The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1774-06-21 00:00:00, page 1

HARTFORD.
The following RejAvet were pajjed in the General As
sembly of this Colony, at their teflons in May lafi,
lathe House of Representatives of the English
Colony of Connecticut, May, 171^ ,
*TpHIS house taking into their serious confmer-
Jt > ^tion sundry afts of theßritilh parliament, in
which, t&eir power and right to impale duties and
taxes upon his majesty's (übjefts in the Britiih colo
nies and plantations in America, for the purpose of
railing a revenue,, are declared, attempted to be
exercised, and in various ways enforced and carried
into execution ; and efpeciaily a very late act in
which pains and penalties are inlliAed on the capital
of a neighbouring province ; a precedent juitly a
larming to every Britiih colony in America; and,
which being admitted and eitabliihed their lives,
liberties, and properties,-are at tne mercy of a tribu
nal, where irtnocence may bspunilhed upon the ac
cusation and evidence of wicked men, witnout de
fence, and even without knowing its accusers ; a
precedent calculated to terrify them into silence and
submission, whilst they are dripped of their invalua
ble rights and liberties, —do think it expedient and
their duty at this time to renew their claim to^ the
rights, privileges and immunities of freeborn Eng
lishmen, to which they are jultly intitled by the laws
of nature, by the Royal Grant and Charter of his
late Majesty King Charles the Second, and by lo^ g
and uninterfuptrd poffelnon—and thereupon to de
clare and resolve a«-£aHcws, to wit:
I. J N the firft place we do most exprefly declare;
X recognize,and acknowledge his Majesty King
GEORGE th^ Third, to be the lawful and right
ful King of Great-Britain, and all other his Domini
ons and Countries, and that it is the indifpenlicle
duty of tire people of this colony, as being part of
his Majesty’s. dominions, always to bear faithful and
true allegien.ee to his Majesty, and him to defend to
the utmost of their power against all attempts upon
his person, crown ana dignity.
11. That the fubjefts of his Majesty m this colc
ny, ever have had, and of right ought to have and
enjoy ail the liberties, immunities, and privileges of
free and natural born fubjefts within any of the do
minions of our said King, his heirs and lucceffors as
fully and amply as if they and every them were
born within the realm of England. 1 hat they have
a property in their own eilatg, and are to be taxed
by their own consent only given in person, or by
their representatives, and are not to be dufeifed of
their liberties and free ctrftoms, —fenienced or con
demned but by lawlul judgment of their Peers.-and
that the said rights and immunities are recognized
and confirmed to the inhabitants of this colony by
the Royal Grant and Charter aforefaid, and are their
undoubted Rights, to all intents, conftruftions and
purposes whatsoever.
111. That the only lawful representatives of the
freemen of this colony are the perlons they eleft to
serve as members of the General-Ahembly thereof.
IF. That it is the just right and privilege of his
Majesty’s leige iubjefts oi this colony to be. govern
ed by their General Assembly in the article of taxing
andinternal police, agreeable to the powers and pri
vileges recognized and confirmed in the Royal
Charter aforefaid,which they have enjoyed for more
than a century past, and have neither forfeited nor
furtendored, but the fame have been constantly re
cognized by the King dnd Parliament of Great-Bri-
TUESDAY, Junk 41, i774.' t H E t NUMBER 495- ]
CONNECTICUT /COURANT,
AND VgßlS^^ HARTFORD
„ r „ v v T v INTELLIGENCER..
WEEKLY ;
_ ——-— - ~—— ~
I Containing the Frelheft A D VIC Es 7 both FOREIGN and DOMESTIC. _
F. That theerfefting new and unusual courts of
admiralty, and veiling them with extraordinary
powers, above and not fubjeft to the controul of tiie
common law c6mts in Eris colony, to judge and de
termine in faits relating to the duties and forfeitures
contained in said afts foreign to the accustomed and
eftabliihed jurifdiftion of the former courts of ad
miralty in America, is in the opinion of this house,
highly dangerous to the liberties of his Majesty's A
merican Suejefts, contrary to the Great Charter of
English Liberty, and defttuftiveof one of tneirmoft
dining rights, that of trial by juries, wbTh is jud
ly esteemed cue chief excellence of the Bi- .n cniti-
Open to all PARTIES, but no<: under the influence of ANY.
tution, and a principal bulwark of Englilh liberty.
