gulph or river of St. Laurence, or any other the bays, creeks, rivers or feas, within the dominions, or appertaining to the territories of Great Britain. Thirdly, That no lumber, provifions, or other products of New England, be permitted to be imported into any of the islands or territories belonging to Great Britain. Fourthly, That no rum or other spirits, diftilled in New England, be permitted to be fold to any Britifh subject, either on the coaft of Africa, or on the banks of Newfoundland, &c. Fifthly, That no inhabitant of New England be permitted to trade with any Indians in alliance with the king of Great Britain, without the limits of the faid country. The effects of fuch a measure would be prefently felt by thefe haughty colonists; and perhaps it would in the end prove highly advantageous to Great Britain; for in the fift place it would oblige all the fifhermen in that country to remove into the province of Nova Scotia, and the other obedient provinces; the fhip builders would do the fame; the distillers would follow them, and fo would the Indian traders; Bofton would foon dwindle into a poor, fmuggling village, and Halifax and St. John's would rife upon its ruins. No trade would be loft to Great Britain by this remove, and an eternal monument would be erected to deter the colonies from ever venturing to provoke the mother country to caft them off: we should hear no more of their refusing to trade with her, or coming into refolutions not to import or use her manufactures. BOSTON, September 19. At a meeting of the Freeholders, and other Inhabitants of th The Meeting was opened with Prayer by the Reverend The Hon. James Otis, Efq; was unanimoufly chofen TH Moderator. HE petition of a confiderable number of the respectable inhabitants to the Selectmen, dated the 8th inftant, praying, that the town might be forthwith legally convened, to enquire of his Excellency, the Governor, the grounds and reafons of fundry declarations made by him, that three regiments may be daily expected, two of them to be quartered in this town, and one at Caftle-William ; as alfo, 1 alfo, to confider of the most wife, conftitutional, loyal, and falutary measures to be adopted on fuch an occafion, was read,-whereupon the following vote was paffed. Whereas it has been reported in this town meeting, that his Excellency the Governor has intimated his apprehenfions that one or more regiments of his Majefty's troops are daily to be expected here: Voted, That the Hon. Tho. Cufhing, Efq; Mr. Samuel Adams, Richard Dana, Efq; Benjamin Kent, Efq; and Dr. Jofeph Warren, be a Committee to wait upon his Excellency, if in town, humbly requefting, that he would be pleafed to communicate to the town, the grounds and assurances he may have thereof. Upon a motion made and feconded, Voted, That the following petition be prefented to his Excellency the Governor, and a Committee was appointed for that purpose, who were directed humbly to request his Excellency to favour the town with an immediate answer. To his Excellency Francis Bernard, Efq; Governor, &c.` May it pleafe your Excellency, The inhabitants of the town of Bofton legally affembled, taking into confideration the critical state of the public affairs, more especially the prefent precarious fituation of our invaluable rights and privileges, civil and religious, moft humbly request that your Excellency would be pleased forthwith to iffue precepts for a general affembly, to be convened with the utmost speed, in order that fuch measures may be taken, as in their wisdom they may think proper, for the preservation of our faid rights and privileges. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, &c. Upon a motion made and feconded, a Committee was appointed to take the state of our public affairs into confideration, and report at the adjournment the measures they apprehend moft falutary to be taken in the prefent emergency. Adjourned till the next day, ten o'clock, A. M. Tuesday, the 3th of September, ten o'clock, A. M. met accordingly. The Committee appointed yesterday to wait upon his Excellency with the petition and requeft of the town, reported from his Excellency the following answer in writing. • Gentlemen, My apprehenfions that fome of his Majefty's troops are to be expected in Boston, arife from information of a private nature: I have received no public letters, notifying to me the coming of fuch troops, and requiring quarters for them 1 them; whenever I do, I fhall communicate them to lis Majefty's council: The bufinefs of calling another affembly for this year, is ⚫ now before the King; and I can do nothing in it, until I receive his Majefty's commands.? FRA. BERNARD. The Committee appointed to take the ftate of our public affairs into confideration, reported the following declaration and refolves. Whereas it is the first principle in civil fociety, founded in nature and reafon, That no law of the fociety can be binding on any individual, without his confent, given by himself in perfon, or by his reprefentative, of his own free election : And whereas in and by an act of the British parliament, pafled in the first year of the reign of King William and Queen Mary, of glorious and bleffed memory, entitled, An Act, declaring the rights and liberties of the fubject, and fettling the fucceffion of the crown; the preamble of which Act is in thefe words, viz. Whereas the late King James the Second, by the affiftance of divers evil Counsellors, Judges and Minifters employed by him, did endeavour to fubvert and extirpate the Proteftant religion, and the laws and liberties of this kingdom;' It is exprefly, among other things, declared, That the levying money for the use of the crown, by pretence of prerogative, without grant of parliament, for a longer time, or in other manner than the fame is granted, is illegal : And whereas in the third year of the reign of the fame King William and Queen Mary, their Majefties were gracioufly pleased, by their royal charter, to give and grant to the inhabitants of this his Majefty's province, all the territory therein defcribed, to be holden in free and common foccage: And alfo to ordain and