viously paid the import duty would not, it was imagined, impede the Company's fales. In this idea, however, they were moft egregiously and fatally mistaken. The Americans confidered this new attempt in no other light than as an infidious artifice and collufion, calculated and defigned to inveigle them into the payment of this tax in order to ESTABLISH THE PRECEDENT; and they were firmly and unanimously determined that no fuch project fhould take effect. Six hundred chefts were by the Company, in pursuance of the late Act, configned to their agent at Bofton, the like quantity to New York and Philadelphia, and in proportion to the other principal ports of the Continent. Pennsylvania on this occafion diftinguished herfelf by fetting the first example of oppofition. A general meeting was convened at Philadelphia, in which a feries of vigorous refolutions were paffed, "declaring this new ministerial plan of importation to be a violent attack upon the liberties of America, and pronouncing it to be the duty of every American to oppose this attempt; and that whoever fhould directly or indirectly countenance it was an enemy to his country." A Committee was then appointed to wait upon the confignees of the Company, and to requeft their refignation, which was immediately complied with. At New York, on the arrival of the tea-fhips in December, they were with difficulty permitted to approach the

wharf;

wharf; and, as at Philadelphia, the confignees were compelled to relinquifh their appointments, and the ships returned back to England without breaking bulk. At Charlestown, after much oppofition and tumult, the tea was permitted to be unloaded, but was immediately lodged in damp unventilated cellars, where it long remained, and finally perifhed. In no place was the delivery of it to the confignees fuffered, and in moft the captains of the India fhips, on being apprized of the temper and difpofition of the people, without any attempt to land wifely fet their fails for England. At Boston the spirit of refiftance rofe to a height which made the exceffes committed elsewhere appear trivial. At a general meeting of the inhabitants, the refolves of the City of Philadelphia were unanimoufly adopted, and a Committee appointed to wait upon the confignees, to know whether they would refign their appointments, which they declared not to be in their power. At a fucceeding meeting at Faneuil Hall, it was voted with loud acclamations, "that the tea shall not be landed, that no duty shall be paid, and that it shall be sent back in the fame bottoms." "We muft not," faid a leading Member of the Affembly," flatter ourselves, that popular refolves, popular shouts, or harangues will vanquish our foes or terminate our trials. We must be ignorant of the power of those who have combined against us; we must be blind to that malice, inveteracy and revenge

VOL. II.

D

venge which have uniformly actuated their conduct, to hope that we fhall end this controversy without the fharpeft, fharpeft conflict. Let us weigh and confider, before we determine upon those measures which muft bring on the most terrible ftruggle which this country ever experienced." The question was again put, and paffed without a negative. On an application from the Captain of the Dartmouth East Indiaman to the Governor, for a clearance, he replied, "I cannot give you a pass confiftent with the laws and my duty to the King, unless the veffel is properly qualified from the Custom House.". Upon this anfwer being reported to the Affembly, the meeting was declared to be diffolved. An immenfe crowd repaired in hafte to the quay, and a number of the most resolute, in the difguife of Mohawk Indians, boarded the veffels, and in about two hours broke open three hundred and forty-twochefts of tea, and discharged their contents into the fea. Such was the confequence of the obftinacy of the Governor, who might have recollected that his predeceffor Sir Francis Bernard, in a like exigency, granted permits to many fhips not qualified for want of ftamps, and that the prudence and propriety of his conduct had never been called in queftion. But the prefent Governor had long been the urgent advocate for measures of coercion on the part of Great Britain, and was probably not displeased to fee matters tending to a crifis: and, in a fubfequent

quent declaration, he affigned fomewhat unwarily as one of the reasons for this refufal," that by a compliance with the demand of the people he should have rendered himself OBNOXIOUS to his SOVEREIGN. This undoubtedly is the MASTER-KEY which unfolds all the apparent abfurdities and extravagancies of his conduct. The temper of the British Court was fo well understood in America, that no one prefumed to hope they would be induced, by this determined and inflexible fpirit of oppofition in the Colonies, to defift from their ruinous projects. On the contrary, measures of vengeance were confidently expected; and even perfons of acknowledged moderation, on perceiving the ideas which they had long cherished of reconciliation to be hopeless, declared their refolution, in cafe matters were carried to extremity by Great Britain, to join the standard of their countrymen. A Major of Provincials, who had been foreman of the jury on the trial of Capt. Preston, and to whom, in reward of his meritorious conduct, the Governor had given this commiffion, faid to him with unexpected energy," Sir, you know that I am a friend to Government, and wish to support it; but if any attempt be made to violate our CHARTER, I will fight up to my knees in blood in defence of it."

On the meeting of the General Court of Maffachusetts, A. D. 1774, the House of Representatives feemed in no respect disposed to recede from the D 2 highest

highest claims and pretenfions they had formed. On the contrary, they, by a new affumption of authority, determined upon an impeachment of the Chief Juftice Oliver, for refusing to relinquish the falary fettled upon him by the Crown-which, combined with the hope of its augmentation, they affirmed "must have the effect of a perpetual bribe, and expofe him to the violation of his oath-that the acceptance of this falary, unprecedented in all former times, was a breach of his implied engagements on entering into his office; and that by receiving a grant payable out of the revenue unjuftly extorted from the American Colonies, he had given a fanction to the injuftice, counteracted the petitions of the people, and wickedly endeavoured to increase the difcontents and jealoufies which had originated from this grievance." The Governor refufing to receive the accufation, no other effect refulted from it than to render the Governor and the Chief Juftice more obnoxious, and to keep alive the fpirit of animofity and refift

ance.

On the 13th of January, 1774, the Parliament of Great Britain was convened at Westminster. The. Ministry not being as yet in poffeffion of full information from America, the Speech from the Throne obferved a profound filence relative to the late tranfactions; but on the 7th of March a Meffage was delivered from his Majefty to both Houfes of

Par