FI. That the apprehending and carrying per
sons beyond the fea,to De 'tried for any crime aliedg
ed to be committed within this colony, or lubjeciing
them to be tried by commiTioners, or any court con
stituted by aft of parliament, or otherways within
this colony in a summary way, without a jury, is
unconstitutional and fubvernve of the liberties and
rights of the free fubjeftsof this colony.
FII. Th at any harbesr or port duly opened and
constituted connot be flint up and difeharged, but
by an aft of thelegillatuieof the province or colony
in which Inch port or 1> ibour is situated, without
subverting the rights and liberties, and destroying
the property of his Majesty’s fubjefts.
Fill. That the latl aft of Parliament inftifting
pains and penalties, on the town oi Boftori, by
blocking up their harbo-t, is a precedent justly a
larming to the Britiih colonies in America, and
wholly inconsistent wit’, and iubvemve of their con
stitutional rights and liberties;
IX. That whenever his Majesty’s service (hall
require tile aid of the inhabitants of this colony, the
fame fix’d principles of loyalty as well as felf-pre
fervatjon, which have hi;herto induced us fully to
comply With his Majesty s requuitions, together with
tjie deep lenfe we have < fits being our imjifpenfible
duty (in the opinion of this house) will ever held us
under the strongest cob' ations which can be given
or desired, most cheariudy to grant his Majesty from
time to time, one praportion of men and
money for the defence, ptoceuion, fecuriiy and o
ther services of the Bridlh American Dominions.
X. That we look upon the.well-being & great
est security cf this colony; to depend (..nder God)
on our conneftions with Greac-Bfitain, which is
ardently wilh’d may continue to the latest pollerity,
and that it is tne humble opinion of this house that
the conftitutionof this colony being underftobdand
praftifed upon, as it has ever ftnee it existed, till
very lately, is the serest band of union, confidence
and mutual prosperity of our mother-country and
us, and the belt foundation on which to build the
good of the whole, whether considered in a civil,
military or mercantKc light; and of_ the truth of
this opinion, we are the more confident, as it is net
founded on speculation only, but has been verified
in faft, and by long experience found to produce,-
according to our extent and other circurnftances, as
many loyal, virtuous; induftricus and well governed
fujeftj, as any part of his Majesty’s Dominions, and
as" truly zealous and as warmly engaged to promote
the belt good & real glory of the grand whole which
constitutes the Britiih Empire.
XI. That it is an indifpenfible duty which we
owe to our King, our Country, - Ourlelves and our
Posterity, by all. lawful ways and means in our pow
er,- to maintain, defend and preserve these our rights
and liberties,’ and to transmit them entire and invio
late to the latest generations and that it is pur
fixed, determined, and unalterable resolution faith
fully to difeharge this our duty. - ..
^ ate esetraordinary Alts cf Parliament
* refpe^ing Bojirn, if net immediately, yet
T K by infallible Confluence, from the obnjious'
* and avowed Principles upon which they
are framed, equally affe&e-very American
Colony, and are a funding Monument of an unjufl Ple
nitude of lazvlfs, tninif trial Power, and to what mad
and unconfitutional Lengths Dejpctifn, afifed by Fcna
lify and-Luxury will run. i o the tshame of Great-Bri
tain let it be remembered, that in repeated Ihfances, fbe
hath been advancing with dangerous Strides, for Tears
pas, to fx her dreaded Defpotijm upon her loyal Sons in
America. Every Opportunity hath been embraced, and
every Method that bloody Tyranny could invent, has been
improv d, to rivet onus thegading Shacdles cf Slavery.
Bat to the Glory f America, by the Ajff ante f her guar
dian Genius, jU hath hitherto foMfrm in the glorious
Cauje of Freedom, and boldly reffedto be dufd out of
her Liberties by a Set of arbitraryMinifiers, who have
the F roniery, in open violation of inviolable Laws of
Reajon andfufice, and in Dfanes of every eonfiituti-
To the P U B L> I C.
oral Right, to attempt to rob us of our dearest Liberties,
and fake away our Property without our Conjent. • At./-
son and Common Senje condemn them, ana the Jacred
Laws cf our violated Cons ituticn fares them in the ace.
