The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1774-06-14 00:00:00, page 2

Boston, Ju»e 9 .
By Capt. Williamson, arrived at Marblehead,
in 36 Days from Bristol, we have the follow
ing Intelligence.
L O N D O N, April 14.
Committee of the Lords is appointed
pSt. &, to examine all the American Papers
jS’ A j®. &to make a Report of the Progress of
<5 Rebellion in America iince theYear 1766.
The Earls of Sandwich and Buck
mghamihire are the leading Lords in this Committee.
April 18. By letters from several parts of York-
Ihire we are informed that tradesmen of all forts,
particular smiths, wheelwrights, joiners and brick
layers, are going every week to Philadelphia and
other places in North-America.
It is f&id is so far flattered and fatisfied
the measures begun and pursued in America, will
produce perfect tranquility there, that Parliament,
it is now given out, will rile on the jd of June next.
April 21. It was observed that Lord North trem
bled and faultered at every word of his motion for
bringing a bill to fubjeft America to military go
vernment. A correipondent is in doubt whether
this tremor and agitation arose from a conscienti
ousness in the minister of his doing what was j uft
and laudable, or from a sympathy with another
noble Lord who recommended the measure, and
who was observed to be affefted in the fame manner
at the memorable battle ofMinden.
’Tis said that the Bostonians have been at great
expence in purchasing foreign hemp to fend to
England, because they think there will be a great
demand for haltars in this kingdom ; therefore are
willing there Ihould be a fufficiency to supply it in
a tolerable manner ; so that all who deserve, and
ought to be hanged, may, at the ihorteft notice, be
supplied with a haltar, for the good of the mo
ther country and her colonies.
April 24. The duty on Tea is to be repealed.
A gentleman lately observed that the Bostonians
had purchased ^temporary relief from taxation, at
the expence of their liberty.
We are assured from a gentlejnan’s own mouth,,
who heard Lord Chatham declare fmee he came to
town, that so far from altering his sentiments as to
America, he is more than ever confirmed in the fyl
tem he has so often held in public, relative to that
country.
It is confidently reported that General Gage’s
commiflion is almost unlimited ; and that his pri
vate orders are to pursue the most vigorous measures.
Debates in the Houje f Commons, April 21.
THE House fat tor near half an hour without
any business before them, when Lord North
came, and presented to the Speaker several extracts
of letters, &c. and the third Bolton bill, “ for the
“ impartial administration of justice in thecafesof
“ persons questioned for any afts done by them in
“ the execution of the law, or for the fuppreflion of
“ riots and tumults, in the province of Maflachu
“ Bay, in New-England.”
The bill was read a firft time ; upon which Mr.
Sawbridge arose, faying, “ Sir, lam aftonilhed at
the noble Lord’s proceeding, in bringing in a bill of
the utmost consequence, at a time wnen there is so
thin a House. [There was only forty-one Mem
bers] It is an improper time ; it is taking us by fur
prize ; it is cowardly. But, Sir, I Ihould think
myfelf highly unworthy a feat in this Aflembly, was
Ito fuffer so pernicious a bill to pass in any stage,
■without giving my hearty negative to it. I will
oopofe it every time I have an opportunity, although
Ido not imagine I (hall be much attended to. This
is a bill. Sir, of such a ridiculous and cruel nature,
that lam really aftonilhed how any person could
think of making it. Does the noble Lord think
that a man who chances to fee a person murdered in
America, will come over here as an evidence against
the aggreflbr ? Does the noble Lord think, that any
American would hazard a trial here, or that he
ihould expeft to have justice done him, if he was to
come over r Then, Sir, a person would be brought
over here to be tried, and you would have evidences
only on pne fide ; but I imagine if those evidences
ihould not be fufficient, evidence here, who never
saw the tranfaftion, would be procured, and the cri
minal acquitted. I plainly forefee the dangerous
consequences of this bill; it is meant to enslave
America, and the fame Minister who means to en-
slave them, would if he had it in his power, enslave
England ; it is his aim, and what he wiihes to do ;
but I iincerely hope the Americans will not admit of
the execution of these deftruftive bills, but nobly
refufe them ; if they do not, they are the most abjeft
ilaves that ever the earth produced, and nothing that
the Minister can do, is bale enough for them.
Lord North.—Sir, I think myfelf called upon to
vindicate my conduit for bringing in the bill at so
thin a house. Sir, was Ito know there would be
but few Members attend ? I did as I promised I
would do, which was to bring in a bill as soon as it
was ready ; it was but just finished when I brought
it, and I little expected to have any debate upon it
in this stage : I thought, Sir, the debate would be
upon the second reading ; it ufuallyis so ; and I fm
'•cerely hope, when this bill is read a second time, that
an advocate for America, but as an Englilhman.
The bill’s to be read a second time on Monday
next.
WILLIAMSBURG, (Virginia) May 26.
