casion, addressed to the town clerks of each town, to be communicated accordingly.

The prayer of the petition of the assembly, to his majesty, glowed with the keenest resentment, as well as invectives against the false, malicious, and scandalous misrepresentations of the governor and lieutenant-governor; declared them enemies to the king, as well as this colony, and prayed for speedy justice in their removal. This petition passed in the house by a majority of 82 to Such was the resentment of the day.

12.

Thus we see how God turned the counsels of Ahithophel into foolishness.

CHAPTER IV.

CAUSES THAT LED TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.-DE

STRUCTION OF THE TEA, &c.

THE destruction of the Gaspee schooner, at, or near to Providence, greatly incensed the Parliament, and they passed an act under the following title-" An act for the better securing his majesty's dock-yards, magazines, ships, ammunition, stores &c." by which the penalty of death was denounced against all, who should destroy, or aid, and assist in destroying, any of the articles named in this act, and also subjected the offenders to a trial in any shire, or county in Great Britain.

Armed by the powers of this act, Parliament next proceeded to pass another act, authorising the East-India company to export their own teas, with the power of collecting the duty of three pence per pound, reserved to government, on all teas landed in the American colonies.

The company were aware of the evils that might attend such an exportation, under such a duty, and offered to the minister to pay a duty of six-pence per pound on all teas exported, if they would withdraw the colonial duty of three pence; but this was rejected, and the company shipped 600 chests of tea to Philadelphia-600 to New-York and Boston, and a general distribution, in the like proportion, through the other colonies.

The measure was rightly appreciated in America, and the refusal of the ministers to the offer of the East-India company, would have confirmed the views of the ministry, of riveting their system of taxation upon the colonies, through the medium of the duty on tea, had not their minds been firmly fixed before. The merchants of Philadelphia well knew that the merchants of Boston had

not very religiously kept their non-importation agreement upon the article of tea; but had indulged so freely, as to have imported, in defiance of that agreement, more than 2000 chests of tea. Accordingly Mr. Thomas Mifflin, a noted merchant of Philadelphia, being present at Boston, put the question home to these sons of liberty"Will you resist the landing of this tea? if you will, I will be answerable for Philadelphia. To which they readily assented, and pledged their honor. The citizens of Philadelphia immediately convened, and appointed a committee to wait on the merchants, who were appointed to receive, and sell the tea, and request their immediate resignation, which was promptly complied with, and a correspondence for mutual support, as well as resistance to the landing of the tea, was entered into between Philadelphia, and Boston. The sons of liberty in New-York, entered into similar measures, which were supported by handbills and other spirited publications, cautioning, and warning the public against the danger that awaited their liberties, under the specious mask of a duty on tea; threatening with vengeance also, all such as should in any way be accessary to receiving, or selling the tea. In these publications, the tea was termed the fetters and chains of liberty; and destruction denounced against any, and all who should presume to aid, or assist in landing the fetters, and chains, for the destruction of liberty. These pieces were signed Legion, Mohawks, &c. The same measures were pursued in Philadelphia, and the same resignation of the consignees became common in both these places; but the consignees in Boston refused; town meetings were called, and a committee appointed to wait on them, to press their resignation; but without effect; they were supported by the governor, and absolutely refused. Governor Hutchinson convened his council for advice, upon the best measures for keeping the

peace, and supporting the authority of government. In the mean time, the consignees sent up a petition, praying for leave to resign their trust, and for liberty to deliver up the tea, together with themselves, to the safe keeping of the governor and council, as the guardians of the people; but this was not accepted, and the council advised the governor to strengthen the arm of the law, by calling on the justices of the peace, and others, for the support of order, and the laws.

At this eventful moment the tea-ships arrived, and entered the harbour. The town of Boston commenced their town' meetings, in connection with the citizens of the neighbouring towns, on the 3d of November, under that liberty-tree, which had been rendered famous by the effigy riots, under the stamp-act; where they had continued unitedly to meet, by adjournment, down to this time.

At these meetings, the cautious were openly met with this reply" It must come to a quarrel with Great-Britain and the colonies, sooner or later, before we can have our rights secured; and now is the most eligible period; besides, we are pledged to our sister colonies, and cannot go back, without being forever discarded; but if we are faithful to ourselves and to them, they will be faithful to us,” These meetings were occasionally held in Fanuel Hall, and when they became too numerous for the latter, they were adjourned to the Old South.

On the 18th, the voice of the meeting declared that the tea should not be landed, but returned back again to England. Mr. Rotch, the owner of the vessel, was forbid, by a special vote, to land his tea, at his peril, and a watch was ordered to be set over the ship Dartmouth, (tea-ship) then lying at Griffin's wharf. The same vote was then extended to such other ships as should arrive hereafter, until the tea act should be repealed; that the watch should be continued, so long as the tea-ship or ships continue in

the harbour, and that the tolling of the bells by night, and ringing by day, be the tocsin of alarm.

About the first of December, Captains Bruce and Coffin arrived with their tea-ships, and were ordered to Griffin's wharf, where they were secured under a military guard of twenty-five men.

At a numerous town meeting, held at Old South on the 16th of November, Mr. Josiah Quincey, jr. thus addressed them :

"It is not, Mr. Moderator, the spirit that vapours within these walls, that must stand us in stead. The exertions of this day will call forth events that will make a very different spirit necessary to our salvation. Whoever supposes that shouts and hosannas will terminate the trials of the day, entertains a childish fancy. We must be grossly ignorant of the value and importance of the prize for which we contend; we must be equally ignorant of the power that is combined against us; we must be blind to that malice, inveteracy, and insatiable revenge, which actuate our enemies, both public and private, abroad, and in our own bosom, to hope that we can end this controversy without the sharpest conflicts-to flatter ourselves, that popular resolves, popular harrangues, popular acclamations, and popular vapour, will vanquish our foes. Let us consider the issue. Let us look to the end. Let us weigh and consider, before we advance to those measures which must bring on the most trying and terrible struggles this country ever saw."

Solemn and interesting was this language upon this momentous crisis. A general calm ensued, and at 3 o'clock the decisive question was put-" Will you adhere to your former resolution ?" and carried in the affirmative, without one dissenting voice. The die is now cast; they next resolved that Mr. Rotch be ordered to make a protest, and