The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1774-04-22

. ancc with the petition of the faid Ifrael Mau.
8 duit, Eiq; and at the inftance of the faid
Benjamin Franklin, Eiq; think proper to
appoint future day TO refume the conidera-
ton of the laid petition Of the honle of re-
preientatiyes Of MaGachulett's and TO
allow council to be heard on both fdes there
upon. And their Lordhips having been
this day attended by councillor both iides ac-
cordingly,and heard all thatthey had TO offer.
and having maturely weighed and confdered
the whole Of the evidence adduced by the
faid Benjamin Franklin, Elq; upon which
the iaid houie of Representatives did come TO
the feveral rciolves, which are the foundation
8 of their faid petition 10 your Majefy The
Lords of the committee take leave to prefent
3 to your Majefy, that the Gid houie of repre-
ientatives, have by their faid petition taken
upon themieIves to bring general charge
againa your Majeiy's iAid Governor and
Lieutenant Governor, and to complain of
their conduct, /" as having natural and cf-
&c hcacious tendency 70 interrupt and ALLEVIATE
g the affections Of your Majefy from that
g your loyal proyince--to deltruy chat harmo-
sc ny and good will between Great Britain and
I" that Colony, which every heneG hibjea
/" would friye to efabliih--te excite the re-
sc Rntnento of the Bntifh administration againf
I" that province---so defeat, the endeavours of
/" their agents and friends 70 ierve them by
+" fair representation of their fate of faefs-~to
Z" prevent their humble and repeated petitions
{" from reaching the ear of your Majefy, or
[" having their desired effect and finally
f" charging your Majefy's faid Governor and
&c Lieutenant Governor with having been
g among the chief initruments Of Introducing
/" feet and an army into that province, to
&C effabliih and perpetuate their plans, whereby
50 your MaieRy's faid Governor and Lieuten-
/" ant Governor have been not only greatly in
&c arumental Of diturbing the peace andhar
" mony of the government. and caufng. un-
" natural and hateful diicords and animoiities
" between the ieveral parts Of your Majefy's
" extenfve dominions, but are juGly charge
60 able with all that corruption ofmorals, and
(" all thar confufon, milery and bloodihed,
" which have been thenatural effects of pofing
" an army in poPulous town. "--But the
6 Lords Of the committee cannot but express
their afoniihment, that charge Of 20 ferrous
. and cxteniive nature againA the perions,
whom the faid houie of Representatives &C
knowledge by their faid petition to have
heretofore had the confidence and eftcem of
the people, and to have been advanced by
your Majeify from the puref motives Of rem
dering your fuhjcds happy, to the highef
: places OF truf and authority In that province,
ihould have no other evidence 20 fupPort it
but inAammatory and prccipitate reiolutions,
8 founded only on certain letters, written ref
peetively by them, and all but one before
they were appointed to the pots they now
8 hold, in the year 1867, 1868 and I76o, to a
gentleman then in no Office under the go
vernment, in the courle of familiar corref-
6 pondcnce, and in the confidence of priv ate
9 friendlhip, and which it was faid, and it was
6 not denied by Mr.. Franklin, were fnrrep:iti-
ouly obtained after his death, and icnr over
to America, and laid before the aHembly of
the Mafachuiett's Shay and which letters
appear to us to contain nothing rcprchenfble
or unworthy of the ftuation they were in;
and we Preiume, that II was from this imPro-
priety, that the council did diiclaim on be-
half of the aHembly any intention of bring
ing criminal charge againf the Governor
and Lieutenant Governor but faid that the
petition was founded foley on the ground
of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor
being, as they aIlcdged, now become obnoxi-
Gus to the people Of the province and that
. it was in this light only thar the iaid petir-
on was preiented to your Majely. And
there being no other evidence nowproduced,
than the faid reiolutions and letters, together
with reiolutions of 6milar import by the
council of the faid province, founded, as it
was faid, on the fame letters.
6 The Lords of the committee do agree
humbly to report, as their opinion to your
Majeay, that the faid petition is founded
upon reiolutions, formed upon falie and er-
roneous allegations, and that the fame is
groundlefs, vexatious, and icandalous, and
calculated only for the fictitious PurpOies of
keeping up ipirit of Glamour and difcon-
e.rt.., r. 4, a v.~<xxr.~,~. Ard the arde of