and silk manufactories, in order to export the same, to forfeit all such tools, &c., and £200. Officers are authorized to seize all such tools, &c., on board the vessels, which may be publickly sold; one moiety to his Majesty, the other to the officer. Master of a ship permitting such tools or utensils to be exported, forfeits £200. If the ship belongs to his Majesty, the Captain forfeits £200 and his commission. Officers of the Customs allowing an entry outward of such prohibited utensils, to forfeit £200 and his office." Since the passing of this Act, I find there is no probability of passing an entry for any more wool cards, &c., for America.

Boston, August 1, 1774.

More than sixty days have expired since Boston, by a late edict of the British Parliament, has been besieged by a British fleet and army, and its trade annihilated. The inhabitants now receive that insult and damage, which was never experienced in the hottest wars we have been engaged in with France, Spain, and their allies, the savages of the American woods. The particulars of the siege, and the manœuvres of our enemies, may in future be told by some able historian. Suffice it at present to inform the world, that though wood and provisions have been allowed by said Port Act, the introduction of these articles has been attended with such loss of time and unnecessary charges, as greatly to raise the price of fuel upon the poor inhabitants. No wood can now be brought from the rivers and bays included in our harbour, upon which we depended for a considerable part of our supply. No goods of any kind are suffered to be water borne within a circle of sixty miles. No timber, boards, shingles, bricks, lime, sand, &c., &c., are to be transported from one wharf to another; and so even the tradesmen, not immediately dependent upon shipping, are thrown out of business. No barrels of liquors, bread, flour, &c., are suffered to be brought a few rods in our rowboats, or across our shortest ferries; and even the vessels on the stocks, which have for some time past been ready for launching, cannot be put into the water without their being exposed to a threatened seizure. Neither is the dried table fish and oil, the charity of our Marblehead friends; nor rice, the generous presents of the Carolinians; nor even house-sand, to be brought us by water, but must be encumbered with the great charge of land carriage of about thirty miles. We are also cut off from the advantage and profit of supplying, as usual, an extent of sea coast on the North and South, of more than one hundred leagues, even with British merchandises. And when any of these hardships and distresses are mentioned to those insolents in office, the Commissioners and their understrappers, we are told it was the design of the Act, and it is not their intent to lessen these difficulties. This is the treatment meted out by a British Minister to a town and Province, by whose exertions in a late war the strong fortress of Louisburg was taken, which purchased the peace of Europe, and delivered Britons from their terrible apprehensions of an invasion by French flat-bottomed boats. What further cruelties we are to suffer, we know not; but whether America, or even this single town, is in this way to be brought to the feet of Lord North, with the full surrender of their inestimable rights and liberties, time only can determine.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT GOVERNOUR COLDEN TO THE EARL OF DARTMOUTH, DATED NEW-YORK, AUGUST 2, 1774.

In my letter, No. 3, I submitted to your Lordship my opinion, that Government here cannot prevent the frequent meetings of the people, which have become common every where; and I am now convinced, that if Government had interfered, the most violent men would have gained great advantage, and would have prevented the acquiescence in the nomination of moderate men which has now taken place, to meet at the general Congress of Deputies from all the Colonies, proposed to be held at Philadelphia next month.

The meeting of the Delegates, I am of opinion, cannot be prevented; if they pursue only such prudent measures as are calculated to remove the destructive dissensions which subsist between Great Britain and her Colonies the meeting, though illegal, it may be hoped will produce some good.

Great pains have been taken in the several counties of this Province, to induce the people to enter into resolves, and to send Committees to join the City Committee; but they have only prevailed in Suffolk County, in the east end of Long Island, which was settled from Connecticut, and the inhabitants still retain great similarity of manners and sentiments

From a view of the numerous resolves of the people in all the Colonies, which appear in every newspaper, your Lordship might be led to think a stupid fatal hardiness intoxicated the whole. But there are every where many people who are seriously alarmed at the critical posture of the contention between Great Britain and her Colonies. They look forward with the deepest anxiety, and would rejoice in any prudent plan for restoring harmony and security. Could it be thought consistent with the wisdom of Parliament, to lay aside the right of raising money on the subjects in America, and in lieu thereof, that the several American Assemblies should grant and secure to the Crown a sufficient and permanent supply to pay all the officers and ordinary expenses of Government, they are of opinion this would be a ground-work upon which a happy reconciliation might be effected—the dependence of the Colonies on Great Britain secured—Government maintained, and this destructive contest amicably terminated. For this purpose, they hope an address to his Majesty will be formed at the general Congress.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM A GENTLEMAN IN WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, TO HIS FRIEND IN BOSTON, DATED AUGUST 2, 1774.

As to publick matters I shall likewise please you, when I inform you that a patriotick spirit possesses every bosom, which all ranks of persons seem emulous to express, by actions as well as by words. Even those few from whom another conduct was expected, have surprised the world by a zeal for the service of their suffering brethren in Boston, and a liberality in contributing to their relief, which, till this occasion gave them an opportunity of displaying, scarce any body supposed them capable of. A subscription having been set on foot for the support of the Bostonians, (suffering nobly in the common cause of America,) a very few days, from a few individuals, produced as much as loaded the vessel by which this letter comes; and by this time, I have no doubt, enough is collected to load another. Nor is this all; for there is apparent in almost every individual a proper sense of the injury done to the Colonies, in the tendency of those oppressive Acts of Parliament, and a determined spirit of opposition and resentment worthy of a human bosom in the great cause of liberty.

A numerous and respectable meeting of the six counties in the District of Wilmington, has been had, and they have, without one dissenting voice, resolved upon pursuing every legal and rightful measure to aid and assist their sister Colony of the Massachusetts Bay to the utmost of their power; and have sent expresses to every county in the Province, strictly recommending a subscription in each of them for the same purpose. A general meeting of all the Members of the Assembly is to be held in a few days, at Johnson Court House, to elect Delegates to attend the general Congress at Philadelphia, the first Monday in September.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER RECEIVED AT BOSTON, FROM WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, DATED AUGUST 3, 1774.

No sooner was a subscription put about for the relief of our suffering brethren in Boston, than in a few days, I am told, two thousand pounds, our currency, was raised; and it is expected something very considerable will be contributed at Newbern and Edenton, for the same noble purpose, as subscriptions are set on foot in every county in the Province. You will receive this by Mr. Parker Quince, who generously made an offer of his vessel to carry a load of provisions to Boston, freight free; and what redounds to the honour of the tars, the master and mariners navigate her without receiving one farthing wages. It is supposed Lord North will hang himself in his rope of sand.