Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1845-05-29
DOCUMENTAR HISTORY,
Concluded from 4th page.


Having now laid before your Majesty
the substance Of the proofs relative to
The destruction of the Gaspee, the bar
bauty aud insolence exercised upon the
commander aud seamen belonging To
her, with other necessary matters, we
proceed, IN "bedeuce to your MaJesty's s
directions, TO assign some probable
cause whIrh We conceive might lead to
$" bold violation Of your Malesly's
laws aud authority.
III. ss~"s bDpafieDcc Of some people
~ this colony under any restraint ofrrade
h"wcver illicit the check which your
Majesiy's 5 navy officers have pu, to such
trade by the necessary aid and asss-
iancc which they have afforded the rev.
cnue officers the plundering and burn
ing sluop called The Liberty in this
hnrbor, in July, 1863, then employed in,
your MaJeSty's revenue service and com
mandcJ by William Reid, iberh,ng n
vessel aud cargo then under seizure Wy
said commander, and in violent and
outrageous manner asSaul'ing aud de-
tanning him in this town, in duress, Till
The accomplishment Of the above facts !;
the same night dragging two boats, be.
longing To srid sl,op, through the streets
and burning then; and The perpetrators
Of the above outrage escaped with Impu-
nifty not one peison being 80 anch as
apprehcnded on this occasion. II must
be further, with humble submission to
,onr Majesty, remarked, that II d"er
ioi appear 10 us, that any complaint or
information was given To any peace uili
c,r or other magistrate against any per-
son whatever, as coucerncd IN the above
transaction, excepting four d"posIllons,
taken before sing le magistrate, and
which do not appear to have been laid
before the Governor aud council, or to
have hud any effect. Certain persons,
principal inhabitants Of the town of Prov
idrnce, in March preceding the burning
of ,he Gaspec, complained to the deputy
governor, also an inhabi,ant of that place,
against the conduct Of Lieutenant DuJ.
dings gslon for disturbing and obstIucting
their vessels and boats, firing at and
searching them, without showing any
commission for so doing, and requested
The deputy governor to inform the Gov
ernor thereof, that he might inquire into
the said Lieutenant's authority /; on
" which the deputy governor laid the same
before the chief justice, also an inhabi- .
tant OF the town of Providence, for his
opinion, how to conduct in the affair, TO I
which he soon returned an answer to the |
following purpose 1t was his opinion,
'lhat for any person whatever to come .
into this colony and in the body thereof,
To exercise any authority by force Of
arms or otherwise, without showing his 4
commission to the Governor, and if q
custom house officer, without being /
sworn into his Office, was guilty Of a
trespass, if not piracy" But what
effect such an opinion might have on
The m,uds al the perpetrators Of the |
crime, ue ma, most humbly submit. II
Lieutenant Dudd,ngsion, on his first ar
rival in the hn,bor OF Newport, had wait
cd on The Governor, ncquaintng him
with his power aud authority, and there
by early made his duty n matter of noto-
,jr1y. he would, NJ lens', have acted
n nfrn' pea but vhelher his duty oblig- \
ed him so 4" do. We do not presume TO
Jrtrrpinr There is also too much rca. \
ann a. brIi,vc that in some instances
JisuirD ~ Duddlng -ion, rom an ln,em.
prrsir, u nm - r,jI, henslble zeal TO aid
The rrrpnnc sru icr,rscrrded The bounds
of his duty. Alirr rSerIiug Ourselves To-
Ibe uin,oa az our ab,lnics io collect evl. |
Isnce against The persons concerned ~
bu,ninq the Gnsper and ~"undina The
: i. utennnt, and Judging Il'ai We had got
~ ,h. =. was aay probability 81 obtaining
, . lad such brlre The deputy s"'rtn"',
he th.fju,iice u III, colony aud 'h'''