The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1774-08-23 00:00:00, page 2

HOUSE oe LORDS.
PROTEST.
Die Mercurij, i^Maij, lyj 4.
'J'HE order of the day being read for the third
reading of the bill, in titled, “ an aft for the
impartial administration of justice in the cases ofper
fons questioned for any ails done by them in the ex
ecution of the law ; or for the suppression of riots and
tumults in the province of the Maffachufets-Bay, in
New-England ; and for the lords to be fammoned ;
The laid bill was accordingly read a third time.
Moved that the bill do pals.
. JVhich being objefted to.
After along debate,
Thcqueilion was put, whether this bill ffiould
pass ?
It was resolved in the affirmative,
Contends ------ 43
Not contents ----- 12
Diffentient
1 ft, Because no evidence whatsoever has been laid
before the house, tending to prove, thatperfons ail
ing in support of public authority, and indicted for
murder, cannot receive a fair trial within the pro
vince, which is the object of this bill. On the con
trary, it has appeared, that an officer of the army,
charged with murder, has there received a fair and
equitable trial, and been acquitted. This fait has
happened even since the commencement of the pre
fen t unhappy diffentions.
zdly, Because, after the proscription of the port of
Boston, the disfran chifement of the colony of Maffa
/chnfetts-Bay, and the variety of provisions which
have been made this sessions for new modelling the
whole polity and judicature of that province, this
bill is an humiliating confeffion of the weak ineffica
cy of all the proceedings of parliament. By suppos
ing tint it may be imprafticable, by any means that
the public wisdom could devise, to obtain a fair trial
there for any who ail under government, the house
is made virtually to acknowledge the Britiffi govern
ment to be odious to the whole province. By fup
poiing tne case that such trial may be equally im
practicable in every other province in America, par
liament does m effeft admit, that its authority is, or
probably may, become hateful to all the colonies.
This, we apprehend, is to publiffi to the world, in
terms the most emphatical, the little confidence the
supreme legislature reposes in the affeilion of so large
and foimportant apart of the Britiffi Empire. If
Parliament believed that any considerable number
of the people in the colonies were willing to aft in
support of Britiffi government, it is evident that we
mightfafely trust the perfong so afting to their fellow
«.olonifts, for a fair trial for afts done in confequcnce
pf such support. The bill, therefore, amounts to a
declaration, that the house knows nt means of retain
’ng the colonies in due obedience, but by an army, rendered
tt) depend ant of the ordinary c.urfe ts law in the place where
they are employed.
3dly. Because, we think that a military force,
fufficient for governing upon this plan, cannot be
maintained without the inevitable ruin of the nation.
Lastly, Because this bill seems to be one of the
many experiments towards an introduction of effen-
Hal innovations in the government of this Empire.
The virtual indemnity provided by this bill for those
who ffiall be indifted for murders committed under
colour of office, can answer no other purpose. Wc
confider that to bean indemnity which renders trial,
and conlequently puaiffiment imprafticable. And
trial is impracticable when the very governor, uader
whole authority, afts of violence may be committed
is impowered to fend the instruments of that violence
to three thousand miles distance from the feene of
their offence, the reach of their prosecutor, and the
local evidence which may tend to their conviction.
The authority given by this bill to compel the tran
sportation from America to Great-Britain, of any
number of witnesses at the pleasure of the parties
prosecuting and prosecuted, without any regard to
their age, lex, health, circumltances business or du
ties, seems to us so extravagant in its principle, and
so imprafticable in its execution as to confirm us fur
ther in our opinion of the spirit which animates the
whole system of the present American regulations.
RICHMOND, PORTLAND,
FITZWILLIAM, CRAVEN,
PONSONBY, LEINSTER,
ROCKINGHAM, MANCHESTER.
The fillowing “ Ad for the better providing fintablt
Quarters for Oficers and Soldiers in his Majefy’s Ser
vice in North-America,” has pajfed both Houses of
Parliament, and received the Royal Assent.
WHEREAS Doubts have been entertained,
whether Troops can be quartered otherwise
than in Barracks, in case Barracks have been pro
vided fufficient for the quartering of all the Officers
and Soldiers within any Town, Townffiip, City,
Diftrift, or Place, within his Majesty’s Dominions
in North-America : And whereas it may frequently
happen, from the Situation of such Barracks, that,
if Troops ffiould be quartered therein, they would
not be Rationed v.'here their Prefencc may be necef
We also take this Opportunity publickly to re
turn our Thanks to the Members of the Honourable
House of Representatives of this Colony, for their
patriotic and loyal Resolutions palled andpubliffied
in the last Assembly jon the Occasion, and order
them tobeentred at large on the Public Records of
this Town, that succeeding Ages may be faithfully
furniffiedwith authentic Credentials of our inflexi
ble Attachment to those inestimable Privileges which
we and every honest American glory in esteeming
our unalienable Birthright and Inheritance.
