Nov.

6.

7.

3.

come at a flag when in want of it, or even oars for a boat, without applying to general Gage.

The reprefentatives refolved, that the merchants hav ing receded from their non-importation agreement, &c. they would difcourage prodigality, extravagance, and the use of foreign fuperfluities; and promote induftry, frugality, and their own manufactures in the feveral towns they reprefented.

They appointed a committee of correfpondence to communicate intelligence to the agent and others in Great Britain, and to the fpeakers of the feveral affemblies through the continent, or fuch committees as they have appointed or may appoint.

Before the lieutenant governor prorogued them, he obferved to them, that fince they had difcovered a refolution to remove unneceffary obftacles, they had done more bufinefs, notwithstanding all the inconveniencies from the place of holding the court, which they had infifted upon, than he remembered to have been done in the like fpace of time, fince he had fhared in public affairs. 1771. The following fpring feffion produced nothing very April material, but afforded him the pleafing opportunity of acquainting the general court, in form, of his being appointed captain general and commander in chief over the province. The council prefented a congratulatory addrefs, and expreffed their fatisfaction at his appointmént. Upon the queftion in the house of affembly, whether to appoint a committee to prepare an addrefs, there was a negative. The house however, afterward requested the removal of the general court to Boston, which was not granted.

They

They met, as the year before, at Cambridge. In three May weeks the affembly protested against his excellency's 29. convening them there, and afterward appointed a committee of correfpondence.

The governor informed the house, that by his ma- July jefty's inftruction, he was forbidden giving his confent 4• to fuch an act as fubjects the officers of the crown to be taxed, by the affeffors in the towns where they refide, for the profits which they receive from their commiffions, although their offices have no relation to the pro vince, fo that the tax-bill must be qualified.

The house, by meffage, expreffed their furprife and 5. alarm at the reafon affigned for his not affenting to the tax-bill, and faid, "We know of no commiffioners of his majesty's customs, nor of any revenue his majefty has a right to establish in North America. We know and feel a tribute levied and extorted from thofe, who, if they have property, have a right to the abfolute dif pofal of it."

Had it been known, how infignificant the taxes were which the officers of the crown were required to pay, it is hard to conceive how wisdom could have dictated fuch inftruction, and have ventured to give a fresh difguft to thofe, who were already too much irritated. However, the governor's inftructions did not oblige him to confine the general court to Cambridge, and he might have removed them to Bofton; but by fhowing a firmness in oppofing their defires, while they protefted against the restraint they were under, he meant to recommend himself to the miniftry. By the fame intention he was induced, in a great measure, to refuse his confent to the grants made to Mr. Bellan and Mr. Dě Berdt's

X 2

1

Dec.

3.

Berdt's executors by this affembly, as he had done in refpect to those made by the preceding. Thefe refufals served to keep up the animofity.

The difpofition to import goods into the Maffachufetts, in defiance of the laws of revenue and trade, and to fupport fuch practices by open violences úpon the officers, whofe duty it was to carry the laws into execution, broke out upon many occafions; and as ufual, the magiftrates declined giving their affiftance and fupport, being in principle oppofed to fuch laws, as fundamentally defective in point of rectitude. The like difpofition to import goods prevailed in the other colonies; but there was no call to go into the like open violences.

Mr. Otis jun. was carried off in a post-chaise, bound hand and foot, his reafoning powers being wholly deranged. This calamity, which fomewhat leffens the. weight of oppofition to ministerial measures, is to be imputed, not to any effects of the affray with Mr. Robinfon, but rather to the high tone given to his animal frame by the ftrength of his paffions, and a failure in the point of temperance. The fons of liberty would have fuftained an exceffive lofs, had this event taken place in the early stage of the oppofition; but the times had brought fo many able perfons of fimilar fentiments into the general court, who had been in training for years, and were converfant with the political management of public bufinefs, that the plans of the Maffachusetts antigovernmental party fuffered no derangement.

An opportunity now offers of mentioning, that Sir Alexander Gilmour baronet, and George Dempfter efq; were the gentlemen who fo nobly diftinguifhed them

felves by voting for the repeal of the ftamp-act, while all the other Scotch members present voted against it. [See p. 204 at the top.]

After what has been written and tranfmitted, you will judge yourself under an obligation to return me speedy information of all that is doing in Great Britain, relative to the American colonies.

LETTER V.

Roxbury, June 25, 1773.

ΤΗ

HE annual elections of the Massachusetts were in favor of the friends to colonial liberty; but the ftate of Mr. Otis's mind neceffarily occafioned his being left out of the lift of the Boston reprefentatives..

1773

28.

The general court ftill met at Cambridge, but the go- May vernor adopted a conciliating measure, in declining to negative Mr. Hancock, who was again chofen one of the council. He had been repeatedly chofen, and till now as repeatedly negatived; he declined however, taking his feat at the board, choofing to remain in the affembly as one of the Bofton members.

Mr. Hutchinfon acquainted the house, in answer to a June meffage, that his majefty had made provifion for his 13. support; and then, after requiring the opinion and advice of the council, upon their oaths, whether he might how remove the general court to Bofton, confiftent with

the fignification of his majesty's pleasure to him, and receiving their unanimous opinion and advice in the affirmative, adjourned them to meet at Bofton. He might have afked and received that very advice long before.

A committee having been appointed to confider the matter of the governor's fupport being provided for by the king, reported and obferved, "That the king's July providing for the fupport of the governor is a moft danIO. gerous innovation. It is a meafure whereby not only

the right of the general affembly of this province is refcinded, but the highest indignity is thrown upon it. It is an infraction of the charter in a material point, whereby a most important truft is wrested out of the hands of the general affembly." And the house, the fame day, declared by a meffage to the governor, "That the making provifion for his excellency's fupport, independent of the grants and acts of the general affembly, and his excellency's receiving the fame, is an infraction upon the rights of the inhabitants granted by the royal charter."

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The payment of the governors by the crown, is not relifhed by the colonies, as it makes, them entirely dependent upon that, and wholly independent of the people, and provincial affemblies; and as it deftroys the mutual check which each branch of the legiflature ought to have upon the others, and that balance of power which is effential to all free governments. It will be a new fource of complaint. On the other hand, the af fair which has happened in the Rhode Island government will prove a fresh provocation to miniftry, and tend to fix them in their plans refpecting the colonies..