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equal aftonishment and grief, proceedings adopted against them, which, in violation of the first principles of juftice and of the laws of the land, inflict the feverest punishments, without hearing the accufed. Upon the fame principle of injuftice, a bill is now brought in, which, under the profeffion of better regulating the government of the Maffachufett's Bay, is cal culated to deprive a whole province, without any form of trial, of its chartered rights, folemnly fecured to it by mutual compact between the crown and the people. Your petitioners are well informed, that a charter fo granted, was never before altered, or resumed, but upon a full and fair hearing that therefore the present proceeding is totally unconstitutional, and fets an example which renders every charter in Great-Britain and America utterly infecure. The appointment and removal of the judges, at the pleasure of the governor, with falaries payable by the crown, puts the property, liberty, and life of the fubject, depending upon judicial integrity, in his power. Your petitioners perceive a fyftem of judicial tyranny deliberately at this day impofed upon them, which, from the bitter experience of its intolerable injuries, has been abo lished in this country. Of the fame unexampled and alarming nature is the bill, which, under the title of a more impartial adminiftration of justice in the province of Maffachufett's-Bay, impowers the governor to withdraw offenders from juftice in the faid province, holding out to the fol diery an exemption from legal pro fecution for murder, and in effect fubjecting that colony to military execution. Your petitioners in

treat the house to confider what must be the confequence of fending troops, not really under the controul of the civil power, and unamenable to the law, among a people whom they have been induftriously taught, by the incendiary arts of wicked men, to regard as deferving every fpecies of infult and abufe; the infults and injuries of a lawle's foldiery are fuch as no free people can long endure; and your petitioners apprehend, in the confequences of this bill, the horrid outrages of military oppreffion. followed by the defolation of civil commotions. The difpenfing power which this bill intends to give to the governor, advanced as he is already above the law, and not liable to any impeachment from the people he may opprefs, must conftitute him an abfolute tyrant. Your petitioners would be utterly unworthy of the English ancestry, which is their claim and pride, if they did not feel a virtuous indig nation at the reproach of difaffec tion and rebellion, with which they have been cruelly afperfed. They can with confidence fay, no impu tation was ever lefs deferved. They appeal to the experience of a century, in which the glory, the honour, the profperity of England, has been, in their eftimation, their own; in which they have not only borne the burthen of provincial wars, but have shared with this country in the dangers and expences of every national war. Their zeal for the fervice of the crown, and the defence of the general empire, has prompted them, whenever it was required, to vote fupplies of men and money, to the utmoft exertion of their abilities. The journals of the houfe will bear witness to their extraordinary zeal and fervices. during

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during the last war, and that but a very fhort time before it was refolved here to take from them the right of giving and granting their own money. If difturbances have happened in the colonies, they in-. treat the houfe to confider the caufes which have produced them, among a people hitherto remarkable for their loyalty to the crown, and affection for this kingdom. No history can fhew, nor will human nature admit of, an inftance of general difcontent, but from a general fenfe of oppreffion. Your petitioners conceived, that when they had acquired property under all the restraints this country thought neceffary to impofe upon their commerce, trade, and manufactures, that property was facred and fecure; they felt a very material difference between being reftrained in the acquifition of property, and holding it, when acquired under thofe restraints, at the difpofal of others. They underftand fubordination in the one, and flavery in the other. Your petitioners wifh they could poffibly perceive any difference between the möt abject flavery, and fuch entire fubmiffion to a legislature, in the conftitation of which they have not a fingle voice, nor the leaft in fluence, and in which no one is one is present on their behalf. They regard the giving their property by their own confent alone as the unalienable right of the fubject, and the laft facred bulwark of conftitutional liberty: if they are wrong in this, they have been misled by the love of liberty, which is their dearest birthright; by the moft folemn ftatutes, and the refolves of the house itself, declaratory of the inherent right of the fubject; by the authority of all great conftitu

