bitants of the borough of Norfolk and town of Portsmouth, ogether with the letters and other papers from Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, as also copies of the resolutions and other proceedings of the Members of our late House of Burgesses, both before and after their dissolution. We hope to be able to inform you more particularly of the collected sense of the trade of this Colony at the general meeting of the merchants next week at Williamsburg, when we expect further despatches from the Northward. We hope the favour of a free and full communication of your sentiments on this important occasion, and trust that your flourishing and respectable Province will still continue their generous endeavours for the establishment of the rights of the Colonies, that the opposition of all America may be as extensive as the oppression.

With the warmest attachment to the interest of the Colonies, we are, gentlemen, most respectfully, your most obedient humble servants,

THE COMMITTEE OF NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH TO THE ALTIMORE COMMITTEE OF CORRESPONDENCE

Norfolk, Jane 2, 1774.

GENTLEMEN; We acknowledge the receipt of your interesting favour, and hope you will still continue to communicate your sentiments to us on the important subject of your letter, in the freest and fullest manner. We are happy in so general a concurrence in opinion with you, and are ready to unite in any measures that may be generally thought for the advantage of the Colonies, and the relief of our unhappy brethren of Boston. We sympathize most sincerely with them in their sufferings; our hearts are warmed with affection for them; and we trust they will never be deserted, nor left the solitary strugglers against arbitrary power. The Act for blocking up their harbour and stopping their trade, and the Bill for altering and amending the Charter of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, which Lord North has lately brought into the House of Commons, we view as fatal strokes to the liberties of these Colonies, and as a public robbery of our rights; but we rest with a firm assurance that the paltry policy, of attacking a town or a Province singly, will never so un-happily delude, as to disunite us from that joint, firm and universal opposition of all British America, which, we trust, will always render abortive every such pernicious measure.

As we have had occasion to write to South Carolina, previous to this, our earliest opportunity of answering your favour, we transmit you a copy of that letter, which you may please to communicate as you think proper. You have also enclosed, some other papers, from which you will be fully sensible that we are ready to join in any measures for the public good.

We are with great esteem and regard, gentlemen, your roost obedient, humble servants,

THE COMMITTEE OF NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH TO THE RALTIMORE COMMITTEE OF CORRESPONDENCE.

Norfolk, June 3, 1774,

GENTLEMEN: We gladly take this first opportunity of assuring our brethren of Boston, on this melancholy occasion, that we are not indifferent spectators of their distressing situation, under the present cruel exertion of British power, to support an edict calculated to ruin their trade, and for ever subject a very considerable property to the arbitrary pleasure of the Crown; our bosoms glow with tender regard for you; we sympathize with you in your sufferings; and thought it our duty devoutly to observe the appointment of the first of June as a day of fasting and prayer, solemnly to address the Almighty Ruler to support you in your afflictions, and to remove from our Sovereign those pernicious Counsellors that have been the wicked instruments of your oppression. Be assured, we consider you as suffering in the common cause, and look upon ourselves as bound by the most sacred and solemn ties to support you in every measure that shall be found necessary to regain your just rights and privileges.

As we have had occasion to communicate our sentiments to Charlestown and Baltimore, we refer you to those letters, and the other papers transmitted to you; and although we are not one of the larger commercial towns on the Continent, yet, as the trade is more collected here than in any other place of this well watered and extensive Dominion, we thought it our duty to communicate what we apprehended to be the sense of the mercantile part of the community among us.

That the Almighty arm may support you and shield you in the hour of danger, is the fervent prayer of, gentlemen, your affectionate brethren,

LIEUT, GOVERNOUR COLDEN TO THE EABL OF DARTMOUTH.

Extract.

New-York, 1st June, 1774.

The Act of Parliament shutting up the port of Boston, was brought to this place by a merchant vessel a few days before I received it from your Lordship’s office.

The Act was immediately published in all our newspapers, and was the subject of all conversation. I knew that people universally in this Colony had received such ideas of being taxed at the pleasure of Parliament, that I was particularly anxious upon this occasion to discover the sentiments of those who might have most influence over others, and was assured by the gentlemen of the Council, and others of weight in the city, that no means would be omitted to prevent the hot-headed people taking any measures that might endanger the peace and quiet of the Colony,

The men who at that time called themselves the Committee, who dictated and acted in the name of the people, were many of them of the lower rank, and all the warmest zealots of those called the Sons of Liberty. The more considerable merchants and citizens seldom or never appear among them, but I believe were not displeased with the clamour and opposition that was shown against internal taxation by Parliament.

The principal inhabitants, being now afraid that these hot headed men might run the city into dangerous measures, appeared in a considerable body at the first meeting of the people after the Boston Port Act was published here. They dissolved the former Committee, and appointed a new one of fifty-one persons, in which care was taken to have a number of the most prudent and considerate people of the place. Some of them have not before joined the public proceedings of the Opposition, and were induced to appear in what they are sensible is an illegal character, from a consideration that if they did not, the business would be left in the same rash hands as before.

Letters had been received from Boston with an invitation from that town to the sister Colonies, immediately to come into a resolution to refrain from any commerce with Great Britain and the West India Islands, till the Act for shutting up the port of Boston was repealed. A printed handbill of this proposal is enclosed.

I am informed that the new Committee, in their answer to Boston, have given them no reason to expect that the merchants of this place will adopt so extravagant a measure, and people with whom I converse assure me, that they think it cannot be brought about by the most zealous advocates of opposition. As yet no resolutions have been taken by the people of this Colony, and the cool, prudent men will endeavour to keep measures in suspense till they have an opportunity of adopting the best. I am told they have proposed that the Colonies be invited to send Deputies to meet together, in order to petition the King for redress of grievances, and deliberate upon some plan whereby the jealousies between Great Britain and her Colonies may be removed, It is allowed by the intelligent