ON Tuejday last the Honourable the House of Burgefles
came to the following Resolution, which was direc
ted to be forthwith printed and publijhed: “ This House
‘ ‘ being deeply imps efled with apprehension of the great est
‘ ‘ dangers to be derived to Britiih America from the hof
‘ ‘ tile invasion of the city of Boston, in our sister colony
“ of the Maflacbujett’ s-Bay,whoJe commerce and harbour
“ are, on the \ft of June next to be ft opped by an armed
force, deem it highly necef ary that the said \ft day of
‘ ‘ J^ be Jet apart by the Members of this House as a day
(( of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer, deasoutly to implore
“ the Di vine interpofitionfor averting the heavy calami
(< ty which threatens deftrudiion to our civil rights, and
the evils of civil war-, to give us one heart and one
“ mind, firmly to oppose, by all just and proper means, e
il very injury to American rightsand that the minds of
“■ hisMajejly, and his Parliament, miy be infpiredfrom
“ above with wisdom, moderation, andjuftice, to remove
<c from the loyal people of America all cause of danger from
a continued perjv.it of Measures pregnant with their
{t ruin.
Lord Beauchamp.-—}, really am surprised, Sir, to
hear an honorable gentleman fay, that every perfon'
must know that the two'former bills are defective.
Sir, I will venture to fay the faft is otherwise ; e
very person must allow they are neceflary for the
preservation of peace, and restoring the Americans to
afenfeof their uuty. Does thehon. gentleman think
thefoldiery at Boston will aft without they are indem
nified ?No ; they could not. No person would ex
ecute the laws half so well, was this bill not to pass.
1 think it a neceflary bill; it will make their trials
by Juries like ours, which are lb much approved of;
and 1 shall give my hearty affirmative to it.
Mr. Saw bridge.-—Sir, £ rile to explain to the no
ble Lord why I think it a pernicious bill. lam cer
tain, that however willing I might be to bring an of
fender to justice, was Ito fee murder committed in
London, my love ofjuftice might induce me to go to
any part of the country to appear as an evidence ;
but 1 allure the noble Lord,! would not go over toA
merica on any account, not for any mandate he could
iflue ; and I believe that noble Lord will allow that
not any sum would induce . him to go over now ;•
therefore we have the fame right to imagine that peo
ple in America will not come over here. I make no
doubt but government will take care to bring over
evidence in support of their fide, but they will not
trouble themlelves with evidence on the contrary ;
therefore all your trials will be ex parte, aud nothing
but a mockery ofjuftice. Ido not mention this as
we Ihall have a very full House, and let every gen
tlemangive his opinion upon it, I wish to have it
thoroughly difeuffed, and if it Ihould be found to be
a bad bill, inGod’s name, threw it out; but if found
otherwise, you cannot be too unanimous in aflent
ing to it ; the more unanimity there is, the stronger
efteft it will have. As to its being meant to en
slave America, I deny it, I have no such intention ;
it is an unpleasant, but neceflary step to bring them
to a sense of their duty ; that aflertion has much the
fame truth in it as what has been before said, that
the Americans had seen their error, and were willing
to iatisfy the India Company. Sir, there is a ship
arrived, I think her name is the Fortune, Captain
Gorham ; she arrived in Boston harbour the latter
end of February, or beginning of March 1774, I
cannot fay which ; the was loaded with tea ; the in
habitants came immediately and unloaded her, and
emptied the contents of her cargo into the sea. . Is
this, Sir, feeing their error ? Is this, Sir, reform
ing ? Is this making restitution to the India Compa
ny ? Surely no gentleman will, after this, urge any
thing in thei. defence. The honorable gentleman
has laid this bill is a pernicious one ; I trust, when
gentlemen come to confider it, they will fee it is
quite otherwise.
Mr. Byng.—Sir, I cannot help riling to oppose
this bill, I agree with my worthy friend, that it is a
most pernicious bill, and I fear made with no good
intention, I really am surprised at the noble Lord,
who said, his wilh was to make their laws in Ame
rica as near as possible to our own. Is this bill any
thing like it ? No, it is quite the reverse ; dragging
people from one country to another to give evidence,
is such a proposition I never heard before, nor could
have thought of; but, Sir* every person must know,
and will allow, that the noble Lord finds his other
two bills are so defective and dangerous, that no per
lon will venture to put them into Execution ; he is
therefore obliged to have recourse to a third, to in
demnify such persons as ffiall be concerned in exe
cuting his deftruftive project. I shall oppose this
bill every time I have an opportunity, and I trust
every lover of his country will do the fame.
He further said, that whatever profeffions of can
dor were thrown out, he Ihould trust to them with
great caution ; that for his part these attacks made
abroad, seemed to be intended to prepare men’s
minds for measures of a similar nature co be enforced
at home ; and that the conduct and complexion of
public measures in general wore the appearance of a
fyftematic design of enslaving the people, as well in
Great-Britain as the colonies.
Upon the Rev. Mr. GwatkinJpetitioning to be excused
from complying with this appointment, the Rev. Mr. Price,
Chaplain to the House, was directed to preach in his stead.
