The Coolidge examiner., 1933-12-01

\ IKlalH \ the injustice of their rulers? And
&&AaS how much do we know about sim
liar affairs which took place at New
port, r. L.; New York city, Philadelphia, An
napolis, Nd and Charleston s. G.?
All OF these had their origins in the Town
shend acts Of 1867 which levied tax on colonial
importation of tea. glass, lead, paper and sim
liar articles; in a colonial boycott which took
the form OF ''non-importation agreements; and
I'm the repeal in April 177O of all duties, except
that on tea which was retained as King Georges
method of saying TO his American subjects, 81
have the right TO tax you If want to-"
Added TO this fact were enough other irrita-
tions between Mother Country and her colonies
so that by the end of 1872 the radicals among
the colonsts, chief Of whom was Samuel Adams
of Boston, were convinced that this country
must shake off its intolerable burdens at all
events" Then in 1873 came another event to
add fresh fuel to the fires of discomfort. The
East India company, which was In financial diff.
fcuties, obtained from the king permission to
carry tea TO America free of the usual duties
charged for transhipment in England and to
establish colonial stores in which to sell its
goods
The effect of this was to weaken the boycott
on tea by tempting colonial tea-drinkers with
a cheaper price. 1t also meant that the Amer
lean merchant who tried to support the boycott
would face cutthrOat competition from trad
ing company which had a virtual monopoly.
Faced by ruin. it was only natural that such
hitherto conservative merchants as William
Phillips, John Rowe and John Hancock should
be driven into the ranks of the American rad
icals
Either blind or Indifferent TO this fact the
East India company proceeded to send ont its
tea ships headed for various American ports
The three which set out for Boston were Nan
tucket craft-the Dartmouth, Capt James Hall /;
the Eleanor. Capt James Bruce: and the brig
Beaver. Capt Hezekiah Coffin. They had taken
cargoes of whale oil TO England and were en-
gagged by the Last India company TO carry the
cargoes of tea ON the return journey
on November 2S the Dartmouth appeared in
Boston harbor. followed soon afterwards by the
Eleanor and the Beaver. ION Friday arrived
Captain Bruce from London having on board a
quantity of the detestable article of tea his
ship lays at the same wharf with Captain Halls
that so the persons who watch the one may the
more easily take care of the other also" Thus
reads an item in contemporary newspaper on
December 6, 1913.
Every effort was made to have the tea sent
back TO England in the ships that had brought
r. but all these efforts failed. The captains of
the ships, which were mo0red II Grifiin's wharf
al the foot of the pre- ient Pearl street in mod
en- BhStpl were III d 'tt4s oS was ItlClS
Eotch. a peaceable Quaker who was the owner
Of the Dartmouth, for they had other cargoes
On board besides the 80 chests of tea
The collector of the port refused to issue clear
nnce papers until all dutiabe goods had been
discharged. sef-appointed guard of citizens
vas keeping watch at the wharf to prevent the
unloading of the tea. In the meantime Cover
nor Hutchinson had taken measures to prevent
the departure of the ships past Castle William,
which guarded the entrance TO Boston harbor.
The law provided that unless duties were paid
s:ter q: days a ship and its cargo could be