundred weight avoirdupois of white lead, two fhillings, For every hundred weight avoirdupois of painters colours, two thillings.

For every pound weight avoirdupois of tea, three pence,

For every ream of paper, ufually called or known by the name of atlas fine, twelve fhillings.

For every ream of paper called atlas ordinary, fix thillings.

For every ream of paper called baftard, or double copy, one fhil ling and fix pence.

For every fingle ream of blue paper for fugar bakers, ten pence half

penny.

For every ream of paper called blue royal, one thilling and fix pence.

For every bundle of brown paper

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containing forty quires, not made in Great Britain, fix pence.

For every ream of paper called brown cap, not made in Great Britain, nine pence.

For every ream of paper called brown large cap, made in Great Eritain, four pence halfpenny.

For every ream of paper called fmall ordinary brown, made in Great Britain, three pence.

For every bundle, containing for, ty quires of paper called white brown, made in Great Bittain, four pence halfpenny.

For every ream of cartridge paper, one filling and one penny half. penny.

For every ream of paper called chancery double, one fhilling and fix pence

For every ream of paper called Genoa crown fine, one fhilling and one penny halfpenny.

For every ream of paper called Genoa crown-fecond, nine pence. For every ream of paper called German crown, nine pence,

For every ream of paper called fine printing crown, nine peace. For every ream of paper called

fecond

commotions and debates in the empire than in this. Not only were the colonies in a state of commotion, but the natiou at home was in a continual buftle. Addreffes on one fide, and petitions on the other, were prefented in great numbers to the throne.. The principles upon which they proceeded were fo oppofite, and contrary to each other, that one would conclude, by comparing them, that the human mind must have, in fome people, different faculties, from what others are poffeffed of, and that right and wrong are not the fame

fecond ordinary printing crown, fix pence three farthings.

For every ream of paper called crown fine, made in Great Britain, nine pence.

For every ream of paper called crown fecond, made in great Great Britain, fix pence three farthings.

For every ream of paper called demy fine, not made in Great Britain, three fhillings.

For every ream of paper called demy fecond, not made in Great Britain, one fhilling and four pence halfpenny.

For every ream of paper called demy fine made in Great Britain, one fhilling and one penny halfpenny.

For every ream of paper called demy fecond, made in Great Britain, nine pence.

For every ream of paper called demy printing, one fhilling and three pence.

For every ream of paper called Genoa deny fine, one fhilling and fix pence.

For every ream of paper called Genoa deny fecond, one fhilling and one penny halfpenny.

For every ream of paper called German demy, one fhilling and one penny halfpenny.

For every ream of paper called elephant fine, fix fhillings.

For every ream of paper called

elephant ordinary, two fhillings and five pence farthing.

For every ream of paper called Genoa fools cap fine, one filling and one penny halfpenny.

For every ream of paper called Genoa fools cap fecond, nine pence. For every ream of paper called German fools cap, nine pence.

For every ream of paper called fine printing fools cap, nine pence. For every ream of paper called. fecond ordinary printing fools cap, fix pence three farthings.

For every ream of any other paper called fools cap fine, not made in Great Britain, one fhilling and ten pence halfpenny.

For every ream of any other paper called fools cap fine, fecond, not made in Great Britain, one fhilling and fix pence.

For every ream of paper called fools cap fine, made in Great Britain, nine pence.

For every ream of paper called fools cap fecond, made in Great Britain, fix pence three far things.

For every ream of paper called imperial fine, twelve shillings.

For every ream of paper called fecond writing imperial, eight fhillings and three pence.

For every ream of paper called German lombard, nine pence. For every reain of paper called

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