The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1774-09-15 00:00:00, page 1

LONDON, Je NS 29 .
BY the Frenchified Quebec aft, the Roman Ca
tholic religion is not only to be permitted, but
authorifed, not tolerated, but established, thus ma
king no kind of difference between tolerating a re
ligion through policy, and approving it through
principle, the one is the duty of a legislator, the
ether that of a monk.
The Ministry are greatly to blame to kindle their
filly and idle quarrels with the Americans ; the co
lonies will be still greater to blame if they fubmi't
to the late infamous , ads Of parliament ; and the
French and Spaniards mull be next to insane if they
do not jointly fieze the opportunity, perhaps given
them by the designs of the Thane to crulh Great-
Britain effe&ually, which they have often attempted
in vain, but now they may be almost certain of suc
cess, even to the giving us a to their own
likeing, a b—--~t has been a King of England and a
penfioser to France, at the fame time Solomon fays
there is nothing new under the fun, and Englishmen
fay with aching hearts what has been, may be again.
f The prelent despicable junto of a ministry
mistook egragioufly if they ever supposed the Ame
ricans would determine the con tell by force of arms,
they will do it more effeftually by the mode which
Governor Pownal pointed out in the House of Com
mons, and which we have since learnt the Ameri
cans have adopted. Much has been done already
by toe committees of correfponden.ee towards unitin <>•
the inhabitants of the whole continent of America^
and if a general congress of deputies from the fe^
veral Houses of assembly takes place, as it certainly
will, the Americans will be secure, but the mother
•ountry will be ruined, for the firft measure taken
will be an universal agreement neither to export to
or import from England, and if this prohibition
cxifts but fix months -inevitable ruin to the mother
country mull be theconfequence.”
A gentleman wondering to Charles Fok the other
day, why Lord North was not afraid of going thro’
such an unconstitutional measure as the late Quebec
bill, “ You may depend oh it, fays the other, he
has got an abfoluticn for it.”
Of ill the arts of parliament, which the moFa
ban don cd minister ever procured to be passed in this
kingdom, that for the governhlent of Quebec is the
jnoit daring, arbitrary, and unconftiturional. It is
an aft, contradiftory to his Majesty’s coronation
oath ; it is an aft, repugnant to the rights, liberties
and religion of this nation ; and it is an ad, abhor
rent to, and subversive of the fundamental principles
of our free cenftitution. During the reign of those
arbitrary Princes, Charles the firft, and James the
Second, there was no aft passed which could be com
pared to this for its tyrannical principles. What
the Scotch tool of a minister can mean by getting
faqh a law passed, as cancels the cause, and remove*
she reason, for felting aside the Princes of the Stu
art race from inheriting the Crown of these king
doms, we know not ; but this is well known, they
were set aside for being Papists, and for the fake of
preserving Englilhmen from the tyranny and slavery
of the Popiftl religion. And yet, does not this ar
bitrary aft take away that reason, by eftablilhing the
Rotftilh religion, as the national church, in a large
part of rhe British dominions f Certainly, nothing
can equal the presumption of the minister in daring
togetfuch an aft p'affed, but the weakness of the
reasons he gives for it. He thinks it good policy
to establish the flavhh principles of Popery and arbi
trary power through an immenfetrack of the Britilh
dominions in America, as a check to and restraint
•upon the free spirit and constitutional proceedings
of all our colonies in that country: Eut this policy
is of the fame flamp, as if he had advised his Majes
ty to introduce ail army of foreign soldiers into the
nation, in order to tyrannize over and enslave his
people. Will the minister fay, that such advice
would not be high tYeafon ? Or can he fay, this- aft
is not ? He is certainly a bold man ; but some peo
ple’s boldness proceeds from want of brains. If e
ver any man in the kingdom defervedimpeachment,
the minister does; and if there be any spirit, ahy
virtue remaining in this country, his head will not
be long upon his fllhulde^lt is a qneftion, which
will come naturally into every man’s mouth—who
coiud or durfl: advise his Majesty to establish the
Popifh religion m the-Britiffi dominions, when Kino-
James the second loft his Crown for attempting it ?
The people of England took the Crown from
the Second, and fettled it upon the House of Hano
ver, for the verypurpofe of preserving themselves
from Popery and Slavery : But what return hath the
Houfe-of Hanover made to the people forfo glorious
a Crown N Why, truly it hath established Fonefy
and Tyranny m a large part of the BntHh dommL
°r S l Jnis is royal, gratitude This is -AcjuftLe
the HouXe of Htmover.
