The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1774-10-17 00:00:00, page 1

Proceedings of the Town of GOSHEN.
At a legal Town-Meeting cf the inhabitants of the Town
• ■ of Gojhen, convened on the zoth of September, 1774-
*“* ‘'HE inhabitants of this town taking into feri
£ ous consideration the critical and dangerous
frtuation of the American Colonies at the present
day, arising from the high and unconllitutional
claims of the Parliament of England, to bind the
Americans by Ratutes in all cases whatsoever ; and
from sundry late acts passed in consequence .of such
claims, which ads we look upon not only unconlli
tutional and oppressive to a particular town, but as
threatening to the liberties of America in genera! :
unanimoully came into the following resolves, viz.
1. That we acknowledge ourselves liege fubjefts
of his Majesty King George the third, a constitu
tional fubjedion to the Parliament of England, & a
high veneration for theßritilh conftitutionin general.
2. That the Parliament of England have no right
to levy taxes upon us for the purpose of raising a re
venue without our consent.
3. That the tea ad Joeing an ad for that purpose
is unconllitutional.
4. That the ad for Ihuting up the Port of Boston
is contrary to the natural rights of mankind, and
threatens the liberties of the colonies in general, and
is greatly oppreflive to the inhabitants of the town of
Ballon in particular.
r. That the mode of government in the Massa
chusetts Bay, lately adopted by the Britifli Parlia
ment, and which they are now endeavouring to in
force, is not only unconllitutional, but highly fub
verlive of their most precious rights and privileges,
and that therefore every juftifiable measure ought
to be taken to prevent its taking place.
6. That as we look upon it the people of Bollon
are fuffering in the common cause of Liberty, we
are bound in duty and conscience and fraternal af
fedion, to be aiding and affilting them in all proper
methods to obtain redress of their grievances, and
are determined so to do.
7. It is the opinion of this town that as many of
the poorer fort of people in the town of Bolton, by
the operation of a late Ad of Parliament to block
up their harbour are out of employ, and are likely
to fuffer (unless charitable donations intervene,) we
are under obligations to cast in our mite for their
relief.
8. It is the determination of this town, That we
will do our part for the benevolent purpose of sup
porting laid poor : and accordingly appoint Capt.
Elijha Sill, Mr. Stephen Goodwin, Mr. David Hudjon,
Mr. Afaph Hall, and Capt. Jonathan Buel, a Com
mittee to receive such donations and them transmit
to the Seled-Men of the town of Bollon, to be dis
tributed by them for the purpose aforefaid. They
are also appointed a Committee of Co’Tcfpondence
to correspond with the other Committees of Corres
pondence in this county or colony or elsewhere, as
there may be occasion.-
9. That the last Ad of Parliament establishing
Popery in the colony of Quebec is diredly opposite
to the Britifli constitution, dangerous in its conse
quences, and threatens not only the civil but also
the religious liberties of America.
10. That we do highly approve of the method
come into by the colonies, in agreeing upon a gene
ral Congress, to consult the wifell and moll prudent
means to obtain redress of our grievances, and that
we are ready and willing to come into, and abide by
such wife & prudent determinations an J agreements
as (hall be adopted by said Congress.
MO ND AY, October. 17, '1774. T II E [NUMBER 512.]
CONNECTICUT C O U R A N
ft* B
A N D y/3hQ- • HARTFORD
WEEKLY WWfef >®T INTELLIGENCER.
c__ —— ——
Containing the Freiheft ADVICES, both FOREIGN and DOMESTIC.
from a late LONDON PAPER.
A D V I C E S from BOSTON.
BEFORE the last vcftels failed from Boston, they
had received there the ad for regulating the
province Charter, and that for the better adminis
tration of justice ; these two ads have th under-[truck
the fadion, and when the fhs failed, all their wri
ters were in profound silence for the ads were print
ed without even a factious commentary.---The very
Open to all PARTIES not under the influence of ANY.
IN the firft place, Mr. Smally was given to under-
Hand, That his sentiments were considered by
the people in this part of the town as dangerous to
the Liberties of America :-—Thereupon he was
pleased to fend them a piece by him stiled his politi
cal confeflion of faith, which was judged by the peo
ple, not to be fatisfadory ; whereti’ on a letter was
prepared to be lent to Mr. Smally, pointing out to
him the exceptions that were taken to laid confeffion
spring head> as Well as the sources of fediticn, are ।
cut off by these ads ; now there will be no more ri- 1
diculous and treasonable votes at town meetings, 1
where the most ignorant Mechanics, having nobody i
to oppose them, (the most refpedable inhabitants i
never attended these tumultuous assemblies) talked ।
themselves into such notions of their own impor- i
tance, that they believed themselves the fathers of i
future Kings : Neither will his Majelly’s council 1
any longer be the tools of faction, as the regulation <
ad has taken the appointment of them from the as
sembly : Nor will the grand juries, after this, be i
compofcd of the very men who were to be indided i
for offences ; and the choice «f the petty juries being :
now lodged in the Iheriff, will in future prevent the
merciful Bostonians from endeavouring to hang, by j
a packed jury, thofc whom they had firft attempted ।
io murder. If the fadion Ihould, contrary to all <
present appearances and expedation, breakout into ।
new riots, and if the military Ihould be found ne
cessary to quell them, the officers and soldiers wdll
be insured an impartial trial, either by a removal to
an adjoining colony, or to England. The ad for
quartering the troops takes away another ground of
quarrel, lo that nothing that can help to forward the
establishment of peace has been left undone. All
resort, therefore, that is left the good people of Bos
ton, if they will continue turbulent, is to bluster at
their own sire-sides, and to raise the admiration of
their wives, children and negroes ; to talk {edition
at their private meetings, over their punch and to
bacco ; and to print their icandal and feurrility in
their own news-papers. Another good will result
from the eftabliftiment of good order and government
in the Maflachufetts ; opposition at home will be
deprived of a principal cause of clamour, and by
that means rendered Hill more contemptibly weak.
