Common avidity. Their reafoning was fo convincing, that many of the candid and difinterested citizens of Great Britain acknowledged that the American oppofition to parliamentary taxation was justifiable. The enormous fums which the ftamp act would have collected, had thoroughly alarmed the Colonists for their property. It was now demonftrated by feveral writers, especially by the Pennsylvania Farmer, that a small tax, though more fpecious, was equally dangerous, as it established a precedent which eventually annihilated American property. The declaratory act, which at first was the fubject of but a few comments, was now dilated upon as a foundation for every fpecies of oppreffion: and the fmall duties lately impofed were confidered as the beginning of a train of much greater evils.

Had the Colonists admitted the propriety of raifing a parliamentary revenue among them, the erection of an American board of commiffioners for managing it, which was about this time instituted at Boston, would have been a convenience rather than an injury; but united as they were in fentiments, of the contrariety of that measure to their natural and conftitutional rights, they ill brooked the innovation. As it was coeval with the new duties, they confidered it as a certain evidence that the project of an extenfive American revenue, notwithftanding the repeal of the ftamp act, was ftill in contemplation. A diflike to British taxation naturally produced a diflike to a board which was to be inftrumental in that business, and occafioned many infults to its commiffioners.

The revenue act of 1767 produced refolves, petitions, addreffes, and remonftranoes, fimilar to thofe with which the Colonists opposed the ftamp act. It alfo gave rife to a fecond affociation for suspending farther importations of British manufactures, till thefe offenfive duties fhould be taken off. Uniformity, in these measures, was promoted by a circular letter from the Affembly of Maffachusetts to the speakers of other affemblies. This ftated the petitions and reprefentations, which they had forwarded against the late duties, and strongly pointed out the great difficulties, that must arise to themselves and their conftituents, from the operation of acts of parliament impofing duties on the unreprefented American Colonies, and requefted a reciprocal free communication on public affairs. Moft of the Provincial Affemblies, as they had opportunities of deliberating on the fubject, approved of the proceedings of the Maffachusetts Affembly, and harmonized with them in the measures which they had adopted. In refolves, they stated their rights, in firm but decent language; and in petitions, they prayed

for

the

for a repeal of the late acts, which they confidered as infringements on their liberties.

It is not unreasonable to fuppofe, that the Minister who planned thefe duties, hoped that they would be regarded as regulations of trade. He might alfo prefume, that as they amounted only to an inconfiderable fum, they would not give any alarm. The circular letter of the Maffachusetts Affembly, which laid the foundation for united petitions against them, gave, therefore, great offence. Lord Hillsborough, who had lately been appointed Secretary of State for the American department, wrote letters to the governors of the refpective provinces, utging them to exert their influence, to prevent the affemblies from taken any notice of it, and he called on the Maffachusetts Affembly to refcind their proceedings on that fubject. This measure was both injudicious and irritating. To require a public body to refcind a refolution, for fending a letter, which was already fent, answered, and acted upon, was a bad specimen of the wisdom of new minifter. To call a vote, for fending a circular letter to invite the affemblies of the neighbouring colonies to communicate together. in the purfuit of legal measures to obtain a redress of grievances, "a flagitious attempt to disturb the public peace," appeared to the Colonists a very injudicious application of harsh epithets to their conftitutional right of petitioning. To threaten a new house of affembly with diffolu tion, in cafe of their not agreeing to refcind an act of a former affembly which was not executory, but executed, clashed no lefs with the dictates of common fenfe, than the conftitutional rights of British Colonists. The propofition for refcinding was negatived, by a majority of ninety-two to feventeen. The affembly was immediately diffolved, as had been threatened. This procedure of the new Secretary was confidered by the Colonifts as an attempt to fupprefs all communication of fentiment between them, and to prevent their united fupplications from reaching the royal ear. It anfwered no one valuable purpofe, but naturally tended to mifchief. The bad humour, which from fucceffive irritation already too much prevailed, was about this time, June 10, 1768, wrought up to a high pitch of refentment and violence, on occafion of the feizure of Mr. Hancock's floop Liberty, for not having entered all the wines fhe had brought from Madeira. The popularity of her owner, the name of the floop, and the general averfion to the board of commiffoners and parliamentary taxation, concurred to inflame the minds of the people. They refented the removal of the floop from the wharf, as implying an apprehenfion of a rescue. They ufed every means in their power to interrupt the officers in the execution of their business; and numbers

fwore

fwore that they would be revenged. Mr. Harrison the collector, Mr. Hallowell the comptroller, and Mr. Irwine the inspector of imports and exports, were fo roughly handled, as to bring their lives in danger. The windows of fome of their houses were broken, and the boat of the collector was dragged through the town, and burned on the common. Such was the temper and difpofition of many of the inhabitants, that the commiffioners of the customs thought proper to retire on board the Romney man of war; and afterwards to Caftle William. The com miffioners, from the first moment of their inftitution, had been an eyefore to the people of Boston. This, though partly owing to their active zeal in detecting fmugglers, principally arofe from the affociation which existed in the minds of the inhabitants, between that board and an American revenue. The declaratory act of 1766, the revenue act of 1767; together with the pomp and expence of this board, fo difproportionate to the fmall income of the prefent duties, confpired to convince not only the few who were benefited by smuggling, but the great body of enlightened freemen, that farther and greater impofitions of parliamentary taxes were intended. In proportion, as this opinion gained ground, the inhabitants became more difrefpectful to the executive officers of the revenue, and more disposed, in the frenzy of patriotifm, to commit outrages on their perfons and property. The conftant bickering that existed between them and the inhabitants, together with the steady oppofition given by the latter to the discharge of the official duties of the former, induced the commiffioners and friends of the American revenue, to folicit the protection of a regular force, to be ftationed at Bofton. In compliance with their wishes, his Majefty ordered two regiments and fome armed veffels to repair thither, for supporting and affifting the officers of the customs in the execution of their duty. This restrained the active exertion of that turbulent fpirit, which fince the paffing of the late revenue laws had revived, but it added to the pre-exifting caufes thereof.

