and strengthen your defence; afterwards that the manufacturers in the principal towns, who, according to my information, were alarmed, and stirring, would make their opposition to the Bill for shutting up the port; but all failed, even the London merchants declining their opposition to it. The Duke of Richmond told me that Barclay, a quaker, had presented some petitions without mentioning particulars; so that no other Petition but my own was presented, save a Petition of several natives of North America, which was presented to both Houses, admitted, and ordered to He upon the table. The number of persons who signed the Petition to the House of Commons was seventeen; and the petitioners to the Lords were twenty-nine; this Petition was well drawn; but a noble Lord, who was your faithful and active friend from first to last, told me OR these different occasions that this Petition had hurt the cause, by reason of the small number of petitioners, considering how numerous the natives of North America, reading in this metropolis, were, whence those Lords who contended for the Bill drew this prejudicial argument, "that the voice of the country was plainly against you."

If agreeable to the honorable the Council, it may not be amiss, I conceive, for them to give me authority to make, in their behalf, proper grateful acknowledgment to their principal friends in each House, for their kind endeavours to serve them, desiring at the same time that no public mention may be. made of any of their names.

I am with the greatest respect for you, gentlemen, and the other members of the Council, your most obedient and most humble servant,

W. BOLLAN.

The Hon. John Erving, Wm. Brattle, James Bowdoin, and James Pitts, Esqrs.

B. FRANKLIN TO THOMAS CUSHING, SPEAKER.

London, April 2, 1774.

SIR: My last was of the 22d past, since which I have received none of your favours.

I mentioned that the Bill brought into Parliament for punishing Boston, met with no opposition. It did, however, meet with a little before it got through, some few of the members speaking against it in the House of Commons, and more in the House of Lords. It passed, however, by a very great majority in both, and received the Royal assent on Thursday the 31st, past. You will have a copy of it from Mr. Lee.

In. mine of February second, I informed you, that after the treatment I had received at the Council Board, it was not possible for me to act longer as your Agent, apprehending I could, as such, be of no further use to the Province; I have, nevertheless, given what assistance I could, as a private man, by speaking to members of both Houses, and by joining in the Petitions of the natives of America, now happening to be in London, which were ably drawn by Mr. Lee, to be presented separately, to the several branches of the Legislature. They serve, though without other effect, to show our sentiments, and that we did not look on and let the Act pass, without bearing our testimony against it. And, indeed though called Petitions, (for, under another name, they would not have been received,) they are rather Remonstrances and Protests

By the enclosed extract of a letter from Wakefield, in Yorkshire, to a friend of mine, you will see that the manufacturers begin to take the alarm. Another general non-importation agreement is apprehended by them, which would complete their ruin. But great pains are taken to quiet them, with the idea that Boston must immediately submit, and acknowledge the claims of Parliament, for that none of the other Colonies will adhere to them. A number of the principal manufacturers from different parts of the Kingdom, are now in town, to oppose the new duty on foreign linens, which they fear may provoke the Germans to lay discouragements on British manufactures; they have desired me to meet and dine with them, on Wednesday next, when I shall have an opportunity of learning their sentiments more fully, and communicating my own.

Some alterations of the Constitution of the Massachusetts Hay, arc now hotly talked of, though what they are to' be, seems hardly yet settled; one thing mentioned, is the appointment of the Council by mandamus; another, giving power to the Governor to appoint Magistrates, without consent of Council; another, the abolishing of town meetings, or making it unlawful to hold them, till the business to be proposed, has been certified to the Governor, and his permission obtained. A motion has also been made in the House of Commons, with a view to conciliate, as is said, that all the Duty Acts should be revised, and in the revision and re-enacting, without formally or expressly repealing the tea duty (which will hurt the dignity of Parliament) sink or omit it, and add an equal value in some of the coasting port duties; and the tea duty being thus taken out of the way, it is supposed will have the salutary effect of preventing the other Colonies from making a common cause with ours. Some advantages in trade, are at the same time to be given to America, for the same purpose, such as carrying wine and fruit directly from Spain and Portugal, without touching In England.

I send enclosed, the proceedings of the Lords on Wednesday, which show their zeal in the business, by appointing a Committee to sit during the recess, and the Easter holidays.

With great esteem, I am, sir, your most obedient and humble servant,

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

Hon. Thomas dishing, Esq.

Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Mr. T*****, of Wakefield, in Yorkshire, (England,) to Dr. Price, dated March 20, 1772; enclosed in the preceding.

Most wretched is the state of the poor about Dewsbury, through the languishing condition of the woollen manufactory. I am told, that the poor's assessment for the last half year, amounted to five shillings in the pound, and for the preceding half year, to three shillings and six pence, and this merely to preserve the poor wretches from absolute starving. Many of the lesser manufacturers have already been broken and sold up, and the rest say, with tears in their eyes, that they expect it will soon be the common fate. Unfortunately, the chief branch of the business of that very populous neighbourhood is making duffil blankets for the North American market, the total stagnation of which trade has chiefly brought on this distress. But the cloth business is almost as bad. I am told, that last Tuesday an account was taken at Leeds, of the cloths that lie there unsold, and they amounted to near nineteen thousand cloths. Measures are also taken to get the number of cloths unsold in the manufacturer's possession, which, it is not doubted, will be found exceedingly great; and this is the time of the year when business should be most brisk. Mr. W*****h, I hear, is going up again to London; furnished with these, and other proper facts, to be laid before Parliament. Even the principal manufacturers express their apprehensions, that they must either stop entirely, or soon will be reduced to the common level. In short, the present state of things here is lamentable, and the prospect dismal. Our work people at Wakefield are tolerably well off, for the Milneses do a great deal this year; but at Leeds, I am told, little is done. Several families are already gone from Bristol this spring for North America, and carry their arts and manufactures with them. If they succeed, swarms will follow. All our hope of relief, while suffering the severities of an hungry and cold winter, was the revival of the demand from America. What astonishment and indignation then must we feel at the measures that blast that hope forever, and fill us with apprehensions, that these are but the beginning of sorrows. Such measures for the supporting authority, we ridiculous enough; but alas, we are too miserable to enough. I was exceedingly affected last Friday, on observing the settled gloom and dejection that sat on the countenances of the poor manufacturers, who brought their cloths to Mr. M****'s warehouse. How different from the looks they wore two years ago! In short, our situation here, is a too forcible confirmation of the principles so affectingly exhibited to public attention, in Dr. Price's additional preface to his appeal to the public, &c., which Mr. Lindsey has just sent. Beyond a doubt, if the event lie so probably prognosticates takes place, the manufacturing part of the nation will first, and most severely suffer.