tional writers, and by the uninterrupted practice of Ireland and America, who have ever voted their own fupplies to the crown; all which combine to prove that the property of an English fubject, being a freeman or a freeholder, cannot be taken from him but by his own confent. To deprive the colonies therefore of this right, is to reduce them to a state of vaffalage, leaving them nothing they can call their own, nor capable of any acquifition but for the benefit of others. "It is with infinite and inexpreffible concern, that your petitioners fee in thefe bills, and in the principles of them, a direct tendency to reduce their countrymen to the dreadful alternative of being totally enslaved, or compelled into a conteft the most shocking and unnatural with a parent ftate, which has ever been the object of their veneration and their love; they intreat the house to confider, that the restraints which examples of fuch feverity and injuftice impofe, are ever attended with the most dangerous hatred. In a diftrefs of mind which cannot be defcribed, your petitioners conjure the house, not to convert that zeal and affection, which have hitherto united every American hand and heart in the interefts of England, into paffions the most painful and pernicious; moft earnestly they befeech the houfe, not to attempt reducing them to a ftate of flavery, which the English principles of liberty they inherit from their mother country will render worse than death; and therefore humbly pray, that the house will not, by paffing thefe bills, overwhelm them with affliction, and reduce their countrymen to the moft abject state of mifery and humiliation, or drive [P] 4

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them

them to the last resources of defpair.

Authentic Copy of the Address and Petition prefented to the King by the Corporation of London, previous to his Majesty's figning the Bill for the better Government of Quebec.

ligion, who were invited into the faid province under the facred promife of enjoying the benefit of the laws of your realm of England, but likewife repugnant to your royal proclamation of the 7th of October, 1763, for the speedy fettling the faid new government.

"That, confiftent with the pub. lic faith pledged by the faid proclamation, your majefty cannot

"To the KING'S Moft Excellent erect and conftitute courts of judi.

Majefty.

Moft Gracious Sovereign!

cature and public juftice for the
hearing and determining all cafes,
as well civil as criminal, within
the faid province, but as near as
may be agreeable to the laws of
England; nor can any laws, fta-
tutes, or ordinances, for the public
peace, welfare, and good govern-
ment of the faid province, be
made, conftituted, or ordained, but
according to the laws of this realm.

Wful and loyal' to
E your majefty's most duti-
ful and loyal fubjects, the
lord-mayor, aldermen, and com-
mons, of the city of London, in
common council affembled, are
exceedingly alarmed that a bill has
paffed your two houfes of parlia-
ment, entitled, "An Act for mak-
ing more effectual provifion for the
government of the province of
Quebec, in North-America," which
we apprehend to be entirely fub-
verfive of the great fundamental
principles of the conftitution of the
British monarchy, as well as of the
authority of various folemn acts
of the legislature.

"We beg leave to obferve, that the English law, and that wonderful effort of human wisdom, the trial by jury, are not admitted by this bill in any civil cafes, and the French law of Canada is impofed on all the inhabitants of that extenfive province, by which both the perfons and properties of very many of your majefty's fubjects are rendered infecure and precarious.

"We humbly conceive, that this bill, if paffed into a law, will be contrary, not only to the compact entered into with the numerous fettlers, of the reformed re

"That the Roman-catholic religion, which is known to be idolatrous and bloody, is established by this bill, and no legal provifion is made for the free exercife of our reformed faith, nor the fecurity of out proteftant fellow fubjects of the church of England in the true worthip of Almighty God, according to their confciences

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"That your majefty's illuftrious family was called to the throne of these kingdoms in confequence of the exclufion of the Roman-catholic ancient branch of the Stuart line, under the express stipulation that they should profefs the proteftant re ligion, and, according to the oath established by the fanction of parliament in the first year of the reign of our great deliverer, King William the Third, your majesty at your coronation has folemnly fworn that you would, to the utmost of your power, maintain the laws of God, the true profeffion of the

Gospel,

Gofpel, and the proteftant reformed religion established by law. "That, although the term of imprisonment of the fubject is li mited to three months; the power of fining is left indefinite and unreftrained, by which the total ruin of the party may be effected by an enormous and exceffive fine.

That the whole legislative power of the province is vefted in perfons to be folely appointed by your majefty, and removable at your pleasure, which we apprehend to be repugnant to the leading principles of this free conftitution, by which alone your majefty now holds, or legally can hold, the imperial crown of these realms.

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"That the faid bill was brought into parliament very late in the prefent feffion, and after the greater number of the members of the two Houses were retired into the country, fo that it cannot fairly be prefumed to be the fenfe of thofe parts of the legislature.

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Your petitioners, therefore, moft humbly fupplicate your majefty, as the guardian of the laws, liberties, and religion, of your people, and as the great bulwark of the proteftant faith, that you will not give your royal affent to the faid bill.

"And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray."

