The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-07-25


cmbcr. the ship Dartmouth appeared il
Boston hnrbor with one hundred and
fourteen chests of the East India Com
ranys tea. To keep the Sabbath strict
" was the New England usage. But
hours were precious let the tea be en-
tered, and it would be beyond the power
OF the cohsigners to send it back. The
seiectmen held one meeting by day and
another III the evening. but they sourhi
in vain for the consighers, who bad taken
sanctuary in the castle.
! " The committee of correspondence
| was moro efficient. They met also OH
| Sunday. and obtained from the Quaker
Rotch. who owned the Dartmouth. a
promise not TO enter his ship till Tues
day, and authorized Samuel Adams to
invite the committees of the five sur.
rounding towns, Dorchester, Roxburv
Brooklinc Cambridge. and Charlestown.
with their own townsmcn and those of
Boston, to hold mass meeting the next
morning. Fancuil Hall could not con.
tain the people that poured in on Mon.
day. The concoutsc was the largest ever
known. Adjourned to the Old South
mceting'house, jonathan Williams did
not fear 10 act Ms moderator. nor Samuel
Adams, Hancock, Young. Molineux. and
Warren TO conduct the business of the
meeting. On the motion Of Samuel
Adams, who entered fully into the qucs-
ton. The assembly composed Of upwards
OF five thousand PERSONS. resolved unan-
imously that the tea should be sent
back to the place from whence it came
at all events, and that no duty should be
paid on it, The only way to get rid
If it, said Young, is to throw it over.
board The cousignecs asked for time
to prepare their answer, and, out of
great tenderness the body postponed
receiving it to the next morning. Mean.
time the owner and master Of the shin
were convened and forced to promise not
to laud the tea A watch was also pro.
posed. l. said Hancock. will be one
Of it, rather than that there should be
none and PARTY Of twenty-five persons.
under the orders of Edward Proctor as
ITS captain, was appointed to guard the
tea ship during the night"
After detailing further proceedings Of
the arrival of more tea ships, the uarra.
tive concludes
On Saturday, the llih. Rotch, tic
owner Of the Darimouth is summoned
before the Boston committee. with Sam.
ucI Adams in the chair, and asked why
he has not kept bis engagement to take
his vessel and tea back to London with
IN twenty days of its arrival ? lie plead.
Cd that 1t was out of his power to The
sap must CO. was the answer the pco.
pie OF Boston and the ncigboring towns
absolutely require ard expect it, and
they bade him ask for clearance and
pass, with proper witnesses of his de-
maud. Were it mine said merchant.
4 would certainly seld it back. Ilutciin,
son acquainted Admiral Montague with
what was passing; on which the Active
and Kngishcr, though they had been
laid up tor the winter were sent to guard
the passages out Of the harbor At the
same time orders were given by the Gov.
ernor to load guns at the castle, so that
no vessel, except coasters, nigh, 60 to
sea without permit He had no thought
of what was TO happen; the wealth of
Hancock, Phillips, Rowe Dennic, and so
many other men Of prorortyTeemed to
him security against violence, and he
fattercd himself that he had increased
the perplcxities of the committee.
The decisive day draws nearer and
nearer. On the morning of Monday the
thirteenth the committees Of the five
towns are at Faneuil Hall, with that of
Boston. Now that danger was nearly at
hand, the men of the listle town Of
Maiden offered their blood and their
treasure for that which they once cs.
tccmed the mother country had lost the
tenderness of parent and become their
great opPressor. We trust in God
wrote the men of Lexington, that, should
the state Of cur affairs require tive shall
DC ready to sacrifice our estates and ev-
cry thing dear in life yes, and life itself,
IN support of the common cause Whole
towns III Worcester comfy were on tip.
toe, to come down. Go on as YOU have
begun, wrote the committee of Leices-
ter on the sovrsecnth, and do not suffer
any OF the teas already come or coming
TO be landed or pay one farthing of duty
You may depend on our aid and as,is-
taGce when needed
Tho liue of policy adopted was, if
possible to get the tea carried back to
London unajured in the vessels in which
it came. A meeting OF the people on
Tuesday afternoon directed and as it
wero, compelled Rotcb, the ownOr of |
Dartmouth, to apply for n clearance.
lie dld 50, accompanied by Kent, Sam
uel Adams, and eight others as witness
es' yhe collector was at his lodgings,
TO answer Till the next morn
ing the assemblage on their part ad.
journed till Tuesday, the sixteenth, the
last of the twenty days before it would
become legal for the revenues officers to
take possession of the ship aud land the
tea at the castle. In tho evening the
Boston committee finished their prepar-
atory meetings. After their consulta-
tlon GU Monday with the committee of
The five towns, they had been together
that day and the next, both morning aud
evening but during the long and anxious
period their journal has only this entry
No business transacted, matter of re.
cord
" AT ten o'clock on the fifteenth Rotch
was escorted by his witnesses to tito Gus
tom-house where the collector and comp.