A true Copy of Record,
Tcft, J ediah Strong, Town-dvfer
fary and required : Be it therefor enafted by the
King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the
Advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Tem
poral, and Commons, in this present Parliament
assembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That,
m inch Cales, it ffiall and may be lawful for the Per
sons who now are, and may be hereafter, authorifed
by Law, in any of the Provinces within hisMajefty’r
Dominions in North-America, and they are hereby
reipeftively authorifed, impowered, snd direfted,
on the Requisition of the Officer who, for the Time
being, has the Command of his Majesty’s Forces in
North-America, to cause any Officers or Soldiers
in his Majesty’s Service to be quartered and billet
ed in such Manner as is now direfted by Law, where
no Barracks are provided by the Colonies.
And be it further enafted by the Authority afore
faid, That if it ffiall happen at any Time that any
Officers or Soldiers in his Majesty’s Service ffiall re
main within any of the said Colonies without Qua
rters, for the Space of Twenty-four Hours after such
Quarters ffiall have been demanded, it ffiall and
may be lawful for the Governor of the Province to
order and direst such and fomany uninhabited Hou
les, Out-houses, Barns, or other Buildings, as he
ffiall think neceflary to be taken, (making a reason
able Allowance for the fame) and made fit for the
Reception of such Officers and Soldiers, and to put
and quarter such Officers and Soldiers therein, for
such Time as he ffiall think proper.
And be it farther enafted by the Authority afore
faid, That this Aft, and every Thing herein con
tained, ffiall continue and be in Force, in all his
Majesty’s Dominions in North-America, until the
Twenty-fourth Day of March, One thousand seven
hundred and seventy-six.
Proceedings of the Town of Lttdf eld.
The Inhabitants of LH CLIF I ELD, in legal Town-
Meeting, of emhled on the \pth Day cf Angus, 1774,
'J' AKING into Consideration the Diftrefies to
which the Poor of the Town of Boston may like
ly be reduced by the Operation of an Aft of the Bri
tiffi Parliament for Blocking up their Port ; and
detply commiserating the Unhappiness of a brave
and loyal People, who are thus eminently buffering
in a general Cause, for vindicating what every fen
fenfxble virtuous American confiders an essential
Right of their Country ; think it their indifpenfible
Duty to afford their unhappily dillreffedßrethrcn of
Paid Town of B®fton, all reasonable Aid and Sup
port ; and this they are the more readily induced to,
not only as the Inhabitants of said Town are thus
severely condemned for their Reluftance to submit
to an arbitrary, uncon&nted-to, and consequently
unconstitutional Taxation ; but the whole of the
great and loyal Province of the Massachusetts-Bay
have been condemned unheard in the Loss of their
Charter Privileges, by the heretofore unknown and
unheard-of Exertions of Parliamentary Power 1
which they conceive is a Power claimed and exercis
ed in such a Manner as cannot fail of striking every
unprejudiced Mind with Horror and Amazement,
as being subversive of all those inherent, essential
and constitutional Rights, Liberties and Privileges
which the good People of this Colony have ever
held sacred and even dearer than Life itfelf, nor ever
can wiffi to survive, not only every Idea of Property,
but every Emolument of Civil Life being thereby
rendered precarious and uncertain I
In full Confidence therefore, that no Degree of
Evil thus inflifted on said Town and Province will
ever induce them to give up or betray their own and
the American constitutional Rights and Privileges,
especially as they cannot but entertain the most
pleasing Expectations that the Committees of the
several North-American Provinces who are soon to
meet at Philadelphia, will in their Wisdom be able
to point out a Method of Conduft, effeftual for ob
taining Redress of those Grievances, a Method to
which, (when once agreed upon by said Commit
tees) this Town will look upon it their Duty ftriftly
to attend. And in the mean Time earnestly recom
mend that Subscriptions be forthwith opened in this
Town, under the Care of Reuben Smith, Esq; Capt.
Lynde Lord, and Mr. William Stanton, who are here
by appointed a Committee to receive and forward to
the Seleft-Men of Boston, for the Use of the Poor in
that Place, all such Donations as ffiall be thereupon
made for that Purpose, as also to correspond with the
Committee of Correspondence there or elsewhere as
there may be Occasion.
a A L I F A X, July 26.
