The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1907-02-27
THE SONS OF LIBERTY.
NorfoIk's Early Protest Against King
GEORGES Tyranny.

Georges tyranny,
But few of the most diigent ste
dents of American history know
that Norfolk patriots denied the
right of Great Britain to tax the
colonies without representation
over two months before the promul-
CATION of the celebrated Mecklen-
burg declaration of independence
and nearly five months before rep
resentatives of the thirteen colonies
met at Philadelphia and formally
renowned the authority of Great
Britain.
Yet as far back as March 10,
1776, number of Norfolk citizens
assembled under the name of "Sons
of Liberty" and announced in reso-
lutions of bold and certain terms
their determined opposition to any
encroachments of British authority
on their rights to govern themselves
under the British crown.
These Norfolk people did not de-
clare their independence. They ex-
pressly affirmed their wish to be
subjects of King George III. They
merely declared that there should
be no taxation without representa-
ton. Among the many prominent
Norfolk names attached to the doc
ument are Henry Tucker, Robert
Tucker, Robert Tucker, Jr.; Maxi
milan Calvert, Thomas Butt,
Thomas Willoughby, John Taylor,
Jr.; Joseph Hutchings, Jr., and
James Parker.
The resolutions adopted read as
follows:
Having taken into consideration the
evident tendency Of that oppressive and
unconstitutional act of parliament COM
monty called the stamp act and being
DESTROYS that our sentiments should be
known to posterity, and recollecting that
we are a part of the colony which first
In general assembly openly expressed its
detestation of the said act, which is
pregnant with ruin and productive Of
the most pernicious consequences, and
unwilling to rivet the shackles of slavery
and oppression on ourselves and mil
lions yet unborn, we have unanimously
come to the following resolutions:
Resolved, That we acknowledge our
lord and sovereign, King George III,
to be our rightful and lawful king
and that we will at all times to the ut
most of our power and ability support
and defend his most sacred person, crown
and dignity and shall always be ready
when cons titutionally called upon to as
sist his majesty with our lives and for
tunes and to defend his Just rights and
prerogatives.
Resolved, That we will by all lawful
ways and means which Divine Providence
has put into our hands defend ourselves
In the full enjoyment of, and preserve in
violate to pos terity, those ineStimable
privileges of all free born British sub
jects of being taxed only by representa-
tives of their own choosing and of being
tried by none but a jury of their peers.
And that if we quietly submit to the
execution Of the said stamp act all our
claims to civil liberty will be lost and we
and our subjects in America are deprived
of the invaluable privileges aforemen-
toned.
Resolved, That committee be appoint
ed who shall in such manner as they
think proper go upon necessary business
and make public the above resolutions
and that they correspond as they shall
see occasion with the Associated Sons OF
and Friends to Liberty In the other Brit
ish colonies in America
AS a result of the adoption of
these resolutions Lord Dunmore,
who commanded the British fleet off
Norfolk, made a demonstration be-
fore the city, and several shots were
fred from the frigate Liverpool
Birmingham Age-Herald.