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Both Houfes of Parliament were fo bent bling the colony of Maffachusetts bay, that they had proceeded, on the 13th of February, to address his Majefty, for calling all the offenders in that colony to an account before the judicatories of this nation. This declared how earneft the majority in parliament were in exercising the authority of the mother country over the colonies. Their addrefs is expreffed in the strongest terms of loyalty to the King, and feverity to the offenders in the colony *. His Majesty in his answer to the addrefs of both Houfes of parliament enters warmly into the fpirit of the measures

* THE

ADDRESS.

Moft Gracious Sovereign, We, your Majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Lords fpiritual and temporal, and Commons in Parliament affembled, return your Majefty our most humble thanks, for the communication your Majefty has been graciously pleafed to make to your parliament, of feveral papers relative to public tranfactions in your Majefty's province of Maffachusetts Bay.

We beg leave to exprefs to your Majelly our fincere fatisfaction in the measures which your Majefty has pursued, for fupporting the conftitution, and for inducing a due obedience to the authority of the legiflature, and to give your Majefty the ftrongeft affurances, that we will effectually stand by and fupport your Majefty, in fuch further measures as may be found neceffary to maintain the civil magiftrates in the due execution of the laws, within your Majefty's province of Maffachufets bay. And we conceive nothing can be immediately neceffary either for the maintaining of your Majefty's authority in the said province, or for guarding your Majefty's fubjects therein from being further deluded by the arts of wicked and defigning men, than to proceed in the

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moft speedy and effectual manner for bringing to condign punishment the chief authors and inftigators of the late diforders, we most humbly befeech your Majefly, that you will be gracioufly pleafed to direct, your Majefty's Governor of Maffachufets bay to take the most effectual methods for procuring the fitteft information that can be obtained, touching all treatons, misprifion of treafon committed within his government fince the 30th of December, 1767; and to transmit the fame, together with the names of the perfons who were moft active in the commiffion of fuch offences, to one of your Majesty's principal fecretaries of ftate, in order that your Majefty may iffue a fpecial commiffion for enquiring of hearing, and determining the faid offences within this realm, purfuant to the provifions of the ftatute of the 35th year of the reign of King Henry the eight, in cafe your Majefty fhall, upon receiving the faid information, fee fufficient ground for fuch a proceeding. To this Addrefs, his Majefty gave the following moft gracious anfwer.

My Lords and Gentlemen, The fincere fatisfaction you exprefs in the measures I have airea

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they recommend, and breathes the spirit of vengeance against fome leading perfons in the colony of Maffachufets bay. It was now manifeft that nothing could bring matters to a proper temper, except an unconditional fubmiffion on the part of the colonists; for both King and parliament were determined to humble them. At this time it appeared to almost all ranks of people, an easy matter to have settled the difference. Moderation in the government, equal to the fubmiffion of the colonists might have fettled all the commotions ; but it was now determined to make use of the moft rigorous measures, and to bring the colonift to the feet of the minister. Wife men began to perceive the abfurdity of the measures of the ministry, and publicly fhewed their dislike of their proceedings, and on that account were confidered as difloyal and difaffected to the government. The most wretched and despicable tools of administration, over all the nation, were, on all occafions, ready to iufult every perfon that hinted the smallest dislike of the violent measures that were now propofed. Petitions and remonftrances were confidered as feditious libels, and the petitioners and remonftrators accounted factious and disloyal perfons. The very Jacobites and Papifts, who, it is well known never were well affected to the revolution fettlement, nor the Hanoverian fucceffion, became now the accusers of the King's most loyal fubjects, and were not ashamed openly to charge the Revolution with rebellion. The great numbers of those who had been concerned in the rebellion in the year 1745 being

dy taken, and the ftrong affurances you give of fupporting me in thofe which may be ftill neceffary, to maintain the juft legislative authority, and the due execution of the laws in my province of Maffachufetts bay, give me great pleasure.