[fThe foregoing publication jhows very plainly, what
idea the writer had of the effeds which would follow the
operation of these atis---he only miffed in Juppojing the
good people of that province would Jubmit to them; as they
have not, Old England must tie them about the necks of
the chief framers and promoters of thoje acts, and fink them
one and all into political perdition ; or otherwije.rifque the
ruin of one or both countries, in compliance to the mofi a
bandonedfet of men, which any province or Kingdom were
ever cur Jed withl\
Mr. Watson,
Eleafe to infer t the inclofed in your next, and you will oblige
the Sons of Libep-TY in thisfown.
Signed per Order,
Timothy Root,
William Judd,
> Committee.
Amos Wadsworth,
Timothy Hosmer.
UNDERSTANDING that reports are circulating
among the people in the neighbouring towns,
that the Sons of Liberty in this town, have a
bused, and evilly treated, the Rev’d Mr. John Smal
ly, by inlifting that he ought to explain himfelf, and
give the public fatisfaftion refpeciing his political
sentiments ; and the part he has afled In the gene
ral cause cf American Liberty, since the late deteft
ableSr«»;/-^was calculated to take place in Ameri
ca, down to this time.ln order therefore that the im
partial public may judge of the propriety or impro
priety of the measures that have been taken with
the said Mr. Smally, and the grounds the people
had for proceeding therein, the following is inserted
and submitted to the public.
Farmington, October 13th, 1774.
of faith ;---Previous to that letter’s being sent to
Mr. Smally, he came into town with a view (as he
then said) to open his minft freely upon the fubjedt
to certain particular gentlemen : but was unwilling
(as he then said) to fay any thing except to the gen
tlemen he then named, he not being able to find
them al! that day-—Some that he then talked with
seemed fatisfied with what Mr. Smelly said upon the
fubjeft, which however gave no general fatisfafti
on ; and all that then appeared fatisfied, upon hear
ing further evidence against Mr. Smally, declared
themselves unfttisfied ; and that afterwards, (viz.)
on the Freemen’s Meeting day, Mr. Smally being
in town, some of his friends collected a certain par
ticular set of the people together, being four in
number, at which interview it was urged and infill
ed, that Mr. Smally ought to publilh something to
ease the m ; nds of the people, or that he would freely
converse with others that appeared diffatisfied, pro
vided they would wait u t on him at his house for that
purpose : or, that he would kindly receive any de
cent and friendly letters upon the fubjefl from those
that were diffatisfied, and disposed to treat the mat
ter in that way—-which he altogether refufed ; ob
serving to the gentlemen present, he wanted to hear
no more of the matter ; whereupon some of*the gen
tlemen present seemed fa isffed, and some diffatisfi
ed : which converfatien being reported to the peo
ple in a subsequent meeting, and the. evidence here
after inserted being aifo read, it was voted by a great
majority, That Mr. Smally had beefl to blame, and.
that he ought and ihould be pursued with moder
ation in some way or other, and that A committee
ihould be appointed to fignify to Mr. Smally, that
unless he did fubferibe such declaration of h~is politi
cal sentiments, and such retraction for what, he had
said & done as such committee ihould draw or agree
upon, he must expcCt the consequence. Which com
mittee was accordingly appointed, but upon a sug
gestion from some of Mr. Smally’s bosom friends,
that he was about to publiih what would be fatis
faftory to all, and being advised by others, said
committee omitted to write to Mr. Smally ; at
the fame time intimated to Mr. Smally’s confi
dants, That it would give better fatisfa&ion provi
ded Mr. Smally would bring the piece he ihould
write, himfelf, and present it to the people. Which
suggestions and advice, said committee reported to
their next meeting, w^ich seemed fatisfadory to all.
Whereupon it was voted by every one'prefent, That
provided Mr. Smally would endeavour to fatisfy the
people in the way proposed, he ihould be protefled
while with the people, and have full liberty to re
turn when he pleased, without having any abuse or
insult offered to him, whether he fatisfied the people
at that time or not*; and accordingly the meeting
was adjourned for ten days, in order to give Mr.
Smally full time to prepare his piece, and advise
with his confidants and secret counfellors, what was
most advifeable for him to do under all circum
stances.
At the adjourned meeting Mr. Smally did not ap
pear, but sent the piece publiihed in the last Mon
day’s paper, which the people acted nothing upon
at that time, and being evening, the meeting was
adjourned to the then next morning ; and being met
according to adjournment, a committee of five were
appointed to wait upon Mr. Smally, with orders to
colled the witnefies and examine them before Mr.
Smally’s face-—and if the witnesses asserted in Mr.
Smally’s presence as they had done before, then to
take nothing from Mr. Smally as fatisfaftion, ihort
ofhis fubferibing an instrument, then delivered to
the committee by the meeting. But in case the wit
nesses fell below what was before asserted by them,
then to lower the instrument to a level with the a
mount of the testimony that should be given in 'by
the witnesses. And said committee were further in
ftrufted by said meeting, that in case Mr. Smally
should refufe to sign what Ihould then be offered by
said committee, to warn a new meeting—and there-