The CONNECTICUT COURANT EXTRAORDINARY.
T H U R S D A T y September 15, r 7/4»
,BOS T G N
At a meeting of 1 f 0 ge M lem„i, being committees fem e.
^ery to^n and diffda in the county of M^dUfex, and
^ronsmee of Maffdchuftis^Bay, held at Gohdord, in said
county^ on the 30^ and 31st days ofAugy/l 1774, to
onjult upon meafiltts ptvper to h taken at the present
nsery important dhyi J
The honourable JAMES PRESCOT, Esq.
. Chosen Chairman.
Arter having read the late aft of the Britiffi Par
lament, entitled “ an aft for the better regulating-
Hie Government of the province of Maffiachufetts-
Bay in New-England,” and debated thereon ;
, Koted, That a committee be appointed to take
into confideratioa the said aft, and report to this
meeting. r
M . K of
Caelmsfords captain Th^s Gardner Cambridge,
of Framingham, Mr. Richard t)ecruc-m ^Charifo^n^
Doftor Oli^r Frefcot f Groton, Henry Gardner, Esq
°f Fillerica, b 3 the com-
It may be dbper ocd -upon, thht fbhie copious in
ftruftions refpeftmg the effeftuatioh of a peace be
tween the Ruffian, and tjie Turks, were fall week
ihn thwX° ar aiD ! at Peter® urgh and Con
, — - 'A- . ’ to l
placed on the Iriffi establishment; arid the cth and
regimenta gone to America, a're daced on tho
Britiih. f
M 14. It h generally believed, that the Ruffian
fleet now under failing, orders to crill^e in the Bal
tic, is intended to watch the nations of the SwedilK
iquadron-.
The Porte and Empress 0/Wta, it is said, have
finally agreed to leave the entire arbßratioh of the
dilputes lubfiftmg between them to the Emperor of
Lrermany.
It is most ferioisfly affirmed, that a‘ powerful nor
thern Monarch, Whose demands on a certain electo
rate are we. 1 known, has fignified, that Ihould those
aemaads not be complied ^ith he Ihall Be compelled
to ^diyagreeabk neceinty of a compliance,
We are assured that the conduftofa noble Lord
over colony aflairs, has given
inch high fatisfastion to ^niinifeatioh, that he has
been repeatedly folicit^ & reaffume his Ration these
trying and, fiery timesi
It is now whispered, that the Emperor of Germa
ny was incog,., at Yetfailles at the tiihe of the death
ot the I reach King, and-that itvHs he that i uggeft
ed to his brother-in Lewis the XVlth, those
vi.uies which have acquired that Monarch his
present high reputation.
8. The Canada bill will certainly be of the
moll dangerous tendency to Ireland, as the Catholics
will necessarily migrate to whatever part of the em
pire thefr religion is not Only tolerated but encou
raged by law ; and the nobility and gentry of that
country woiud do well to petition parliament for its
repeal next sessions, if they wish to deprecate the ru
inous consequences of that measure, hnd prevent a
general migration from the Southern parts of that
desolated and op pre fled country.
It is well known that the grievance* of the aft of
retumption were the cause of petitions frbm every
county in that kingdom : the damages’ full.fined by
that were temporary, whereas those mitifted on them
by the Canada bill, must necessarily email poverty
and ruin upon that country. 7
, Y e hear that the b+ iicii ofbiftiops eheufe them*
fdlves from any delir -hency in votin^ so unani
mously in favour of tae Quebec bill, by lying, th.t
they Were bound to obey the
ot uxzjupreme head of:he thurch.
1 here has. been re; cited to France from Canada
to tne societies o. the clevgy iyo,odo livres per an
num at an average, for many years ^aft, which serves
to keep up acorrefpi odence ivith, and attachment
to i rance, not only ;' the great prejudice of the co- s
lony, but to the- Test injury of Great-Britain.
It is now said tha’ the merchants and manufac
turers, both i® town, and country, concerned in the
Anterican trade, are >ow more alarhied for these»
curity of their pro; rty, than before the repeal of
the stamp aft. r
1 2 . Prince Mafferano is expend soon in this
kingdom in his form rbharafter : notice having been
last Saturday receive of his highness being on his
journey. °
We hear that Sir JoTeph Yorke is fdon exoefted
here from the Hagi.e, on some business of ‘a very
important nature. •
It is said the Eav. of Chatham will set cut very
soon to make the . u- of Italy, for the establishment
of his health.