B rid ay, May 27. Defter day between three and four -
o'clock P. M. the Right Honourable the Earl of Dunmore
sent a meftage to the Honourable, the House of Burgesses, by
the Clerk of the Council, requiring their immediate atten
dance in ttoe Council Chamber, when his Excellency spoke to
them as follows :
Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of
Burgefles,
And this day at ten 0 clock, the Honourable Members of
the late Houje of Burgefles met, by agreement, at the long
room in the Raleigh tavern, in this city, called the Apollo,
when thej'ollowing agreement was unanimoujly entered into
ty the patriotic Aflembly, infuj ort of the constitutional
Liberties of AMERICA, against the late oppreflive aA of
the Britijh Parliament refpeHing the town of Boston,
which, in the end, mujl affeCt all the other Colonies.
// « his Majesty’s mo ft dutiful and loyal fubjeAs, the
late representatives oj the good people of this country, having
been deprived, by the sudden interposition of the executive
part oj this government, from giving our countrymen the
advice wewijhedto convey to them in a. legiftative capacity,
find ourselves under the hard neceflity oj adopting this, the
only method we have left, of pointing out to our countrymen
such measures as, in our opinion, are best fitted to secure our
dearest rights and liberties from deftruAion, by the heavy
hand of power now lifted against North-A , rica. With
much gi iej we find that our dutiful applications to Great-
Britain Jor thefecurity of our juft,anti ent,and constitutional
1 ights, have been not only dijregarded, but that a determin
ed Jyjiem is form d and prejfed,for reducing the inhabitants
oj B> itijh America toflavery by JubjeHing them to the pay
ment of taxes, imposed wit bout the cons ent of the people or
their representatives ; and that, in purjuit of thisfyftem,
we find an aH of the Britijh Parliament, lately pafled, for
the flopping the harbour and commerce of the town of Bojion,
in our sister colony ofi Majfachujetts-Bay, until the people
thereJuomit to the payment of fueb unconstitutional taxes,
and which ail moji violently and arbitrarily deprives them
of taeirproperty, in wharves erected by privateperfons, at
their own great and proper expence ; which ail is, in our
opinion, a moji dangerous attempt to defray the constitutional
liberty and rights cj all North-America. It is further our
opinion, that as TLA, on its importation into America is
charged with a duty, impojed by Parliamentfor the purpose
ofraifing a revenue, without the consent oj the people, it
ought not to be used by any person who wijhes well to the
constitutional rights and liberty of Britijh America. And
whereas the India company have ungenerously attempted the
ruin of America, byjending many fihips loaded with tea into
the colonies, thereby intending tofix a precedent in favour of
arbitrary taxation, we deem it highly proper, and do ac
cordingly recommend it strongly to our countrymen, not to pur
chase or ufie any kind oj Eajl India commodity whatfaever,
exceptJ'alt petre and J flees, until the gri vances of America
are redr efled. We a, (farther clearly of opinion, that an
attack made on one of ourfifter colonies, to compel jubmiflion
to arbitrary taxes, is an attack made on all BritijhAmerica,
and threatens ruin to the rights of all, unless the united wis
dom of the w ! j: 1 1 be applied. And for this purpose it is re
commended to the committee of correjpondence, that they com
municate,with their several correjponding committees, on the
expediency of appointing deputies from the several colonies of
Britijh America, to meet in general congrejs, at such place
annually as jhall be thought moji convenient ; there to de
liberate on those general measures which the united intereJis
of America mayfrom time to time require.
‘ ‘ A tender regardfor the interests of ourfellow fubjeHs,
the merchants and manufaHurers of Great-Britain, pre
vents us from going further at this time ; most earnestly hop
ing , that the unconji itutionalprinciple of taxing the colonies
without their conjent will not be persisted in, thereby to
compel us, againji our will, to avoid all commercial inter
course with Britain. Wijhing them and our people free
and happy, we are their afl'eAionatefriends,the late repre
sentatives of Virginia. ’ ’..
The above was immediately signed by the Honourable the
speaker and all the members of the lateHoufe of Burgefles,as
well as by a number of clergymen and other inhabitants of
the colony, who, after having maturely considered the con
tents of the association, did most cordially approve and ac
cede thereto.
‘ ‘ I have in my hand a paper, publifbed by order of your
House, conceived in such terms, as reflect highly upon his
Majesty and the Parliament of Great-Britain -, which
makes it neceflaryfor me to difl'olveyou, and you are difl'olv
ed accordinglyd' —
n Ordered, therefore, That the Members cfthßlloije
1 ‘ do attend in their places at the hour often in ’the forenoon,
* ‘ on the said ift day of June next, in order to proceed with
“ the Speaker and the Mace to the Church in this city
“■ for thepurpofe aforefaid; and that the Reverend Mr.
‘ ‘ Price be appointed to read Prayers, and the Reverend
‘ ‘ Mr. Gwatkin to preach a Sermon suitable to the occa
feon^
NEWPORT, June 6,
Extraft of a Letter from a Merchant in Providence,
to his Friend in Newport, dated June 3, 1774.
‘ ‘ I saw a letter this morning from the committee of
Boston, with a lift inclofed of about seventy merchants, of
that town, who have signed to countermand the orders they
have sent home for goods, and it is to be hoped that all the >
merchants on the continent will join their brethren in ad
versity, in order to pull down the haughty spirit of parlia
ment.