The New-England chronicle — Boston [Mass.], 1776-08-29 00:00:00, page 1

To the People of the Massachusetts-Lay.
Friends and Countrymen,
YOU are upon the eve of an event, that
will prove of the utmost consequence to
the State. We congratulate ourselves upon the
Declaration of Independency : but the liberties
of the present and future generations remain to
be secured by a proper Form of' Government.
What we had taken up pro tempore by the ad
vice of the Continental Congress is now necefla
rily expiring ; for we no longer mean to receive
a Governor from the King of Great-Britain,
thougli he should appoint one that would con
form to the Charter. It might be questioned,
whether the General Court can with consistency
pals any new a&s, till the Form of Government
has been fettled by the voice of the publick.-—-
However, it may be proper enough, by reason
of the times, to connive at their proceedings, till
you can have digelted matters, and prepared
duly for the important service beforeyou : they
being careful to aft up to the spirit of liberty,
and not to abuse the confidence of the people.
Suffer me to exhort you, upon every considera
tion, not to be hurried oi drawn in to any one
particular Form ofGovernrnent,without-examin
ing the nature and tendency of it with the great
est accuracy. The weak and designing may tell
you, that as you have the power of altering it
when you find it defective, it does not so much
fignify what it is. The fame set of persons will
argue against altering it, when once adopted,
upon the plea of your not having given it a fair
{rial,and the inconvenience thaLaifes from fre
quent changes, till they have got it established
through length of time; when there will be no
chance of having it altered, till the abuses flow
ing from it become intolerable. Attend to what
the Congress has said in their Declaration :--
" Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Govern
" ments long established should not be changed
" for light and transient causes ; and acco d
" ingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind
" are more difpafed to fuffer, while evils are fiif
“ ferable, than to right themselves by abolilh
" ing the Forms to which they are accustomed,"
and therefore exertyourfelves,that so your Form
of Government may make the nearett approach
ooffible to perfection, and may secure not only
?oar own liberties, but thofeof posterity, upon
:he mod solid basis. Remember, that defers of
dule consequence to us,may grow up into enor
mities that may be of the grpateft prejudice
to the rights of future generations.
The House of Representatives have appointed
a Committee to take into confideiation, mature
and report such a Mode of Civil Government
for this Colony, as to them may appear best cal
culated to promote the greatest good of the peo
ple, and of the United Colonies. If it is meant,
that, when the Committee hath ripened and re
ported a Plan, the fame, if approved of by the
House, shall be urged upon the people for their
acceptance, the House will therein interfere,
which does by no means belong to them, and
will deviate from the design of their election. If
no more is intended, than barely to lay before
the publick their best thoughts upon the fubjed,
that may deserve commendation, as being ho
nestly intended: though I Should think the mode
adopted by some of the Colonies, of electing
perlons for the expressed purpose of forming the
Plan of Government, more orderly. However,
should that mode be adopted, I apprehend such
elected perlons should not Be invested with thq
power of eftabliJhing the Plan, only offorming
2nd recommending it to the people ; who, after
having had time to confider it, should by a new
ele&ion appoint persons to eftabiifh the Formof
Government upon that or any other Plan that
rachDdegata may agree upon, &fc Delegates
BOSTON: Printed by POWARS and WILLI S, at their Office opposite the new Coußt-Eou&E, Queed-Street.
For the NEW,-ENGLAND CHRONICLE.
THE
NEW-ENGLAND CHRONICLE,
(Vol. IX.)
LETTER 111.
THURSDAY, August 29, 177&
portunity of canvassing the fribje& : in your own
thoughts, a.id of culling out the excellencies,
and marking the defects to be found in them.
I would now obferVe to you, my Friends and
Countrymen, that I haVe reason to believe that
there are some Gentlemen in the House, who
wish to have the legislature rest in that body
only, and to have no Council or any check up
on them. Such Gentlemen may design well,
but appear to me to be egregibufly mistaken. I
do not fay that the House mean to engross the
legislature : but they may possibly be led infeii
fibly into the measure by those that fee further
than the majority. They have been thought by
some to have trespassed already upon the right of
the Council, to have lessened their power,and to
have encroached upon their authority as one
Branch of the Constitution. This is Certain, that
they have neglected calling in the assistance of
the Council in forming the Plan of Government,
and taken the whole to themselves. Oue rea
son assigned for this omission, by a popular.
Member, (as I have been told) was very extra
ordinary, viz. that they were more the Repre
sentatives of the people than the Council Truly
not in this case ; for they were never elected by
the people for that purpose, and therefoiecould
be no more the Representatives of the people in
that, than the Council. Besides, if theCouncil
consist of the ablest persons, whom we must sup
pose the House would be careful to cleft annu
ally, their assistance ought to have been engaged.
But how are the Council, chosen by the House,
less the Representatives of the people, than a
Committee chosen by the House ? unless it should
be laid, that the Council have a vote in their
own election ; and so would the Committee, was
the matter to be determined by ballot. The
Council's having a vote in their own election is
indeed an absurdity, which I trust will be reme
died in our new Constitution ; and another evil
I hope will be excluded, I mean the dependency
of the Council upon the House. If the Coun
cil can become independent no other way, let it
be made so by the people's taking the choice in
to their own hands, immediately and without
the interference of the House ; and then the
House can't fay, that the Counfellors are less the
Representatives of the people than thenl'elves.