Resolved, khat the parliament of Great-Britaia
lave exeiftfed a power contrary to the above-menti
oned charter, by pdfing afts, which hold up their
absolute supremacy over the colonists : by another
aft for blockmg.ap the port of Boston ; and by two
l^e arts, the one entitled. An Aft for the better re
gulatmg the government of the province ofMaffa
cnufewsTay, the father entitled, An Aft for the
ihore imp-irtialAdminiftration of justice in said pro-
Vi.me ; and by enforceing all these iniquitous afts
with a large arm<d force to dragoon and enslave
us.
keju-ved, i hat the late aft of parliament,entitled
an aft for the better regulating the government of
tne Frovincq of the Massachusetts-Bay in New-Eng-
Lndj exprei'sly acknowledges the authority of ths
cnai ter, grtmted by their Majeftßs King William
Qp§en xv-Kj-y to s ai d province ; and that the only
regions, luggefted in the preamble to said aft, which
i? intended to deprive us of the privilges confirmed
to us by said charter, are the inexpediency of conti
nuing. those privileges, and a charge of their having
1c ' n forfeited, to which charge the province has
had no opportunity of anfwerin^. i
. Ryblved,! hat a debtor may as justly refufe to pay
his debts, became it is inexpedient for him, as the
parliament of Grcat-Britam deprive us ot our char
ter privileges, because it is inexpedient to a corrupt
administration for us tb erijoy them.
F felled, 1 hat in all free states there must be an
equihbiium in the legislative body, without which
cOiiftitutional check, they cannot be said to be a free
people,
Refolded, 1 hat the late aft, which ordains a coun
cil to be appointed by his Majesty, his heirs and
successors., from time to time by warrant under his
or their figpet or sign manual, and which ordains
thac the mid. corineellors fliall hold their offices ref
p^lively for' and during the pleasure of his majef-
T’ ^ i ‘ s a ®d successors, cft'eftually alters the
comptuttonaj Equilibrium, renders the council ab
solute tools and creatUi-cs, and entirely destroys rhe
tile reprefentativc Body.
Refolded f That no ft&te can long exist free and
happy, where the course of justice is obftrufted, and
that when trials by juries, which are the grand buL
cfißh^nd property aredeftroyed or weaken
-- -c. 4 _ Who reported as fbllows,
IT is evident to every atteritiv’e mind, that this
province is in a Vft^y dangerous arid alarming si
tuation. We tree obliged to lay, however painful it
may pe to us, that the question flow is, whether by a
fubmiflion to lome late afts of the parliament of
Grcat-3ritain, we are contented to be the most ab
jedflaves, and entail that Savery on j ofteritv after
us, or by a manly, joint arid virtuous bppolitioh as
sert and support oer freedom.
The’ers a mode of conduct, which in our very
Critical circumstances, We would wish to adopt, a
conduct, on the one hand .never tamely submissive to
tyrgnny and oppression, Ou the other, never degene
ratirig into rage, paffiori and confuffivn. This is a
spirit which we. revere, as we find it exhibited in
farmerages, and will command applause to lamii
posterity.
l^te afts of p&riiairreiit pervade the whole
system of jurisprudence, by which means, we think,
the fountains of justice are fatally corrupted. Our
defence, must therefore be immediate in proportion
to the danger.
We pjuft NOWexertourfe-lves,drall those efforts,
* 9i ten y ears P dl, have brightened the annals
ofjthis.douhtiy, will be totally fruftrated. Lib E &
91 wkat is more, FREEDOM and SLA
y liK f are in a peculiar sense now before us, and
the choice andfuccefs* under God, depend greatly
upon ourselves. We are therefore bound, as flrug
giing not only sos ourfeives, but future generations,
e ^P. ie f s our fentimerfts in the following resolves ;
Sentiments^ yyhich we think, are founded in truth
and ju.Uce, and therefore sentiments we are deter
mined to abide by.
RRSOLFER>, That as true and loyal Subjefts of
bur gracious sovereign George the third, king of
G re at-Britaiii| &c. we by no means intend to with
draw our allegiance from him ; but,while permitted
the free exertife of our natural and charter rights,
are resolved to expend life and treasure in his ser
vice.
Keftn-ve'd, T hat when our anchftbrs emigrated from
Great-Britain, charters and solemn stipulations ex
preiied the eohditions, and what particular rights
they yielded; what each party had to do and per
form, and which each of the contracting parties
«xe rf? eqSoUy boy ad by.
Resolved, Ihat we know of no instance, in wn.cr.
this province has transgressed the rules on their part,
or any ways forfeited their natural and charter rights
to qny .power on earth.