The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1773-02-25
NUMB. Io8.

imo9 Ger ainlv was This declaration, nude
by one of the Kug', lervauts. you ~ IN wed
the fenie o the crown ard, being not secretly
but openly declared in parliment yau would
make il the fnle OF The nation sl1, notwi;h-
Handing your own An-rtion thar the Lords and
comm ms paiT:d bi 1 that lhewed their ienls to
be directly the contrary. But ifthere had been
| tall evidence of expfels declarations made by
King J,mes the frt and King Charles III: 6rit
they were declarsri n contrary TO their own
| grants, which declare this country 70 DC held
| Of the crown and conieqsertly il null have
been annexed to it. And may not luch decla-
tons be accounted for by other actions Of thoie
princes who when they were l1iiicItins .he par
| lament to grant the duties Of tonnage and ponu-
dsge with other aids and were, in this way, ac-
knowledging the rights Of parliament at the
lame time were requiring the payment OF thoie
duties with hip money, &c. by virue of their
PreTogativei
But to remove all doubt Of the fen(e of the
nation and ofthe patentees of this patent or
charter 10 1000. need only refer you to the &C
count publilhed by Sir Fsrdinando Gorges him.
lef of the proceedings in parliament upon this
occa6cn. A. he was the mott active men,
her of the council OF Plymouth and as he reiates
what came within his own knowledge and OBJ
fervation, his narrative, which has all the sppesr-
ances of truth and faceri,y, mutt carry convic-
ton with il. He Jays that loon after the pateoe
was paned and ~hila il lay in the crown-ofice
he was fummoped to appear in parliament to
arfwer what was to be objected sgiinit il, and
the hou(e being In committee and Sir Edward
Coke, that great oracle Of the law, in the chair.
he was called 10 the bar and was told by Sir
Edward that the houfe underfood that 9 patent
had been granted to the faid Sir Ferdinando and
divers other nobe perfons for eaabifhing q
colony in New England, that this was deemed
q grievance of the common wealth contrary 10
f5t hsvI, and to the privileges Of the fubjsa,
that il was q monopoly, SC. and he required
| the delivery of the patent into the houfe.. Sic
| Ferdinando Gorges made no doubt Of the su-
thority of the houle but iubmitted 20 their dif.
pofal of the patent IS in their ~ifdom they
thought good al no, knowing, under favour, hcw
any setion Of that kind could be grievance to
the public fleeing 1t was undertaken for the ad-
vsncement Of religion fbs sSIargmssf efibs 1fRS6t
sfesr ssiss, &c He WA wiling, however,
10 iubmii the whole to their hone ufable CEN
he hsd fatis6sd he hon(e Ihri the planting a
colony was IF much more cent queEce- than q
GnPlc dilolderly cou fe OF hihing H was.
Notwithstanding, dilapPointd sud, " en- the,
public grievances OF the kingdom wee Prelentsd
by the two houies that OF the -patent tor New
| Eneland was the Il IT, ! don& know ho~ the
parliament could have n wn more fully tie
lenie theythe had of their authority over this
new sCquired territory, TOR can We expect
better evidence of the fenle which the pateutees
had Of it, for / know Of no hiftorical la6t cf
which we have lels IesfDn to doubt.
And now gentlemen will fhew you how it
ar pears from our charter itlef, which yoa lay
have not YET been plssied to point out to you
except from thar claule which rellrains US from
making laws Eepugnsnt to the laws of gland,
that is WA the lenle Of our pfedecefo 9. at the
time when the charter vas granted that they
were TO remain iubjea to the furteme authority
of parliament. .5 =
B Gdes this olanfe, which Dali have occsE n
further TO rema upon before 6oifh S1u VII
| fad that, by the charter grant was made OF el-
| emption from all taxes and impof;ions upon a.
py eoodl imported isfs NezV- Esglas< or export.
ed from theDce into Englhnd for the fpIee CT
twenty one yesrs, except lhs cuaom Of FIVE per
cent u pom luch good, a., after the expiration ct
leven years. fhoUld be broughr into Eosl4nd.
Nothing can be moe plain thaa thst the char.
ter, as well 80 the patent 10 the council of rh-
mouth, continues corporation 10 England
with powers to creHe fnbordinate govern
ment or governments within the plantation.
70 that there would a~ays be fut jeSs Of tax
Is and imPoftiOns both 10 the kingdom ana
in the plantation. An ezenPtica for twenty
one years implies . right of impOftion alter
he expiration of the term AID there is no
diaiuetion between the kingdom and the plan