|
submission, a part of their property may be held at the King's pleasure, on the humiliating condition of their living in obedience to such laws. To aggravate these evils, should atrocious murder be committed in enforcing the execution of any of these Acts, the civil power is forbid to punish, but the criminal is to be sent to Great Britain for trial, or to any Colony at the will of the Governour; if to the former, the distance will operate to his acquittal for want of testimony; if the latter method is adopted, it is equally a subversion of the legal form of trial. This proves in what estimation our lives are held with a British Parliament, as the first law shows in what light they consider our property.
Upon these distressful circumstances, we sincerely sympathize with our fellow-subjects of Boston, and will concur with them and the rest of the Colonies in any measures that may be conducive to a repeal of laws so destructive to our common rights and liberty.
And though we do not pretend to justify the outrage committed by the people of Boston in destroying the private property of the East India Company, to which they might have been impelled by an apparent intention in the Parliament of fixing on them a precedent of arbitrary taxation; yet we cannot see the good policy or right reason that could dictate the depriving a whole people of their rights for a trespass committed by a few, when the civil laws of the community were amply provident of redress for the injury.
The result of our opinion upon these violent measures is, that we do protest against every Law or Act of the British Legislature that shall authorize the imposition of taxes on the Americans without their consent, which cannot be had in Parliament as they have no representation, nor ought not to have in that body from local circumstances, and other considerations; and because it is the proper, exclusive, and indefeisible right of every free state, especially under the British form of Government, to be taxed only by themselves or their Representatives.
We further declare, that upon all occasions where requisitions shall be made to us by the Crown, for aid in support of his Majesty's just rights, or those of Government, we will most cheerfully comply with them to the utmost of our ability; but we cannot think a British Parliament fit judges of the mode by which, or the degree in which, we ought to be taxed.
And whereas a Convention of the late Representatives of this Colony was judged expedient, and was appointed after their dissolution to be held the first day of August next, at Williamsburg, there to consult upon the most plausible means of avoiding the dangerous precedents of acts of power now intended to be established against us. To promote on our part this laudable design, we do appoint our late Representatives, Robert Boiling and John Banister, Esquires, Deputies, to act for us on this important occasion, recommending it to them to concert with the Deputies from the other counties a firm and prudent plan of opposition to every invasion of our rights, and particularly to those Acts of Parliament we have pointed out. Confiding in their vigilance and attention, we wish them in their endeavours the success that so good a cause merits.
MIDDLESEX COUNTY (NEW-JERSERY) RESOLUTIONS.
According to notice, which had been given to the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County of Middlesex, NewJersey, a great number from every quarter of the county met at the Court House in New-Brunswick, on Friday, the 15th day of July, 1774, at 2 o'clock, and chose John Moores, Esq., to the Chair; but as the Court House could not contain half the number, the meeting adjourned to the Presbyterian Meeting House; where, after some deliberation upon the dangerous situation of the publick affairs in America, the meeting unanimously Resolved as follows, viz:
Resolve 1st. That the members of this meeting, their fellow-subjects in this Province, and they are persuaded the inhabitants of America in general, are firm and unshaken in their allegiance to his Majesty King George the Third. That they haveever demonstrated their readiness to support his Majesty's Government over them, and also to grant aids to his Majesty, on any emergency, by their own Representatives, to the utmost of their power.
2d. That all other modes of taxation, in the Colonies, by a British Parliament, under whatever name or form attempted to be introduced, is not only arbitrary and oppressive, but has a direct tendency to alienate the affections of the Colonies from the parent country; to widen the breach already made by Ministerial influence, which it is earnestly wished may speedily be healed, and a permanent union re-established, on a solid constitutional foundation.
3d. That the unexampled distresses brought on the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, particularly that of blocking up the port of Boston, and depriving them of all trade and commerce, in virtue of an Act or Acts of Parliament, is a cruel oppression, in which all the Colonies are intimately concerned; tending by a numerous train of consequences, to fasten on them the chains of vassalage and slavery; or lay prostrate at the feet of an unjustly incensed Ministry the inhabitants of this wide extended country, who would triumph over their liberties, sport with their lives, and claim their properties at will.
4th. We concur in the general opinion of our brethren, that the Congress of Deputies from the several Colonies, should present a dutiful Address to his Majesty, praying for a general redress of the grievances complained of.
5th. We are of opinion (which we submit to be considered in the general Congress) that a general stop of all imports and exports of merchandises, especially to Great Britain, by all the Colonies, is the only probable, if not the only possible measure, to preserve the liberties of this country, at present in such imminent danger of being annihilated.
6th. That an immediate subscription be set on foot, throughout this country, towards the relief of the suffering families in the town of Boston. For which purpose sundry gentlemen in the different townships and precincts of the county, are named and appointed to take in the same, and to make return of such subscriptions and collections to James Wilson, Esq., by the 1st day of September next, in order that such collections may be sent to Boston as early as possible.
7th. We agree with our brethren of all the counties in this Province, in the method of choosing Committees of Correspondence, and also that such Committees from the several counties do meet, at a place convenient, by them to be agreed on, and when so met to elect proper persons to represent this Colony in the proposed Congress, for which purpose the following gentlemen, viz: John Moores, John Wetherill, John Johnson, Michael Field, William Pecke, James Wilson, John Combs, Jun., Jonathan Balding, William Smith, John Dennis, and Rune Runyon, Esqrs., are requested to be, and are hereby appointed, a standing Committee of Correspondence, and that any five of them are a sufficient number to act. Signed by order of the meeting,
JOHN MOORES, Chairman.
Immediately after the meeting, the members of the County Committee present met, and agreed to meet the Committees from the other counties, at New-Brunswick, on Thursday, the 21st of July, instant.
New-London, July 15, 1774.
The Honourable Committee of Correspondence for the Colony of Connecticut, met at this town on Wednesday, the 13th instant, and by virtue of authority from the Honourable Lower House of Assembly, in May last, for that purpose, nominated the Honourable Eliphalet Dyer, and William Samuel Johnson, Erastus Wolcott, Silas Deanc, and Richard Law, Esqrs.,* that is to say, any three of them, on behalf of this Colony, to attend the general Congress of Commissioners, of the English American Colonies, proposed to be holden at Philadelphia, on the 1st of September next; with them to consult and advise on proper measures to promote the general good and welfare of the
|