I will not fail to give those orders which you recommend as the most effectual method of bringing the authors of the late unhappy diforders in that province to condigu punishment.

being reftored to their fortunes and effates, as well as preferred in the army and navy, gave fupicion to thofe who were friends of the conftitution, that fome dark fchemes were operating to bring the empire under a more arbitrary government. What added to thefe fufpicions was, that ever finte 1745, it had been the conftant converfation of the Jacobites in their private affemblies, that they would walk more furely, and play a more certain game in their future proceedings, than they and their fathers had done fince the revolution : that it would be a work of more time, to worm themfelves into places of power and truft, by a fpecious behaviour, but would operate with more certainty, than proceeding to acts of violence. Thefe fecret manuœvres were not kept foclofe, as to be totally concealed; they had, upon occafions, admitted fome into their meetings who were unknown to them, not of their principles. Thefe made no fecrets of what they had heard, but told them to others, and they at last circulated fo wide as to spread over the whole nation. Thefe hints moved the friends of the fevolution, and made them publifh their fufpicions to the nation. The friends of the miniftry declared that all this was flander, proceeding from malice and difappointment: that the people in oppofition had nothing in view except to embarrafs government, and to have the management, and the perquifites belonging thereto, into their own hands. This affertion was not unpläufible; for it oftentimes happens that the clamour against the miniftry proceeds more from a love of their places, than from any diflike of their meafures. The miniftry on this occafion, as on many occafions fince, were but badly ferved with thofe whom they employed to defend their measures, to the public. The writers upon their fide, were not equal in abilities to thofe in

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the oppofition; and though they had been equal to it, it indeed is impoffible for hirelings to write with fo much spirit and freedom as those who write from principle, and from the heart.

What irritated the colonists to the highest degree, was an act paffed in 1767, for granting certain duties in the British colonies and plantations in America. This law contains a vast number of articles which the colonifts thought heavy and grievous, and which were judged inconfiftent with thofe ideas implied in the law repealing the ftamp act. But that the reader may judge for himself, I have given this law, together with the declaratory act, in the notes below*. In no year fince his Majefty'sacceffion tothe the throne, were there greater

*Forevery hundred weight avoirdupois of crown, plate, fint, and white glafs, four fhillings and eight pence.

For every hundred weight avoirdanois of green glafs, one fhilling and two puce.

For every hundred weight avoirdupois of red lead, two mugs.

For every hundred weight avoirdupois of white lead, two fhillings. For every hundred weight avoirdupois of painters colours, two hillings.

For every pound weight avoirdupois of tea, three pence,

For every ream of paper, ufually called or known by the name of atlas fine, twelve fillings. "For every ream of paper called atlas ordinary, fix fhillings.

For every ream of paper called bastard, or double copy, one shilling and fix pence

For every fingle ream of blue paper for fugar bakers, ten pence halfpenny.

For every ream of paper called blue royal, one hilling and fix pence.

For every bundle of brown paper

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commotions and debates in the empire than in this. Not only were the colonies in a state of commotion, but the nation at home was in a continual bustle. Addreffes on one fide, and petitions on the other, were presented in great numbers to the throne. The principles upon which they proceeded were fo oppofite, and contrary to each other, that one would conclude, by comparing them, that the human mind must have, in fome people, different faculties, from what others are poffeffed of, and that right and wrong are not the fame

fecond ordinary printing crown, fix pence three farthings.

For every ream of paper called crown fine, made in Great Britain, nine pence.

For every ream of paper called crown fecond, made in great Great Britain, fix pence three farthings.

For every ream of paper called demy fine, not made in Great Britain, three fhillings.

For every ream of paper called demy fecond, not made in Great Britain, one fhilling and four pence halfpenny.

For every ream of paper called demy fine made in Great Britain, one fhilling 2nd one penny halfpenny.

For every ream of paper called demy fecond, made in Great Britain, nine pence.

For every ream of paper called demy printing, one hilling and three pence.

For every ream of paper called Genoa demy fine, one fhilling and fix pence.

For every ream of paper called Genoa demy fecond, one fhilling and one penny halfpenny.

For every ream of paper called German demy, one fhilling and one penny halfpenny.

For every ream of paper called elephant fine, fix fhillings.

For every ream of paper called

elephant ordinary, two fhillings and five pence farthing.

For every ream of paper called Genoa fools cap fine, one fhilling and one penny halfpenny,

For every ream of paper called Genoa fools cap fecond, nine pence: For every ream of paper called German fools cap, nine pence.

For every ream of paper called fine printing fools cap, nine pence.

For every ream of paper called fecond ordinary printing fools cap, fix pence three farthings.

For every ream of any other paper called fools cap fine, not made in Great Britain, one shilling and ten pence halfpenny.

For every ream of any other paper called fools cap fine, fecond, not made in Great Britain, one fhilling and fix pence.

For every ream of paper called fools cap fine, made in Great Britain, nine pence.

For every ream of paper called fools cap fecond, made in Great Britain, fix pence three farthings..

For every ream of paper called imperial fine, twelve shillings.

For every ream of paper called fecond writing imperial, eight fhillings and three pence.

For every ream of paper called German lombard, nine pence. For every ream of paper called medium

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