grant to the faid inhabitants certain rights, liberties, and privileges therein exprefly mentioned: Among which it is granted, eftablifhed, and ordained, That all and every the fubjects of them, their heirs and fucceffors, which fhall go to inhabit within the faid province and territory, and every of their children, which fhall, happen to be born there, or on the feas in going thither, or returning from thence, fhall have and enjoy all liberties and immunities of free and natural fubjects, within any of the dominions of them, their heirs and fucceffors, to all intents, purposes, and conftructions whatever, as if they and every of them were born within the realm of England: And whereas by the aforefaid act of parliament made in the first year of the faid King William and Queen Mary, All and fingular the premifes contained therein, are claimed, de manded manded, and infifted on, as the undoubted rights and liber ties of the fubjects born within the realm: And whereas the freeholders and other inhabitants of this town, the metropolis of the province, in faid charter mentioned, do hold all the rights and liberties therein contained to be facred and inviolable: at the fame time publicly and fo lemnly acknowledging their firm and unfhaken allegiance to their alone rightful Sovereign, King George the Third, the lawful fucceffor of the faid King William, and Queen Mary to the British throne: therefore, Refolved, That the faid freeholders, and other inhabitants of the town of Bofton, will, at the utmost peril of their lives and fortunes, take all legal and conftitutional measures to defend and maintain the perfon, family, crown, and dig nity of our faid rightful Sovereign Lord George the Third, and all and fingular the rights, liberties, privileges, and immunities granted in the faid royal charter, as well thofe which are declared to be belonging to us as British subjects by birthright, as all others therein specially mentioned. And whereas by the faid royal charter it is specially granted to the great and general Court or Aflembly therein conftituted to impofe and levy proportionable and reasonable affeffments, rates and taxes upon the estates and perfons of all and every the proprietors and inhabitants of the faid province or territory, for the fervice of the King, in the neceffary defence and fupport of his government of the province, and the protection and prefervation of his fubjects therein: therefore, Voted, As the opinion of this town, that the levying money within this province for the ufe and fervice of the crown, in other manner than the fame is granted by the great and general Court or Affembly of this Province, is in violation of the faid royal charter; and the fame is alfo in violation of the undoubted natural rights of fubjects, declared in the aforefaid act of parliament, freely to give and grant their own money for the fervice of the crown, with their own confent, in perfon, or by reprefentatives of their own free election. And whereas in the aforefaid act of parliament it is declared, that the raifing or keeping a ftanding army, within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with the confent of parliament, is against law: It is the opinion of this town, that the faid declarations are founded in the indefeasible right of the fubjects to be confulted, and to give their free confent in perfon, or by reprefentatives of their own free election, to the raifing and keeping a ftanding army among them; and the inhabitants of this town, being free fubjects, have the fame right, derived from nature, and confirmed by the British VOL. III. A a a confti conftitution, as well as the faid royal charter; and therefore the raifing or keeping a ftanding ariny, without their confent, in perfon or by reprefentatives of their own free election, would be an infringement of their natural, conftitutional and charter rights; and the employing fuch army for the enforcing of laws made without the confent of the people, in perfon, or by their reprefentatives, would be a grievance. The foregoing report being divers times diftinctly read, and confidered by the town: The queftion was put, whether the fame fhall be accepted and recorded? and passed unanimoufly in the affirmative. Upon a motion made and feconded, the following vote was unanimoufly pafled, viz. Whereas by an act of parliament of the first of King William and Queen Mary, it is declared, that for the redreis of all grievances, and for amending, ftrengthening, and preferving the laws, parliaments ought to be held frequently, and inafmuch as it is the opinion of this town, that the pcqple labour under many intolerable grievances, which, unless fpeedily redrefied, threaten the total deftruction of our invaluable, natural, conftitutional, and charter rights. And furthermore, as his Excellency the Governor has declared himself unable, at the requeft of this town, to call a general Court, which is the affembly of the States of this Province, for the redrefs of fuch grievances: Voted, That this town will now make choice of a suitable number of perfons to act for them, as a committee, in convention with such as may be sent to join them from the feveral towns in this province, in order that fuch measures may be confulted and advifed, as his Majefty's fervice, and the peace and fafety of the fubjects in the province may require. Whereupon the Hon. James Otis, Efq; Hon. Tho. Cufhing, Efq; Mr. Samuel Adams, and John Hancock, Efq; were appointed a committee for the faid purpofe; the town hereafter to take into confideration what recompence fhall be made them for the fervices they may perform. Voted, That the Selectmen be directed to write to the Selectmen of the feveral towns within this province, informing them of the foregoing vote; and to propofe, that a convention be held, if they fhall think proper, at Faneuil-Hall in this town, on Thursday the 22d of September inft, at ten o'clock before noon. Upon a motion made and feconded, the following vote was paffed by a very great majority, viz. Whereas by an act of parliament of the fift of King Wil liam and Queen Mary, it is declared, That the subjects being Pro |