At a Town Meeting held at Providence, on the 3Ist day of August, I774, called by a warrant,

The Honourable DARIUS SESSIONS, chosen Moderator:

Whereas, on the evening of the 30th August, instant, a number of persons imprudently and tumultuously assembled themselves together in a manner that did disturb the peace and order of the town, and as such proceedings are of evil example, and repugnant to the good and wholesome laws of this town and Colony, which if executed we deem sufficient to support the quiet and tranquillity thereof; and such doings being ever derogatory to the honour of the town, and subversive of our rights and liberties to their very foundation, this town do protest against such proceedings, and desire the Civil Magistrates therein to exert themselves to their utmost to prevent and suppress all such unhappy disturbances in future, in doing which they may rely upon the aid and support of the freemen and well-disposed inhabitants of this town at all times.

Voted, That this Vote be published (together with the Resolve of yesterday) in the next Providence Gazette.

The meeting was then dissolved.

JONA. ARNOLD, Deputy Clerk.

Hartford, September I, I774.

Tuesday, August 30, being the day the County Court was to sit at Springfield, a great concourse of people, judged to be about three thousand, assembled at the Court House in that place, and appointed a Committee to wait on the Court and request their appearance amongst the people, which they immediately complied with, when they very willingly signed the following engagement, viz:

"We, the subscribers, do severally promise, and solemnly engage to all people now assembled at Springfield, in the County of Hampshire, on the 30th day of August, I774, that we never will take, hold, execute, or exercise any commission, office, or employment whatsoever, under, or in virtue of, or in any manner derived from any authority pretended or attempted to be given by a late Act of Parliament, entitled, An Act for the better regulating the Government of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, in New England'".

Signed by eighteen persons.

After the above was delivered to the people in writing, they all dispersed.

Boston, September I, I774.

Tuesday, August 30, being the day the Superiour Court was to be holden here, the Chief Justice, Peter Oliver, Esquire, and the other Justices of the said Court, together with a number of Gentlemen of the Bar, attended by the High and Deputy Sheriffs, walked in procession from the State House to the Court House, in Queen street. When the Court were seated and the usual proclamations made, a list of the names of the gentlemen returned to serve as Grand Jurors, was presented to them, and the Court appointed Mr. Ebenezer Hancock Forman, but he refusing to be sworn, and the question being put to them all severally, whether they would take the oath, they one and all refused; and being asked whether they had any reasons to offer for their thus refusing, they answered they had, and that they were committed to writing; the Court requested to see them, but the Jurors refused giving the Court the original paper, unless they were first permitted to read it in Court, of after reading, the Court would promise to return it to them again.

The Petit Jurors were then called for, and a list of their names being handed to the Court, they appointed Mr. Bartholomew Kneeland Foreman of the first Jury, and Mr. Nathan Frazer of the second. Mr. Kneeland had the oath proposed to him, which he declined taking, and being asked for what reasons, referred to a paper which he said was drawn up with their unanimous consent, and begged leave to read it to the Court. The Court refused to hear the paper read, and the oath was proposed to each Juror in order, and declined as by the Foreman. Their reasons being demanded, they generally referred to the paper, till it came to the turn of Mr. Thomas Chase, who begged leave to read the paper then in his hand, but was told by the Chief Justice that he might give his own reasons without reading the paper, to which he agreed, and said that one of his reasons was, that Peter Oliver, Esq., Chief Justice of the Court, stood impeached by the late honourable House of Representatives of this Province in their own name, and in the name of this Province, of divers high crimes and misdemeanors. Being asked by the Chief Justice if he gave that as a reason for his refusing to be sworn, he answered, "yes, that is one reason." The Court then called upon another of the Petit Jurors to be sworn, but he refused, and referred to the paper for his reasons as aforesaid.

The Chief Justice then desired the Court might peruse the paper, which should be returned to the Jurors again; which was agreed to, read, and returned. The Court then proposed the same condition to the Grand Jury, which was complied with, and the contents delivered.

REASONS OF THE GRAND JURORS FOR REFUSING TO BE SWORN.

The Freemen who were returned to serve as Grand Jurors at the Superiour Court, for this term, made their appearance in the Court House yesterday; and, before a numerous assembly, (Peter Oliver, Edmund Trowbridge, Foster Hutchinson, William Cushing, and Win. Brown, Esquires, sitting on the bench as Judges,) they all, to the number of twenty-two, declined acting as Jurors, for reasons which they had previously drawn up in writing, and signed, and appointed to be read there by their Chairman; but the above said Judges, refusing to hear the same openly read, desired to have the reading of it to themselves, which being complied with, the Jurymen withdrew from the Court House to the Exchange Tavern, where they unanimously voted that, in order to justify their refusal to the world, their aforementioned reasons should be printed in the publick papers.

Boston, August 30, I774.

County of SUFFOLK:

We, who are returned by the several towns in this county, to serve as Grand Jurors at the Superiour Court, for this present term, being actuated by a zealous regard for peace and good order, and a sincere desire to promote justice, righteousness, and good government, as being essential to the happiness of the community, would now most gladly proceed to the discharge of the important duty required in that department, could we persuade ourselves that by doing thus it would tend to our reputation, or promote the welfare of our country; but when we consider the dangerous inroads that have been made upon our civil Constitution; the violent attempts now making to alter and annul the most essential part of our Charter, granted by the most solemn faith of Kings, and repeatedly recognised by British Kings and Parliament; while we see the open and avowed design of establishing the most complete system of despotism in this Province, and thereby reducing the free-born inhabitants thereof to the most abject state of slavery and bondage; we feel ourselves necessarily constrained to decline being empannelled, for reasons that we are ready to offer to the Court, if permitted, which are as follows:

First. Because Peter Oliver, Esquire, who sits as Chief Judge of this Court, has been charged with high crimes and misdemeanors, by the late honourable House of Representatives, the grand inquest of this Province, of which crimes he has never been legally acquitted, but has been declared by that House to be unqualified to act as Judge of that Court.

Secondly. Because, by a late Act of the British Parliament, for altering the Constitution of this Province, the continuance of the present Judges of this Court, as well as the appointment of other, from the first day of July last, is made to depend solely on the King's pleasure, vastly different from the tenure of the British Judges; and as we apprehend they now hold their places, only in consequence of that Act, all the judicial proceedings of the Court will be taken as concessions to the validity of the same, to which we dare not consent.

Thirdly. Because three of the Judges, being the major part of the Court, namely: the said Peter Oliver, Esquire, Foster Hutchinson, Esquire, and Wm. Brown, Esquire, by taking the oath of Counsellors, under the authority of the