British subjects." These resolutions were followed by a humble address to the King, beseeching his royal interposition " to quiet the minds of his loyal subjects in the Colonies, and to avert those dangers and miseries which will ensue from a departure from the ancient rules and maxims of Government." The next day, Lord Bottetourt, the Governor, declared to the Assembly, that these resolutions had made it his duty to diffolve them; and that they were diffolved accordingly. The Affembly immediately voted themselves into a Convention; and choofing the late Speaker, Peyton Randolph, Esq. Moderator, they entered unanimously into an affociation against importing, not only the taxed commodities, but wines and other articles; and the simple recommendations of this Convention had throughout the province all the force and efficacy of law. The neighboring province of Maryland followed the example of this great and leading Colony, in respect to the non-importation agreement; and the North Carolina Affembly adopting, by an express vote, the resolutions paffed by Virginia, were also diffolved by Governor Tryon.

The General Court of Massachusetts being called together in the course of the fummer 1769, in conformity to their charter, immediately presented an address to his Excellency the Governor, for the removal of the naval and military force ftationed in the town and harbor of Boston; to

which the Governor returned for answer, "that he had no authority over his Majesty's ships in this port, or his troops within this town." The House refusing to proceed to business while they were furrounded with an armed force, the Governor adjourned the Court to the town of Cambridge; foon after which they paffed resolutions fimilar to those of Virginia; and also a vote, "that the sending an armed force into the Colony, under pretence of affifting the civil power, is highly dangerous to the people, unprecedented, and unconstitutional." The Governor calling upon them to declare, whether they would or would not make provifion for the troops agreeably to the injunctions of the Act of Parliament? the House anfwered, "As we cannot confiftently with our honor or interest, much less with the duty we owe to our constituents; so we never shall make any provifion of funds for the purposes in your several messages." Upon this the Governor prorogued them to the 10th of January 1770, to meet at Bofton. The propofition adopted by the British Parliament, for transporting persons from America in order to trial in Great Britain, by a forced and unheard of construction of the old statute of Henry VIII. excited prodigious alarm throughout the continent. The House of Representatives of Virginia, in their address to the King, express with feeling and dignity the sentiments which, wounded

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wounded by fuch cruel provocation, muft necef sarily animate the breasts of freemen. "When we confider," say they, "that, by the established laws and conftitution of this Colony, the moft ample provision is made for apprehending and punishing all those who shall dare to engage in any treasonable practices against your Majesty, or disturb the tranquillity of Government, we cannot without horror think of the unusual, and, permit us with all humility to add, unconftitutional and illegal mode recommended to your Majesty, of feizing and carrying beyond the sea the inhabitants of America suspected of any crime, and of trying such persons in any other manner than by the ancient and long-established course of proceedings: for how truly deplorable must be the case of a wretched American, who, having incurred the difpleasure of any one in power, is dragged from his native home-conveyed to a distant land, where no friend will alleviate his diftreffes, and where no witness can be found to teftify his innocence!"

In the course of this fummer (1769) was tranfmitted to the Governors of the different provinces the famous circular letter of Lord Hillsborough, containing a virtual renunciation of future taxation, and an engagement, fo far as the Minifters of the Crown could engage, to repeal, on the principles of commercial expediency, the taxes already fubfifting

fubfifting on glass, paper, and colors. But America

was now too much irritated and inflamed to be eafily or specdily appeased. The exception of the duty on tea was regarded as infidious, and indicatory of minifterial fraud and finesse; and it was universally • declared, that nothing less than a repeal of all the - revenue acts, and the other odious and oppreffive laws passed in the present reign, could lay the foundation of a folid and permanent re-union between Great Britain and her Colonies.

The refidence of the military at Boston, far from preserving the peace of the town, was the occafion of perpetual tumult and disturbance. The Governor, Sir Francis Bernard, from the violence of his temper, grew every day more obnoxious to the inhabitants, and the licentiousness of the Boston populace seemed to threaten his personal safety; notwithstanding which, he fcrupled not to walk frequently alone and unattended at his villa in the vicinity of the metropolis. On being asked whether he had no apprehenfions of danger, he replied, "No; they are not a blood-thirsty people." He wasat length recalled in the autumn of 1769, in order to lay before the King the true state of the province, and was succeeded by Mr. Hutchinson, who had long filled the post of Lieutenant Governor. Early in the spring of the ensuing year 1770, a quarrel between the military and the townsmen of Boston took place, more ferious than any of those which had preceded

preceded it. A private of the 29th regiment paffing early on the Saturday morning along a public rope-walk, was provoked by insulting words to engage a party of his comrades to attack the ropemakers. The battle being indecisive, it was determined to fight it out on the Monday. The populace being in the interim fully apprised of the intended encounter, assembled in great numbers armed with clubs and other weapons at the time appointed; the bells also ringing an alarum, and violent clamors of “ Town-born, turn out!"

being heard in all parts of the city. The mob directed its course to Murray's barracks, and dared the foldiery by very offenfive language to combat, which they were with great difficulty prevented from doing by the officers. At length retiring from the barracks, the populace were addressed in the ftreet by "a tall large man in a red cloak and a white wig;" and after listening for some minutes to hisharangue with greatattention, they exclaimed with shouts and huzzas "For the main-guard!" for which they immediately began their route in different divisions. Captain Preston, the officer on duty, on the appearance of the frantic multitude, who with oaths and execrations pressed in upon the foldiers, advancing to the very points of the bayonets, endeavored by every effort to restrain the foldiers from violence. But a party the most furious of the populace, in failors habits, ftruck the guns down with their clubs,

and