me, if it serves my country; and happy shall I esteem myself, if the detection of my mistakes shall open to you a clear view of the most expedient measures to be pursued.

There are some men who say that the late Act of Parliament, abolishing the privileges of the port of Boston, was occasioned by the particular imprudence of the inhabitants, and in no manner concerns the other Colonies.

To form a true judgment on this point, it will be proper to take a short review of some other transactions.

Great Britain, triumphant by your assistance in the late war, found at the conclusion of it, by a peace hastily bestowed on her haughty and hereditary foes, her Dominions enlarged; her fleets formidable: her armies disciplined; her trade flourishing; her enemies intimidated and exhausted; her Colonies thriving, affectionate, and dutiful.

The cup of prosperity large and full, courted her lips. Deep she drank of the enchanted beverage, as if the vessel like the cruise of Serepta's widow, could not fail; after a short but feverish repose she roused herself, may I say, as one of Homer's giants; a race,

"By whom no statutes and no rights were known,"

to injure those that never injured her. She had conquered her enemies; that, other Kingdoms had done. Should no exploits of a more transcendent energy illustrate the annals of George the Third? no achievements so shockingly great and advantageous, that even the pensioned historians of the animated era must weep in tracing them, and blush in reciting them. Luckily for her fame, perhaps for her profit, the near-sighted policy and low-spirited humanity of every State, in every period, had left untouched for her, the novel glory of conquering friends, children, flesh of her flesh, and bone of her lone, unstained by any former reproach; resting in perfect tranquillity, acknowledged loyalty, and actual obedience to every kind of authority hitherto by her exercised over them; perpetually pouring into her lap those fruits of their industry, which she would permit them to collect from the different parts of the world. Proud of their connection with her; confiding in her; loving, revering, almost adoring her; and ready and willing as they ever had been, to spend their treasure, and their blood, at her request, in her cause.

* "Parcere superbis, et debellare subjectos,"

was a thought that had escaped the sagacity of statesmen and even the fancy of poets. The subtlety of Machiavel’s Italian brain had missed it, and no Bœotian had blundered upon it.

The temptation was too great to be resisted; the parent resolved to seize that treasure, and if not tamely resigned, to spill that blood herself, † "O sapiens et beata regina."

The greatest ‡Ministers who had heretofore conducted her affairs, had discovered, and declared, that we were continually toiling for her benefit.; that she was sure of receiving, in the course of commerce, all those emoluments of our labour which reason could require; and, therefore, tenderly cherished and supported us. Notions too dull! and advantages too just! to merit the slightest regard from his Majesty's enlightened and magnanimous Counsellors.

"They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance; they fall down; yea! they worship" (them.) Remember this, and show yourselves men.

P. P.

Williamsburg, May 30, 1774.

The House of Burgesses, of Virginia, on the 24th of May, adopted the following Resolution, which was directed to be forthwith printed and published:

"Tuesday, 24th of May, 14th George III., 1774.

"This House being deeply impressed with apprehension of the great dangers to be derived to British America from the hostile invasion of the city of Boston, in our sister Colony of Massachusetts Bay, whose commerce and harbour are on the first day of June next to be stopped by an armed force, deem it highly necessary that the said first day of June be set apart by the Members of this House, as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer; devoutly to implore the Divine interposition, for averting the heavy calamity which threatens destruction to our civil rights, and the evils of civil war; to give us one heart and one mind firmly to oppose, by all just and proper means, every injury to American rights; and that the minds of his Majesty and his Parliament may be inspired from above with wisdom, moderation, and justice, to remove from the loyal people of America all cause of danger from a continued pursuit of measures pregnant with their ruin.

"Ordered, therefore, That the members of this House do attend in their places at the hour of ten in the forenoon, on the said first day of June next, in order to proceed with the Speaker and the mace to the church in this city for the purposes aforesaid; and that the Reverend Mr. Price be appointed to read prayers, and to preach a sermon suitable to the occasion.*

"By the House of Burgesses,

"GEORGE WYTHE, C. H. B."

Thursday, May 26. Between three and four o'clock, P. M., die Right Honourable the Earl of Dunmore, sent a message to the honourable the House of Burgesses, by the Clerk of the Council, requiring their immediate attendance in the Council Chamber; when his Excellency spoke to them as follows:

"MR. SPEAKER AND GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF BURGESSES: I have in my hand a paper published by order of your House, conceived in such terms as reflect highly upon his Majesty, and the Parliament of Great Britain, which makes it necessary for me to dissolve you, and you are dissolved accordingly."

Friday, May 27. At ten o'clock this day, the honourable Members of the late House of Burgesses, met by agreement, at the long room of the Raleigh tavern, in Williamsburg, called the Apollo; when, having formed themselves into a Committee, and appointed the Honourable Peyton Randolph, Moderator, the following Association was unanimously entered into by the patriotic Assembly, in support of the constitutional liberties of America, against the late oppressive Acts of the British Parliament, respecting the town of Boston, which, in the end, must affect all the other Colonies.

AN ASSOCIATION, BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LATE HOUSE OF BURGESSES.

We his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the late Representatives of the good people of this country, having been deprived by the sudden interposition of the Executive part of this Government from giving our countrymen the advice we wished to convey to them in a legislative capacity, find ourselves under the hard necessity of adopting this, the only method we have left, of pointing out to our countrymen such measures as in our opinion are best fitted to secure our dearest rights and liberty from destruction, by the heavy hand of power now lifted against North America. With much grief we find that our dutiful applications to Great Britain, for security of our just, ancient, and constitutional rights, have been not only disregarded, but that a determined system is formed and pressed for reducing the inhabitants of British America to slavery, by subjecting them to the payment of taxes, imposed without the consent

* "To spare the proud and to subdue the subject."

† "O wise and happy Queen."

‡ Sir Robert Walpole, and every other Minister to whom the project of taxing the Colonies was mentioned, rejected it.

"When I had the honour of serving his Majesty, I availed myself of the means of information which I derived from my office. I speak therefore, from knowledge. My materials were good; I was at pains to collect, to digest, to consider them; and I will be bold to affirm that the profit of Great Britain from the trade of the Colonies, through all its branches, is two millions a year; this is the fund that carried you triumphantly through the last war; the estates that were rented at £2,000 a year, three score years ago, are £3,000 at present; those estates sold then from fifteen to eighteen years purchase; the same may now be sold for thirty. You owe this to America; this is the price that America pays you for her protection. I dare not say how much higher these profits may be augmented. Upon the whole, J will bag leave to tell the House what is really my opinion: it is that the Stamp Act be repealed absolutely, totally, and immediately; that the reason for the repeal be assigned, because it was founded on an erroneous principle."—MR. PITT'S Speech.

All the most distinguished writers on the trade of Great Britain previous to the present reign, held a language entirely agreeing with Mr. Pitt's sentiments.—See Davenant, Child, Tucker. Beawes Postlethwaite, &c.

* The order originally was, "that the Reverend Mr. Price be an pointed to read prayers; and the Reverend Mr. Gwatkin to preach a sermon suitable to the occasion." But upon Mr. Gwatkin's petitioning be excused from complying with his appointment, Mr. Price the Chaplain to the House, was directed to preach in his stead.