1 which had been the occafion of continual altercation. This altercation was carried on with great afperity on both fides, and both parties feemed more attentive to keeness of expreffion, and feverity in their replies, than to the propriety of meafures, or the advantages of civil government. Thefe difputes fo foured the tem pers of the parties, that it was not easy for them to purfue measures in connection, without fhewing a temper inconfiftent with mutual confidence. Governor Bernard was confidered as a person who was looking up to the fovereign, for a dignity which his pride fuggefted to him he deferved, and for that reafon, was more careful to please the miniftry, than to ftudy the real advantage of the colony. He had fhewn an imperious stiffness in his behaviour, which did not fuit the temper of a people that were exceeding jealous of their liberty. His anfwers to their petitions and requefts were formal, arbitrary, and willfully difobliging; and instead of endeavouring to foften agony of mind, they may be in danger of falling into. ing, for their candid and particular attention. Deprived of the councils of a general affembly in this dark and difficult feafon, the loyal people of this province will, we are perfuaded, immediately perceive the propriety and utility of the propofed committee of convention and the found and wholesome advice that may be expected from a number of gentlemen chofen by themfelves, and in whom they may repofe the greateft confidence; müft tend to the real fervice of our gracious fovereign, and the welfare of his fubjects in this province, and may happily prevent any fudden and unconnected meafures, which in their present anxiety, and even U As it is of importance that the convention fhould meet as soon as may be, fo early a day as the 22d of this inftant September has been propofed for that purpɔse—and it is hoped the remoteft towns will by that time, or as foon after as conveniently may be, return their refpective committees. Not doubting but that you are equally concerned with us, and our fellow citizens, for the prefervation of our invaluable rights, and for the general happiness of our country, and that you are difpofed with equal ardor to exert yourselves in every conftitutional way for fo glorious a purpose. Signed by the felect-men. *To the Gentlemen Assembled at Faneuil-hall under the name of a Committee of Convention. As I have lately received from his conftitutional authority within this majefty ftrict orders to fupport his government, I cannot fit ftill, and fee foften the tempers of the affembly already fufficiently rankled and over heated, he added fuel to the flame; by talking of prerogative, and the determination of the fovereign to fupport his dignity. It was ftrongly fufpected that the royal determination depended much upon the reprefentation that he had given of the coIonifts, and that the minifterial vengence proceeded in a great meafure from those partial accounts of the temper of the people reprefented in his letters to the minifters of ftate. A letter which the governor received from the Earl of Shelburne, one of the principal fecretaries of ftate, and which contained fome fevere ftrictures on the behaviour of the colonies, and the conduct of the Maffachusetts affembly, was, by the order of the governor, and according to its original defign, read to that body by their fecretary. This produced great debates in the affembly, when feveral fevere things were faid, with very little temper, and obfervations fee fo notorious a violation of it, as the calling an affembly of the people by private perfons only. For a meeting of the deputies of the towns is an affembly of the repréfentatives of the people to all intents and purposes; and it is not the calling it a committee of convention that will alter the nature of the thing. I am willing to believe that the gentlemen who fo haftily iffued the fummons for this meeting were not aware of the high nature of the offence they were committing; and they who have obeyed them have not well confidered of the penalties which they will incur if they should perfift in continuing their feffion and doing bufinefs therein. At prefent, ignorance of law may excufe what is palt: a step farther will take away that plea. made It is therefore my duty to interpofe, at this inftant, before it is too late. I do therefore earneftly admonifh you, that inftantly, and befcre you do any business, you break up this affembly, and separate yourfelves. 