Abstract of an Act to discontinue, in fuch Manner and for fuch Time as are therein mentioned, the Landing and Difcharging, Lading or Shipping of Goods and Merchandise, at the Town, and within the Harbour, of Bofton, in Maffachufett's Bay, in North-America.

THE

HE preamble declares, that as dangerous commotions and infurrections have been fomented and raised in the town of Bofton, in the province of Maffachufett's-bay, by ill-affected perfons, to the fubverfion of government, and to the utter deftruction of the public peace; in which commotions certain valuable cargoes of teas, the property of the Eaft India company, and on board veffels lying within the bay or harbour of Bolton, were feized and deftroyed: and as, in the prefent condition of the town and harbour, the commerce of his majefty's fubjects cannot be fafely carried on there, nor the customs duly collected; it is therefore expedient that the officers of his majefty's customs should be forthwith removed from the faid town: and it is therefore enacted, that from and after the firft day of June, 1774, it shall not be lawful for any perfon or perfons to lade, or caufe to be laden or put, off or from any quay, wharf, or other place, within the town of Boston, or in or upon any part of the fhore of the bay, commonly called the harbour of Boston, into any fhip, veffel, boat, &c. any goods, wares, or merchandife whatsoever, to be carried into any other country or place whatfoever, or into any other part of the province of the Maffachufett's-bay, or to take up, difcharge, or caufe to procure to be taken up, or difcharged, within the town, out of any boat, lighter, fhip, &c. any goods, wares, or merchandise whatfoever, to be brought from any other country or place, or any other part of the province of the Maffachufett's-bay, upon pain of the forfeiture of the goods and merchandife, and of the

"

boat,

boat, hip, or other bottom into which the fame fhall be put, or out of which the fame fhall be taken, and of the guns, ammunition, tackle, furniture, and ftores, in or belonging to the fame: and if any fuch goods, wares, or merchandife, fhall, within the town, or in any the places aforefaid, be laden or taken in from the fhore into any barge, or boat, to be carried on board any fhip outward bound to any other country, or other part of the province of the Maffachufett's-bay, or be laden or taken into fuch barge, or boat, from or out of any fhip coming in from any other country or province, or other part of the province of the Maffachufett's-bay, fuch barge, boat, &c. fhall be forfeited.

And it is further enacted, That If any wharfinger, or keeper of any wharf, or their fervants, thall take up or land, or knowingly fuffer to be taken up, or fhall fhip off, or fuffer to be water-borne, at or from any of their wharfs, &c. fuch any goods or merchandife; in every fuch cafe, all and every fuch wharfinger, and every perfon who fhall be affifting, or concerned in the fhipping or putting on board any boat, or other veffel, for that purpofe, or in the unfhipping fuch goods and merchandife,

horfes, cattle, and carriages, made use of in the shipping, unfhipping, landing, or conveyance of any of the goods and merchandise.

It is further enacted, That if any ship or veffel fhall be moored or lie at anchor, or be feen hovering within the bay, or within one league from the faid bay, it fhall and may be lawful for any admiral, chief-commander, &c. of his majefty's fleet or fhips of war, or for any officer of his majesty's customs, to compel fuch fhip or veffel to depart to fome other port, or to fuch station as the officer fhall appoint, and to use fuch force for that purpofe as fhall be found neceffary; and if fuch fhip or vessel fhall not depart, within fix hours after notice for that purpofe given, fuch fhip or veffel, with all the goods laden on board, and all the guns, tackle, and furniture, fhall be forfeited, whether bulk fhall have been broken or not.

Provided always, That nothing, in this act contained fhall extend, or be conftrued to extend, to any military or other ftores for his majefty's ufe, or to the fhips or veffels whereon the fame fhall be laden, which fhall be commiffioned by his majefty; nor to any fuel or victual brought coaftwife from any part of the continent of America, to whofe for the neceffary use and fuftenance of the inhabitants of the town of Boiton, provided the veffel wherein the fame are to be carried fhall be duly furnished with a cocket and let-pafs, after having been duly fearched by the officers of his majefty's customs at Marble-head, in the port of Salem, in the province of Maffachufett's-bay; and that fome officer of his majesty's customs bealfo there put on board the vessel,

hands the fame thall knowingly come after the loading, fhipping, or unfhipping thereof, fhall forfeit and lofe treble the value thereof, to be computed at the highest price which fuch fort of goods and merchandise fhall bear at the place where fuch offence fhall be committed, at the time when the fame fhall be fo committed, together with the veffels and boats, and all the

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