When it was reported in Boston, that one or more regiments were ordered there, a meeting of the inhabitants was called, and a committee appointed to requeft the Governor to iffue precepts for convening a general affembly. He replied, "that he could not comply with their request, till he had received his Majefty's commands for that purpose." The answer being reported, September 13, fome fpirited resolutions were adopted. In particular, it was voted, that the select men of Bofton fhould write to the felect men of other towns, to propofe, that a convention be held, of deputies from each, to meet at Faneuil-hall, in Boston, on the zzd inftant. It was afterwards voted,

"That

"That as there is apprehenfion in the minds of many, of an approaching war with France, those inhabitants, who are not provided, be requested to furnish themselves forthwith with arms."

Ninety-fix towns, and eight districts, agreed to the propofal made by the inhabitants of Bofton, and appointed deputies to attend a convention, but the town of Hatfield refused its concurrence. When the deputies met, they conducted themselves with moderation, disclaimed all legislative authority, advised the people to pay the greatest deference to government, and to wait patiently for a redress of their grievances from his Majefty's wisdom and moderation. After stating to the world the causes of their meeting, and an account of their proceedings, they dif folved themselves, after a fhort feffion, and went home.

Within a day after the convention broke up, the expected regiments arrived, and were peaceably received. Hints had been thrown out by fome idle people that they should not be permitted to come on fhore. Preparations were made by the captains of the men of war in the harbour, to fire on the town, in case opposition had been made to their landing, but the crifis for an appeal to arms was not yet arrived. It was hoped by fome, that the folly and rage of the Bostonians would have led them to this rafh measure, and thereby have afforded an opportunity for giving them fome naval and military correction, but both prudence and policy induced them to adopt a more temperate line of conduct.

While the contention was kept alive by the fucceffive irritations, which have been mentioned, there was, particularly in Massachusetts, a fpecies of warfare carried on between the royal governors, and the provincial affemblies. Each watched the other with all the jealousy, which ftrong distrust could infpire. The latter regarded the former as inftruments of power, wishing ro pay their court to the Mother Country, by curbing the spirit of American freedom, and the former kept a ftrict eye on the latter, left they might smooth the way to independence, at which they were charged, with aiming. Lieutenant Governor Hutchinfon, of Maffachuffetts, virtually challenged the aflembly to a difpute, on the ground of the controverfy between the two countries. This was accepted by the latter, and the fubject difcuffed with all the fubtilty of argument, which the ingenuity of either party could fuggeft. Whe war of words was not confined to the Colonies. While the American affemblies paffed refolutions, afferting their exclufive right to tax their constituents, the Parliament by refolves afferted their unlimited fupremacy in and over the Colonies. While the former, in their pub lic acts, difclaimed all views, of independence, they were fucceffively reprefented in parliamentary refolves, royal fpeeches, and addreffes from

Lords

Lords and Commons, as being in a state of disobedience to law and government, and as having proceeded to measures fubverfive of the conftitution, and manifefting a difpofition to throw off all fubordination to Great-Britain.

In February, 1769, both Houfes of Parliament went one step beyond all that had preceded. They then concurred in a joint addrefs to his Majefty, in which they expreffed their fatisfaction in the meafures his Majefty had purfued-gave the ftrongeft affurances, that they would effectually fupport him in fuch farther measures as might be found neceffary to maintain the civil magiftrates in a due execution of the laws, in Maffachufett's-Bay, and befeeched him "to direct the governor to take the most effectual methods for procuring the fulleft information, touching all treafons or mifprifions of treafons committed within the government, fince the 30th day of December, 1767; and to tranfmit the fame, together with the names of the perfons who were most active in the commiffion of fuch offences, to one of the fecretaries of ftate, in order that his Majefty might iffue a special commiffion for enquiring of, hearing, and determining, the faid offences, within the realm of Great Britain, pursuant to the provifions of the ftatute of the 35th of King Henry the 8th." The latter part of this addrefs, which propofed the bringing of delinquents from Maffachusetts, to be tried at a tribunal in Great Britain, for crimes committed in America, underwent many fevere animadverfions.

It was afferted to be totally inconfiftent with the spirit of the conftitution, for in England a man charged with a crime, had a right to be tried in the country in which his offence was fuppofed to have been committed. "Juftice is regularly and impartially administered in our court," faid the Colonists, " and yet by direction of Parliament, offenders are to be taken by force, together with all fuch perfons as may be pointed out as witnesses, and carried to England, there to be tried in a diftant land, by a jury of ftrangers, and fubject to all the disadvantages which refult from want of friends, want of witneffes, and want of money."

The Houfe of Burgeffes of Virginia met soon after official accounts of the joint addreffes of Lords and Commons on this subject reached America; and in a few days after their meeting, paffed refolutions expreffing "their exclufive right to tax their conftituents, and their right to petition their Sovereign for redrefs of grievances, and the lawfulness of procuring the concurrence of the other Colonies in praying for the royal interpofition in favour of the violated rights of America; and that all trials for treafon, or for any crime whatsoever, committed in 3 M

Vol. I.

that,