On Thursday the "]th Infant, arrived here the Sloop
Molly, Capt. Odiron,from Fife at aqua, having on board
27 Chefs of Bohea Tea, which was confign'd to Edward
P^rry, of that Place, the Property of the Eaf -India Com
pany and by him Jhip'd and confgn’d to G H. Monk,
Clet kof the supreme Court here, to be by him disposed of
to the inhabitants of this province, which covfgnment, the
J aid Monk mos readily accepted, and with the aid and af
ffance of fohn C-—r, of this Town, Truckman, secur
ed the said 27 Chefs of ’i ea in a Store belonging ts Robert
Campbell, who as readily let it for. that purpose, in oppo
ftion to feveralprincipal Merchants, who had prior ap
plication for their Stores, but had nobly refufed.-—How~
ever, notwithfanding the said odious Weed has been im
ported and landed here, to the Grief and Difrefs of many
of the Inhabitants thereof, and which was fuffered only
thro inability to prevent it ; it is the abfoluie and declared
determination of a great number of refpediable and popular
Merchants, Traders and Inhabitants of this Lown, not,
on any account whatever, to pur chafe any of the said Tea
themselves, but forever to refrain from all and every kind
of dealing and commerce with any person whatever who
may be base enough to prefer their private interef
public welfare, and the liberty of the present andfucceed
ing generations, by purchafng any es the detefed Tea.
BOSTON, August 18.
Last evening the committee of rorrefpcndence for
this town, received a polite, spirited and friendly
letter from the committee of fifty one at New-York,
covering the resolves of that city, where!* the com
mittee disclaim their ever giving the least reason to
insinuate their resolution to break off a correipcn
dence with the committee of Boston ; and request
the copies of the letters, dates and references of pub
lications, &c. in the papers tending to create a jea
lousy so detrimental to the common cause. A com
mittee is appointed to answer our brethren’s desires,
and it is hoped so much light will be obtained as
will serve to detest the hidden endeavours of feme
Very iaduftdous perfans to impcaah Amerieftn vk
B A L I I M O R July iS.
The present deputy poft-mafteis general of N-xtls
America are, it appears in great distress, le'ft their
unconstitutional inititution, by which America hath
been so long fleeced, ffiould be annihilated by the
public-spirit and consistent firmnefs es the people,
who, since the infamous difmiffion of the worthy d/
FRANKLIN, and the hostile attack of the town
& port of Boston, are unalterably determined to fvp
port a new constitutional POST-OFFICE, “ on
the ruins of one that hath for its basis the slavery es
America. ” To fruftrate the endeavours of those who
are now exerting themfeDes to bring about an event
of this kind, and from a vain hope of reconciling the
inhabitants of this place to their parliamentary efta
bliffiment, which levies a TAX in the very heart of
the coloines, and is in faft, more oppressive and
arbitrary than the TEA Duty, the high and might/
deputies in office, from their own free will, and mete
motion, without waiting to be most humbly petiti
oned are now about employing an additional poft
rider to come hither weekly from Philadelphia ; a
mefure, by the way, the town could not be indulged
in,until these generals began to tremble for the emo
luments of their places. This instance, therefore,
of their grace and favour being fornuch out of sea
son, will not, it is presumed, gain them mush credit
with adifeerningpeople, efpecially as a new POST-
Or I ICE will Ihortly be opened in this and in every
considerable commercial town from Virginia to
Caico Bay, and riders, of the most unexceptionable
charafters, be set agoing with the PROVINCIAL
MAILS, when letters, &c. will be carried, with the
utmost fafety, cheaper than the ministerial price, ^f
a Foxcroft or a Finley. Thus much it is thought
neteflary to mention at this time. On the return of
a particular agent, who is just setting off for Virgi
nia, the public will have further intelligence of the
Hate of the enterprize in question, which the friends
of freedom and their country wiffi to fee compleat
ed by the firft of September next, that being the
time appointed for ths meeting of the GRAND
CONGRESS at Philadelphia—a body that cannot
with any degree of consistency or fafety, intruft or
encourage the tools of those who have forged our
chains, and are driving to rule us with a rod of iron.
N E W - Y O R K, August 18.
We hear that two of the Delegates to attend the
congress at Philadelphia the firft of next month, are
arrived there from Charleftown, South Carolina.
Saturday Morning last the (loop Phenix, Capt.
Diskinfon, arrived here in 1 3 Days from Charlftown,
in South Carolina, and has brought 376 Barrels of
Rice, to be fold in this Place, and the neat Proceeds
thereof to be remitted to Soften j being a Present
from the People of Carolina to the Sufferers in the
Province of the Massachusetts Bay.
The Cartmen of this City most generoufty cartel
and stored the above Rice gratis.
Colleftions are now making in the different wards
of this City for the like laudable Purpose ; and the
Committee of this Place have font circular Letters to
all the Counties in our Government to accelerate
Measures of a similar Kind.