The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1774-04-15
WE'D NE D A Y, April -.
p O s I O n.


ProteeGg&gs Of the 7o1Un Of BOLTON
At meeting eftbe cOtubt inbabifants cftbe f0qOs
ofBO[TON, hgGlyv qVarnsd, and eo1vs1ed
on March 7th, 1874, ebOejS Mr.. Caleb R'eb-
ard)Sn, Gel. Jobx Wbetecm6, Capt. Samuel
. Baker, Cert. Samuel N1J, and Mr.. Jel5aa
Tobren, a committss TO eogiidsr, and repcrt up
on, an ar1iel Jng liz the qvaryant, touching
Infringement, on our natural and eborfer
yicbf,, Sc. qbea The meeting zVaS adjourned
10 tbs zIf infant, at qvbicb time laid CAM
mitfer reported as tS79Oqos.
WYE the fubfcribers, having at the dciire
wv of the town, taken into confederation,
the article in the warrant for this meeting, re-
lative to infingements, &c. and having the
letters and proceedings of the town of Bottom
nut into our hands, relative to the expectation
ofTea from Great-Britain, into this province,
land other parts of America) by the Eaf-lndia
company in London, to be vended amongtt US,
the fame being faddled with duty thereon, to
be paid here faid duty being iInPoied on US,
( by the parliament in Great Britain, without
the content Of the fupreme Legislative of this
province, in order to raiie a revenue Tor his
Majeay in America. This being ihort fate
of the cafe reipeeting that Infringement,
Now, the queltions that arife on iald cafe,
are 1T Whether iaid parliament have juit
and confitutional right TO impoie any rax, on
| any individual here, without the intervention
and concurrence of the iupreme legislature of
this province And zdly. Whether it be rea-
ionable and proper, in the nature OF the thing,
| (confdering the local governments) that fad
| parliament lhould have fuch power ? The
| negative we hold in both theie queitiors,
grounded on the following reaions, lift. Under
| the hrlt queRion, we think that all taxations
in fee government, are Tor ihould be) of the
nature OF free gifts, agreeable to the common
phraie NE giVs and grant 10 Bis IdejsAT,
| &c. Otherwile, we eiteem II an arbitrary and
tyrannical invalion, on the property OF the tax
| ed the reafon of taxing and ro66izg, beng
| specifically different, on account OF the inter
venine content, in the one cafe, that IS not In
the other. IDLY. We are NOT made 10 under
hand, that content has ever hesn obtained from
any OF US, or cur predeeeAoTs, perionalls or
| fioin our Representatives in General A3tembly
collectively, thar the parliamenls In Great
| Britain, ihould have the power 70 tax Us, at
their dllcretion. 3dly. That every Engliih-
man in America is born with right TO cI1Ti,
as we'll as natural liberty, excepting thofe CO.
yenanted reitraints thereon, for the benefit of
fociety. 4thly. Our charter reierves the
power of taxation, to our provincial Legislature;
whereby we fuppofe, the frit branch Of the
Britifh leginature, is Precluded by his royal
ptedeceHors in Office, from acting in that mat
ter, any otherways; than in conjunction with our
| General Anembly iaid predictions hpula.-
inc, both for himielf, and his royal fucceaors
in that affair, 70 iaid Britiih act (of right
is incomplete.
| And under the iecond queltion, viz. " Whe-
Their it be Reasonable and proper, In the nature
of the thing, that iaid parliament ihould have
fuch a power" We would offer the following
reaions for the negative. III. We iuPPoie all
taxations, in free government Gas atoreiaid)
Il fhould be grounded on free and full repre-
II icntation of the taxed, agreeable to what great
patriot lately advanced in parliament, $ That
II taxation and approximation, ihould go hand in
II hand 20 hence the necef;ty OF iepaFate
leeiilation arilcs But if shlsnew mode OF taxa
tion ihould obtain aissreatinoonveniencem might
attend it, thar we ihould be liable TO double
taxation (Snd perhaps on the fame articles