1 fpeak to you now as a friend to the province, and a wellwifher to the individuals of it. But if you should pay no regard to this admonition, I muft as a governor affert the prerogative of the crown in a more public manner. For affure yourselves (I speak from inftruction), the king is determined to maintain his entire fovereignty over this province; and whoever fhall perfift in ufurping any of the rights of it, will repent of his rafhnefs. FRA. BERNARD. Province-House, made, not quite confiftent with the dignity of fuch a meeting, It was alleged in thofe debates, that Lord Shelburne's letter proceeded upon topics which the governor's reprefentation of the colonies had fuggefted; and that the feverity of the fecretary's letter took its rife from a mifreprefentation of facts, given by the governor in his difpatches to the miniftry. A committee was appointed to wait upon him, to defire a copy of Lord Shelburne's letter, as well as thofe that he had written himself, with relation to the affembly, and to which the charges in his Lordship's letter muft refer. Thefe copies being refufed, the affembly wrote a letter to the fecretary of ftate, in which they recite the circumftances of the whole tranfaction, and endeavour to vindicate themselves, and their conduct, at the expence of the governor, whom they charge with mifreprefenting them, and being the occafion of the ill opinion which the fecretary had concerning them. They alfo wrote letters to the Lords of the treafury, and feveral other great officers of ftate, wherein, together with profeffions of their loyalty, they remon ftrated against the operations of the late acts of parlia ment; which they hinted, were contrary to the conftitution, and totally fubverfive of their rights and liberties. M Such a firm oppofition was by no means agreeable. to the temper of the governor, who probably had gi ven affurances to the fecretaries of ftate, that a fharp rebuke from thofe in power in England, would make them return to their duty and obedience. He found himfelf deceived, as well as found that they had en deavoured to expofe him as neither a friend to the King nor to the colonies; fo when he found himself difappointed in all his other fchemes, he adjourned the affembly. In the fpeech which he delivered on this occafion, he made many animadverfions upon their conduct, efpecially with regard to Lord Shelburne's letter; and he complained greatly of fome turbulent and factious members, who, under falfe pretences of patriotifm, had unhappily procured too great influence in the affembly, and among the people, who facrificed their country to the gratification of their paffions, and to the fupport of an importance, which could have no exiftence but in times of trouble and confufion. It is a common thing for all men that are grafping at power and domination, to charge all people with the crime of factioufnefs, that oppofe their measures; the whole struggles for liberty, in all ages of the world, have been accounted factious operations, of restless perfons, who had no other intention than to disturb good and peaceable governors, who never deferved to be refifted. The famous patriots who brought about the glorious revolution, were, by the Tories of thofe times, accounted a faction, and charged with the worst of crimes, for faving the nation from Popery and tyranny. While thefe difturbances in America were gaining ground by minifterial incapacity and oppofition, a new fecretary of state was appointed at home, to the department of the colonies. Much was hoped from this new inftitution and arrangement; but though the inftitution itself was good, the advantages arifing therefrom, depended upon the manner of difcharging the office. The first who was fettled in this new department of ftate, was Lord Hillsborough, who did not by any lenient or foftening measures, attempt to foften the tempers of the colonies. Whether his orders were exprefs to obferve the conduct which he purfued, or that he made ufe of the royal authority to awe the colonifts into a compliance with the man dates dates of government, I will not pretend to affirm; but in his circular letters to the governors of the colonies, which had received the circular letter from the affembly of Bofton, he expreffes his Majefty's diflike of that letter in very ftrong terms. It was declared in Lord Hillsborough's letter, that his Majefty confidered the conduct of the affembly of Boston as of the moft dangerous and factious tendency, calculated to inflame the minds of the people, to promote an unwarrantable combination; to excite an open oppofition to, and denial of the authority of liament, and to fubvert the true principles of the constitution; and, that his Majefly expected, from the known affection of the refpective affemblies, that they would defeat this flagitious attempt to disturb the public peace, and treat it with the contempt it deferved, by taking no notice of it. par Another letter of the fame date was fent to Governor Bernard, in which the fame exceptions are made to the circular letter. It is there affirmed, that the measure had been carried in a thin houfe, at the end of the feffion, and in which the affembly departed from that fpirit of prudence and refpect to the conftitution, which feemed to have influenced the majority of its members in a full house, and at the begin, ning of the feffion: from hence his Majefty could not but confider it as a very unfair proceeding, and to have been carried by furprise through the house of reprefentatives. It was then required in his Majefty's name, that the new affembly would refcind the refolution which gave exiftence to the circular letter, and declare their difapprobation of, and diffent to fo rafh and hafty a proceeding: That as his Majefty had the fulleft reliance on the affections of his fubjects of Maffachusetts bay, he had the better ground to hope, that |