The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1772-07-23
F R 4 D A Y, July ".
a q 6 T O N.

B . S T 0 N.
On Tuefday laa, his Excellency tent the
following MESSAGE to The HOufe, BY
SIR. Secretary Fucker.
G.ntltmsn of the HopE Of tprfIfHtAfiVf',
TN consequence of niy meaage to YOU OF
the 10th infant you have caoied TO be
laid before me the report of committee
accepted and ordered to be entered up.
on your Journals. This report contains
certain refoves or declar ations which, as |
conceive, arc not we'll founded but, on the
contrary, tend to alter the constitutional dc.
pendance of this colony upon the crown and
upon the fupreme Legislative authority OF
Great Britain.
The fun of thofc refolves or declarations
may be compriied in few words. You
have declared that the fupport made tor the
Governor by other powers than the Ieglila tive
authority of this province is material IN
fraction upon the charter, that the Governor
is thereby rendered not dependant on the
people as the charter has preicfibed, and
and consequently not, tn that rsibtf', iuch
Governor a. the people confenied to, that the
mutual check and dependence OF the bran
ches of the eg14ture is deRroyed, and the
province expoled to a deipotck admniitIa-
ton. You have IikcwIie aileIied that the
siemblies ever fnce the charter have made
adequate provlfon .or the fuppOrt the Co.
vernon, that the advice to his M'jetty TO
make proyiion for this iupport proceeded
from fate Information or from temper IN
imicaI to his Msiyfy and to the people OF
the province, and you have dellred me to
make application TO his Majefy that may
without refirsint receive my whole fupport
from this government according TO ancient
and invaTiabe uiage.
In fupport of theie declarations you have
fra aIIedged, that the Charter is iolemn
contract between King William and Queen
Marv and their luccehors on the one part,
and the inhabitants Of this province forever
on the other. If you meant no more by
folemn contract than what is implied between
the crown as the grantor OF certain powers
and privileges and the inhabitants OF the CO.
lony as the grantees by which they acquire
Alright to the uie of thole powers and PrI-
vIepes until the charter in whole or IN part
fhaI! be legally vacated, | would take no ex-
ception, but when you afterwards aledge
that BY virtue of this contract power de-
volyed on the crown of appointing Cover
nor, there is too great room to aPPrehend
that fome may fuppofe this contract to be
fomething of the nature of the P0ffG Con-
venfa, or agreement fettled BY treaty, be-
yeen two independent Rates, which fuPPoii-
IN would have fuch dangerous tendency
at it is necelary for me to define very
riicularly the nature Of charter from the
own upon the principles of theEngllih con-
tuition, and to remind you fthe particular
rcumRances which attended the grant of
our charter.
Its part of the provocative of the crown,
well as of the power and authority OF
attainment, to conffitute corporations or po-
,ical bodies, and to giant to iuch bodies
orn of government and powers OF making
and carving into execution fuch laws as
. from their local or other circumstances may
BIZ neceHary, the fupreme legislative auiho-
ritv of the BritifhDomnions always rr;naIn
ing intire notwithstanding. Now in order to
hare in the benefit of this authority, our
anceRors, by their Agents, did not pIopoie
a treaty nor any thing of the nature OF the
Pae7a esnvsnta which have before menti-
oned, but as fubjsas of England fiIit petit
oned TO Parliament that by Legislative act
their vacated charter might be reifored, and,
falling OF fucceis, afterwards, to uie The words
of,be urefent charter, made their humble
application to King William and Queen