of precaution, defiring that he might be permitted to lay before them the acta regia of Queen Elizabeth, and her fucceffors, for the fecurity of the planters and their defcendants, and the perpetual enjoyment of their liberties. Thefe proofs he alledged had never been laid before the houfe, nor had the colonies ever had an opportunity to afcertain and defend them. This petition was received without much oppofition, and ordered to ly upon the table. The minister, after having moved that the king's meffage of the 7th of March fhould be read, opened his plan for the reftoring of peace, order, juftice and commerce, in the province of Maffachufetts-Bay. He ftated that the oppofition to the authority of parlia ment had always originated in that colony; and that colony had been always inftigated by the irregular and feditious proceedings of the town of Bofton. That, therefore, for the purpofe of a thorough refor mation, it became neceffary to begin with that town, which, by a late unparalleled outrage, had led the way to the deftruction of commerce in all parts of America. That if a fevere and exemplary punishment was not inflicted on this heinous act, Great Britain would be wanting in the protection fhe owed to her moft peaceful and meritorious fubjects. That, had fuch an infult been offered to British property in a foreign port, the nation would have been called upon to demand fatisfaction. He would therefore propofe that the town of Bofton fhould be obliged to pay for the tea which had been deftroyed in their port. That the injury was indeed done by perfons unknown and in difguife, but that the town magiftracy had taken no notice of it, had never made any fearch for the offenders, and therefore, by a manifeft neglect of'a known duty, became accomplices in the guilt. That F.ff the the fining of communities for their neglect of punishing offences com nited within their limits, was juftified by feveral examples. Thefe examples were one in the cafe of London, one in the cafe of Edinburgh, and another in the cafe of Glafgow, with regard to Dr Lamb, Captain Porteus, and Mr Campbell. These examples were faid to be strong, and in point for fuch punishments. It was not a fingle act of violence. It was a feries of feditious practices of every kind, and carried on for feveral years. He was of opinion, therefore, that it would not be fufficient to punish the town of Boston, by obliging her to make a pecuniary fatisfaction for the injury, which, by not endeavouring to prevent and punish, fhe had in fact encouraged; fecurity must be given in future, that trade may be fafely carried on, properly protected, laws obeyed, and duties regularly paid; otherwise the punishment of a fingle illegal act is no reformation. It would, he faid, be proper to take away from Boston the privilege of a port, until his majefty fhould be fatisfied in thefe particu lars, and publicly declare in council, on a proper certificate of the good behaviour of the town, that he was fatisfied. Until this fhould happen, the customhoufe officers, which were not now fafe in Boston, or fafe no longer than when they neglected their duty, fhould be removed to Salem where they might exercife their functions. By this Bofton would certainly fuffer. But fhe ought to fuffer; and by this refolution would fuffer lefs punishment than her delinquents fully juftified. For fhe was not wholly fecluded from all fupply. She was, by this propofition, only to be virtually removed feventeen miles from the fea. The duration of her punishment was entirely in her own power. For when the fhould difcharge this debt to the Eaft-India company, which had been con tracted tracted by her own violence, and had given full affurances of obedience in future to the laws of trade and revenue; there was no doubt but that his majefty, to whom he propofed to leave that power, would again open the port, and exercise that mercy which was agreeable to his difpofition. He ftrongly recommended unanimity, and faid that this was a crifis that demanded vigour. He was by no means an enemy to lenient measures. Refolutions of warning and cenfure will avail nothing; now is the time to ftand out and defy them; to defy them with firmnefs and without fear. A conviction must be produced to America that we are in earnest, and will proceed with firmness and vigour. This conviction would be loft if they found us doubting and hesitating. Some friends to British authority may fuffer a little, but if with this temporary inconveniency we compare the lofs of the country, and its due obedience, it will bear no comparifon. It is faid the Americans will not pay their debts; this they threatened before the repeal of the ftamp act. The act was repealed. confequence. They did not pay. if attended to, muft difable parliament equally in all her operations. This act will not require a military power to enforce it; four or five frigates will be fufficient. But if they fhould not be fufficient, he would not fcruple to use a military force, which might act with effect, and without bloodshed. The other colonies will not take fire at the proper punishment inflicted on thofe who have disobeyed the laws. They will leave them to fuffer their own punishments. If they do combine with them, the confequence of their rebellion belong not to us, but to them. We are only anfwerable that our measures be juft and equitable. Let us proceed, fays he, with firmnefs, juftice, and refolution; which What was the This threatening, courfe courfe, if purfued, will certainly produce that due obedience to the laws of this country, and fecurity of the trade of this people, which I fo earneftly with for. Thefe are the arguments of the minifter which he used to fupport his motion for bringing in the Bofton Portbill; and accordingly, leave was given for bringing it in. In the progrefs of this a motion was made for an amendment, for the purpose of laying a fine on the town of Boston, equivalent to the damage fustained by the Eaft- India company. If they refused to pay this fine, that the other penalties mentioned in the bill, might be inflicted. This amendment was re jected, and this bill pregnant with fo many important confequences, was pushed on with fo much vigour and dispatch, that it did not remain long in the house. It is fomewhat furprizing that a law fo full of direful confequences, fhould have been received with fo much applaufe and approbation, as this did at the firft. Without enquiring into the reafon of the behaviour of the people of Boston, they were condemned unheard, and disfranchifed without ever having their caufe brought before thofe who pretended to be their judges. The equity of obliging a delinquent and refractory colony to make fatisfaction for the diforders which were fuppofed to have arifen from their factious temper, and negligent police, was taken for granted to be a neceffary exertion of the powers of government, and many things exceptionable in the act were, on that account, overlooked. But when the fe proceedings of parliament are accurately confidered, and the fpeech of the minifter feriously analized, they will appear to be pregnant with baneful influence to every fpecies of liberty. The fpeech of the minifter declares, that he took for granted what neither the British con ftitution A. D. 1774. ftitution nor the colonifts admit to be true, namely, that the parliament of Britain have a right to impofe taxes, where the people have no reprefentation; and that refiftance to foreign laws is worthy of fevere punishment. That the parliament of Britain has a right to take away what it never had a right to give; namely, a right for men to enjoy the poffeffions which they had purchased from the original proprietors of a country where Britain had no jurifdiction. The equity and justice which the fpeech fuperficially mentions, are only words without any meaning, unlefs that justice varies with the climate, and equity changes with the longitude and latitude. For what he fo warmly recommends as juft and equitable in Bofton, would be accounted lawlefs tyranny in any part of Great-Britain. At this time the friends of the colonies in parliament were divided; one party applauded the prefent measures as lenient and gentle; others continued to stand upon their old ground, and maintained their -conftant principles. In the courfe of the debate in the progrefs of the bill, they feem to have been truer prophets than the minifter; for almost all the events which they foretold have nearly come to pafs, but not one word of his prophecies have been accomplished. Oppofition to this bill encreased, during the time of the debates. Mr Bolan, agent for the council of Maffachufett's-Bay, presented a petition, deftring to be heard for the faid council, and in behalf of himfelf and others, the inhabitants in the town of Bofton. The house refufed to hear the petition. It was faid that the agent of the council was not agent for the cor poration, and no agent could be received from a corporate body,except he were appointed by all the neceffary conftituent parts of that body. Befides the council |