Troops and navies have been sent to force us into a compliance; every art has been used to intimidate us. Every one who is acquainted with the late transactions, must be convinced of a settled plan to enslave this country. What expectance, then, can we have on those who have endeavoured to effect this plan? Nothing, I doubt, but a fearful looking for of judgment. A speedy compliance with this Act seems parallel to the case with Sampson and the Philistines, who, after the enticing Delilah, had found where his strength lay, and clipped him of his lock, came upon him, bound the poor man neck and heels, and sent him to prison. So, when a certain noble Lord has found out how nearly affected we are with this plan, he will plume himself on our ready compliance, perhaps reduce us to the condition of prisoners, and draw new terms of reconciliation; construing, in their greatest latitude, the import of several clauses in the Act. Blocking up our harbour will ever be a rod suspended in the British Commons to chastise whatever opposition Massachusetts, or any other Province or Colony, may make to Parliamentary measures. Therefore, my countrymen, be not buoyed up with false notions, be not speedy in your doings, but wait patiently until we can hear from the other Colonies, and I doubt not we shall come into determinations effectually to frustrate this late Act. Be not terrified with the bugbear of your enemies, about troops being quartered in your houses, but convince the world that Americans fear nothing but slavery.

TOWN MEETING IN BOSTON.

At a Meeting of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of the town of Boston, by adjournment, at Fanueil Hall, June 27th, 1774.

Mr. SAMUEL ADAMS, Moderator.

Upon a motion, Voted, That the Committee of Correspondence be directed to lay before the town the Letters wrote to the other Colonies, as well as those sent to the other towns in the Province, since the receipt of the Boston Port Bill.

The Hall not being sufficient to contain all the inhabitants assembled, the meeting was adjourned to the Old South Meeting House.

The town being again met, according to adjournment, a motion was made and passed, that all Letters received, as well as the Answers returned, be laid before the town and read.

After the Town Clerk had accordingly read a number of said letters, a motion was made that the said Vote be so far considered, as that the reading of all other letters previous to the Covenant sent into the country by the Committee of Correspondence, and the letters accompanying the same, be suspended for the present, and that the town proceed to the reading of the said Letter and Covenant, and any other letters that may be particularly called for. The said Covenant, and a number of letters, having been read, a motion was made that some censure be now passed by the town on the Committee of Correspondence, and that said Committee be annihilated.

Mr. Adams, the Moderator, then moved, that as the Committee of Correspondence for this town, of which he had the honour of being a member, was now to be considered, another Moderator might be chosen pro tern.

The Honourable Thomas Cashing, Esq., was accordingly chosen Moderator during that debate.

The motion for censuring and annihilating the Committee of Correspondence, was considered, and the gentlemen in favour of the motion patiently heard, but it being dark, and they declaring that they had further to offer, it was voted that the consideration thereof be referred to the next meeting, and the meeting was accordingly adjourned.

Tuesday, June 28th, ten o'clock: Met according to adjournment.

The motion for censuring and annihilating the Committee of Correspondence was again considered, and after long debates, the question was accordingly put, which passed in the negative by a vast majority.

It was then moved that the following Vote be passed, viz:

"That this town bear open testimony that they are abundantly satisfied of the upright intentions, and much approve the honest zeal of the Committee of Correspondence, and desire that they would persevere with their usual activity and firmness, continuing stedfast in the way of well doing."

And the question being put, passed in the affirmative by a vast majority.

The Committee on ways and means for employing the poor, acquainted the town that they had met, and had received very encouraging accounts of the readiness of their sister Colonies to assist us, and various proposals from sundry persons for employing the poor, upon which they were deliberating, but were not yet prepared to report, required farther time, which was allowed them.

Mr. Adams again in the Chair.

A motion made that this meeting be adjourned to Tuesday, the 19th of July, at ten o'clock, A. M., to meet at Fanueil Hall; and the meeting was adjourned accordingly.

Attest,                                                                                         WILLIAM COOPER, Town Cleric.

Boston, Juno 29th, 1774.

Protest against the Proceedings of the Town Meeting in BOSTON, on the 27th of JUNE, 1774.

Whereas at a meeting of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of this town, held at Fanueil Hall, the 27th instant, and from thence adjourned to the South Meeting House, copies of certain circular letters, wrote by the Committee of Correspondence, so called, for this town, to the other towns in the Province, and other places on the Continent, and answers thereto from the several towns and Colonies, were read; likewise a certain circular letter, accompanied with a Solemn League and Covenant of a most dangerous nature and tendency, which hath been drawn up by the said Committee of Correspondence, copies whereof have been by them clandestinely dispersed through the Province, without the consent or knowledge of the town, and recommended to the people of the county to execute without loss of time, "least their enemies should defeat its purpose." These points being fully spoke to, with candour and moderation, by gentlemen of different sentiments, it was at length motioned and seconded, that the Committee of Correspondence be censured by the town, and dismissed from any further service in that capacity. After some discussion on the subject, and other letters produced and read, the question was put, and passed in the negative.

Wherefore, we, the dissentients, do now make this public and solemn Protest against the doings of the said Committee, as such, against the Solemn League and Covenant aforementioned, and against the proceedings of the town, so far as they have adopted the illegal proceedings of the said Committee of Correspondence, for the following reasons, viz:

First, because, with regard to the Solemn League and Covenant aforementioned, we look on it to be a base, wicked, and illegal measure, calculated to distress and ruin many merchants, shopkeepers, and others, in this metropolis, and affect the whole commercial interest of this Province; to put a check at once to our industry, by stopping the exportation of all the staple articles of our trade; such as oil, pot and pearl ash, flax seed, naval stores, lumber of all sorts, and likewise codfish, by way of Spain and Portugal, the proceeds of which go to Great Britain as remittances for goods. Also will put an end to a very valuable branch of trade to the Province of ship-builders; to create unhappy divisions in towns and in families; to open a door for the most wicked perjuries, and to introduce almost every species of evil that we have not yet felt, and cannot serve any good purpose.

Secondly, because that the Committee of Correspondence, in many of their letters, held forth principles, which, instead of extricating us from our difficulties, serve, in our opinions, still further to involve us, to which principles we cannot accede.

Thirdly, because that Committee of Correspondence, in some letters that were read from them to New-York, Philadelphia, and other places, particularly two to New-York, of the 28th and 30th May, have falsely, maliciously, and scandalously, vilified and abused the characters of many