among them, that these assemblies of the people, without authority of Government, are illegal, and may be dangerous, but they deny that they are unconstitutional when a national grievance cannot otherwise be removed. What resolutions will be taken I cannot yet say. The Government of this Province has no coercive power over these assemblies of the people, but the authority of the Magistrates, in all other cases, is submitted to as usual.

MAJOR GEN. HALDIMAND TO THE EARL OF DARTMOUTH

Extract

New-York, 1st June, 1774.

I think it my duty to acquaint your Lordship with the apparent effect which the late vigorous measures adopted by the Parliament of Great Britain have made on the minds of the people of this country; the few who entertained more loyal and liberal ideas of Government, are now induced and encouraged to speak their minds with more freedom, and fear not to disapprove the rash proceedings of their countrymen, blindly led by a few hot-headed and designing men. This has operated so far as to prevent, hitherto, the effect of the resolution warmly urged by a number of violent enthusiasts, to shut up their ports themselves, both here and at Philadelphia, and to decline any importation from Great Britain and Ireland, or exportation to any of the West India Islands, until the Act against the town of Boston should be repealed.

The more timid amongst them, actuated by self-interest and common prudence, have joined the few who dared to stand forth against such outrageous and illegal combinations. In consequence of which the measure was rejected; but it is to be feared that the fire is only smothered at present, and might break out anew unless the measures said to be adopted subsequent to the Boston Port Bill, should prove sufficient to restore the good order and harmony so essential to Britain and her Colonies, to assure the dependence of the latter on the Kingdom of Great Britain, and in time remove the prejudices now subsisting.

Williamsburg, June 2, 1774.

By advices from Fincastle, we learn that there has been a smart skirmish, on the branches of New River, between a party of white people, who were out surveying lands, and a number of Indians, whom they fell in with, supposed to be Shawanese. Our people drove the Indians off, and killed eight of them, with the loss of eight men and a boy of their own party; among them the noted Captain John Ashby, who, in the last war, brought the first account of General Braddock's defeat to this city with amazing expedition.

We likewise hear, that the frontier inhabitants are all in motion at the alarming behaviour of the Indians, and seem determined to drive from among them so cruel and treacherous an enemy.

FREDERICKSBURG (VIRGINIA) RESOLUTIONS.

At a Meeting of the Inhabitants of Fredericksburg, in the County of Spottsylvania, and Colony of Virginia, at the Town House, on Wednesday, the first day of June. 1774:

Resolved, That it is the unanimous opinion of this meeting to concur in every proper measure that may be thought expedient by our sister Colonies, on this important occasion, respecting the hostile invasions of the rights and liberties of the town of Boston.

Resolved, That Messrs. Fielding Lewis, Charles Dick, Charles Mortimer, James Mercer, Charles Washington, William Woodford, James Duncanson, William Porter, George Thornton, and Charles Yates, be appointed a Committee for this town to correspond with the neighbouring towns and counties for the purpose of communicating to each other, in the most speedy manner, their sentiments on this present interesting and alarming situation of America.

Resolved, That Benjamin Johnston be appointed Clerk to this Committee.

Resolved, That the proceedings of this Committee, as well as those of other Provinces and Colonies, laid before them this day, be fairly transcribed by the Clerk in a book to be kept for that purpose.

Per order of the Committee,

BENJAMIN JOHNSTON, Town Clerk.

II. TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE BRITISH COLONIES. IN AMERICA

Philadelphia, June 1, 1774.

BRETHREN: It is not my design to travel through all the Ministerial manœuvres respecting us since the commencement of this Reign; it is not necessary. Sufficient, I trust, it will prove, to lay before you such a series of correspondent facts as will thoroughly convince you that a plan has been deliberately framed, and pertinaciously adhered to, unchanged even by frequent changes of Ministers, unchecked by any intervening gleam of humanity, to sacrifice to a passion for arbitrary dominion, the universal property, liberty, safety, honour, happiness and prosperity of us, unoffending yet devouted Americans; and that every man of us is deeply interested in the fate of our brethren of Boston.

If such a series is not laid before you, the combined force of which shall tear up by the roots, and throw out of your bosoms every lurking doubt, censure me as an enthusiast, too violently warmed by a sense of the injustice practised against my beloved country.

The danger of a father’s life once racked words from a dumb son. Worse than death, in my view, threatens our common mother. Pardon, therefore, a brother’s imperfections.

Amidst a volume of institutions called regulations, wrong at first, corrected in other errours, again corrected, still requiring regulation, and remaining, after all their editions, if not like Draco’s codes of blood, yet codes of plunder, confounding, by the intricacy and multiplicity of their inventions, and confiscating for having confounded,* appears the Fourth of George the Third, chapter 15th styled, "An Act for granting certain duties in the British Colonies and Plantations in America," &c. This was the first comet of this kind that glared over these Colonies since their existence. Here first we find the Commons of Great Britain "giving and granting" our money for the express purpose of "raising a revenue in America."

We, busy in guiding our ploughs, felling our timber, or sailing in the circuits of traffic prescribed us, and still veering like bees to our hive, with millions of our gains to Great Britain, the centre of our toils by land and sea, poor harmless husbandmen and traders! scarce observed the blow given us. Our hearts filled with confidence by contemplating the pleasing images of her generous, distinguished virtues, from the splendour of which, in our judgment, those of ancient Greece and Rome hid their diminished heads—suspicion could find no entrance. We saw, in the preamble, something of the usual forms for extending and securing navigation and commerce, were lulled into security, nor could suppose the stroke was aimed at our vitals. An infant that had tottered along a directed walk in a garden, and loaded with flowers had presented them to a mother, would as soon have expected to be knocked down by her.

Not long were we suffered to enjoy our tranquillity. The fifth of George the Third, chapter the 12th, the ever memorable Stamp Act quickly followed. By this, reciting the former Act, the Commons of Great Britain gave and granted duties, so called, of our money, on almost every piece of parchment, vellum, or paper, to be used in these Colonies, and declared every instrument of writing without a Stamp to be void. Tax gatherers of a

* "Omitting the immense increase of people, by natural population, in the more Northern Colonies, and the migration from every part of Europe, I am convinced the whole commercial system of America may be altered to advantage. You have prohibited where you ought to have encouraged; and you have encouraged where you ought to have prohibited. Improper restraints have been laid on the Continent in favour of the Islands. You have but two Nations to trade with in America. Would you had twenty! Let Acts of Parliament in consequence of treaties remain, but let not an English Minister become a Custom House officer for Spain, or for any foreign Power. Much is wrong, much may be amended for the general good of the whole."—MR. PITT’S Speech.