But alas ! they are deaf to the Pvmonf rances op May on,
ar.d hardened againf the DiAates of jufiec. lis
enough tofrike Horror into every American Soul, ana
make the very Stones in the Street cry out with the In
gratitude cf Britain. Navies and 1 roeps are ti anjp.rt
cd to America'. Guns, Powder and Swords, the whole
Temp sos IVAR, and gloomy Rage of Death, threaten
the Btfonians with^Defrudiicn', and Xlltlss fi thePar
pefe of enforcingfavijh Qbedience to a Set cf Lcrsss t/se
mos abjurd and unjuf that a Britif Pariiament could
invent: But the great Struggle that has Jo long ccu
wulfed America, is now drawing to a Ci fe, c.nd rip
ning faf to a Period that will make a glorious or a gloo
my Aira in the Annals of Pofersty. Gur Cc e is
briefy reduced to this, Shall the Americans live in * ree
dom, yea or nay ? This is the important Point that is
to determine the Fate cf more than three Millions f jree
Americans. And the Determination of thiijrnfi Feint,
willfx the Happinejs or Mifry cf Millions am i. id hens
yet to come. Lord 11—b jays we Jbail dot live m free
dom, and Bate and Granville /aid jo before ; bit. to
their Grief they found ibemjelves nufaken, and Ju will
Lord N—b, if the Americans continue frm ana rc-^
Jolv'd as before. There is ntebing wsuitiag but Moae
ration, Firmraft and Rfolution, to gain oar Point, cjD
reinfate ourjelves in that Freedom ana TianqMlitjwuicb
was the blood-bought Treasure cf car Fore-Faiders.—
V/hot is more evident thiOi thai the frejent Plan cf mi
nis erial Policy, is entirely Lidlt upon jalje, a'furd and
groundless Principles d Taxation implies RepreyentaiicH,
upon the Principles of our Confiiulton ; but we axe tax d
and not reprejented. This fundamental Truth refutes
and condemns to Death the pref ent Sy fem of P'aula*
mentary 7 axa lion in America, and will, Jo lung as there
remains a Britijh Cons ituticn, cr< d Spark of 'yijtice in
the World, explode and reprobate it as unjuf, unconfi
tutioned and abjurd. In Ccnjequence cj this pretended
Right of arbitrary Taxation in America, ij we but re
lull at, or make the leajl Reff ancle, they teem it t<eb llicn
They won't allow us the Privilege of worm Injects.
Howl and lament, O Britain 1. for thy GLryis departed!
A decent Refifiance againf thy lawlfs Power, warranted
by God and Nature, is term'd Rebellion ! Beware lef
in Judgment thou condemn thyfelf. Rouse, my Lountry
tnen, and f and for your Freedqni-—'tis high Time to
rouse and be active in the general Cauje. Not only
Britain is aim'd at, but every American ; far mznifieri
al Power wouldgrafp every Inch cf America —'tis as
greedy and cruel as the Grave. Perhaps a more gloomy
Time never Happened in America than the prejent. Death,
yea, worse than Death (for wbat is Life wohen Liberty
is gone I j fares her in the Face, and Horror fits brood
ing over America. She is clad in Robes ofAfiliHion, and
bath'd in Tears of Difirejs ; but foe need not be dis
couraged, for by a manly Exertion ej those Powers that
arc her unalienable Birth-Right,- fie will work her own
Deliverance. Her innate Firtue mufl free her, and cause
her to triumph in her manly Sons. But Jhoidd gimenca
(but 'tis impojfible) degenerate and fall away in this
Day of Trial, there is a final End to every Thing
we call dear or worth having. But I will not
anticipate a Scene ft gloomy ; a Scene that I wijh cannot
happen so long as there is a drop of pure Britijb Blood in
America. But jufi to give our Farmers a Hint of what
Would happen, jhoidd they become Slaves to England.—
Conceive of a Land Tax grappled upon your Efates, and
imagine your,Wheat, your Corn, your Beej, your Pork,
your Butter and Cheese, and your Teams, all tax'd to
maintain Penfioriers and placemen, and Jupport the Ex
travagancies of a Bankrupt Nation. All this may be
easily conceived of and will as ajj'uredly be the Case,
Jhould they once subdue us, as there is a Briiijh Parli
ament. The BUhops, they fay, are linked in ih s diabo
lical Scheme, and is it not probable they will Joan take
Tythes of all our Children to dig in their Man.rs ? Li t
us resolve to sand by our’JJeighbcurs, andprejerve that
free, independant Spirit that has hitherto dfiinguijhed
America, and transmit to our Poflerity an unccnqucred
Land, or die glorioufy in the Attempt.
An Unconquered American.