It is Ihrewdly fufpe&ed, that had the Council
been independent, fome&ings would have been
better : and that certain individuals did not a&
their own judgments for fear of difohTiging, and
so of hazarding a future election. Friends and
Countrymen, beware of falfe patriots, talk they
ever so zealously. Procure a lift of all places,
and the persons enjoying them. Observe, whe
ther they are confined to families ; how many
every one possesses ; and whether he is obtains
ing a decent livelihood,or making a fortune by
them. Mark, whether Council and House have
divided the chief of them among themselves, or
a«iong their electors, who are by much the ma
jority, and the bulk of whom must necessarily
be a stanch friends to the country as the men
they returned for Representatives, and many of
whom must be supposed to be equally well qua
lified. Be fare, that, if a man's a&ions centre
in felf, or felf and family, he is no true patriot,
and should be served only as be means to serve
the publick,that is, be made a cat's pawof. This
letter may offend many, but I hope will please
the generality, being well intended, for the ser
vice of the State, by your humble servant,
Aug. 24. 17760 A WATCHMAN.
N. B. It was refolded .unanimously by the Re
gnefeß^ti7GS of the State Q.f ew-York, that
having received the inftruftions of their consti
tuents upon the head. Whoever are appointed
to form a Plan of Government would do well
in consulting the feverai Plans that have been
already, or may be adopted by the other Colo
nies, ere they have finifhed it. It would be well
indeed were all these Plans published in each of
our news-papers, that so you might have an op-
STare of MaffaebufatoJsy.
In COUNCIL, Augufl 22, 1776^
ORDERED, That the Resolve of the honora
ble Congress of the 3d of April last, refpeft
ing Persons applying for Commissions, or
Letter of Marque and Reprisal, be published in the
several News-Papers in this State, that all Persons
fitting out such Veflels may know how to make ap
plication for their Commissions.
By Ordei of Council.
JOHN AVERY, Dep. Sec'ry. J
Tn CONGRESS, April 3, 1,76.
RE 8 QLVED, That every Person intending tty
set forth and fit out a Private Ship or Vessel o£
War, and applying fcr a Commission or Letters of
Marque and Reprisal for that Purpose, shall produce
a Writing, fubferibed by him, containing the Name,
and Tonnage or Burthen of the Ship or Vessel. the
Number of her Guns, with their VVeight of Metal,
the Name and Place of Residence of the Owner or
Owners,the Names of the Commander and other Offi
cers, the Number of the Crew, and the Quantity of
Provisions and Warlike Stores ; which Writing &11
be delivered to-the Secretary of Congress, or to the
Clerk of the House of Representatives, Convention
or Council, or Committee of Safety of the Colony in
which the Ship or Vessel shall be, to be transmitted to
the said Secretary, and shall be fegiftered by him.
And that the Commander of the Ship or Vessel, before
the ConlmilTion or Letters of Marque arid Reprisal
may be granted, frail, together with Sufficient Sureties,
feat and deliver a Bond, in the Penalty of Five Thou^
land Dollars, if the Vessel be of One Hundred Tons,
or under, or Ten Thousand Dollars, if of greater Bur
then, payable to the President of the Congress
in Trust for the Use of the United Colonies, with
Condition in the Form following to wit,
'' The Condition of this Obligation is such, That
if the above-bounden who is Commander of
the called belonging to of
in the Colony of mounting
Carriage Guns, and navigated by Men, and
wh< >hath applied fora Commission or Letters of Marque
and Reprisal, to arm, equip and set forth to Sea, the
said as a private Ship of War, and to make
Captures of British Vessels and Cargoes, shall not ex
ceed or transgress the Powers and Authorities which
shall be contained in the said Cemmiffion, but shall im
all Things observe and cond^d himfelf and govern his
Crew by and according to the fame, and certain In
ftru^tions therewith to be delivered, and such other In
ftru&ions as may hereafter be given to him ; and shall
make Reparation for all Damages sustained by any
Mifcondffl or unwarrantable Proceedings of himfelf,
or the Officers or Crew @f the said Then thy
Obligation shall be void, or clfe remain in Forces
" Sealed and Delivered
" in Presence of"
Which Bond shall be lodged with said Secretary a?
the Congress. By Order of Congress.
(Signed) JOHN HANCOCK, President.
In COUNCIL, August 21, 1776.
Q RDERED, That the Committees of Correfpon^
dence, Infpedion and Safety of the several Towiw
and Plantations in this State, be, and they are hereby
irnpowered and difeded to take effectual Care to keep
within the Limits of their refpedive Towns and Plan
tations, all Prisoners of War, who now are or shall
hereafter be committed to their Care, and agreeable to
an Order of Congress the 21st May, to superintend
their Condud ; and in Cases of gross Misbehaviour,
or refufihg tc labour for their Support (excepting such
Officers as are on Parole) to confine them in the County
Goal : And the Sheriff of the said County is hereby
ordered and directed to receive into his Custody any
such Prifeners as the Committee or Committees may
fend them for their Milbehaviour. And the said Corn
mittees are hereby directed to report their Doings to
the Council as soon as may be, And further, any,
a day of falling, humiliation and prayer t®
Almighty God, should be observed for the
imploring of his divine assistance in the organic
zation and eftabUfonent of a Form of Govern*
ment for the fecutiy and perpetuation of the;
civil and religious rights and liberties of maa*
kind ; no less than to fuppli&ate his further
protection in the war that now rages ig
America.
(Numb. 419.)