districts, and in all matters that relate to their intercourfe with each other, they are to retain their ancient policy, and ftill to be governed by thofe cuftoms and ufages, to which they have given the force of laws. They have alfo ceded a large tract of very valuable land to the crown; but the diftricts which they still retain, are fecured in perpetuity to them and their pofterity, There are a number of other articles, which relate to domeftic regulation, or tend to the future tranquility and fecurity of the island. The lofs upon this expedition, though confiderable, was not altogether fo great as was apprehended from the nature, length, and feverity of the fervice. The killed and wounded did not much exceed 150, among the former of which was a lieutenant-colonel, and fome other officers; the lives loft by the climate amounted to 110; but there remained 428 fick, at the time of concluding the treaty. After fuch proceedings against an innocent and inoffenfive people, which owed no allegiance to the British government, and had given the nation no real offence, the after behaviour of the miniftry towards the American colonists, will be no furprize to any person who examines the causes of things attentively. CHAP The American Congress affemblies-Forms an affociationTheir refolves -They addrefs the people of Great Britain-They write to the people of Quebec-A view of their rights-Proceedings at home, &c. F ROM the beginning of the prefent controversy with the colonies, it was always imagined, and alfo affirmed at home by the ministry and their friends, that the colonists were greatly divided among themfelves; that they would never unite; that they would not hang together; that they were only under a ⚫emporary ferment, created by the artifice of popular and defigning men, that would foon fubfide when once they faw that Great Britain was in earnest to Tupport her authority. And that notwithstanding the riotous difpofition of fome of the colonies, they were in general cowards, and durft not appear before the king's forces. This was the ftile of the ministry and their party at home, and was echoed in all the venal pamphlets and news-papers published throughout the kingdom. The affembly of the reprefentatives of twelve of the colonies, which has fince received the name of the congrels, met at Philadelphia, on the 5th of September this year, and, after more than a month's deliberation, proceeded to feveral refolutions which fhewed that they were in earnest, as well as unanimous in their oppofition to the new statutes of the British legislature. Upon the 14th of October, the congrefs proceeded proceeded to bufinefs, and after reciting thofe laws. that were particularly obnoxious, they came to feveral animated refolutions, which, in their then fituation, were furprizing to all the world*. The affociation which they entered into is a bold and intrepid refolution to maintain what they confider to be their just rights and privileges, and a purpose to purfue fuch meafures as may best fupport these rights against invafion, from the minifterial power of Great Britain. As this affociation will appear in its trueft colours by itfelf * Friday, October 14, 1774. The Congress came into the fol lowing Refolutions.---WHEREAS, fince the clofe of the laft war, the British parliament claiming a power of right to bind the people of America, by ftatute in all cafes whatfoever, hath in fome acts exprefsly impofed taxes on them, and in others under various pretences, but in fact for the purpofe of raising a revenue, hath impofed rates and duties payable in thefe colonies, established a board of commiffioners with unconftitutional powers, and extended the jurifdiction of courts of admiralty, not only for collecting the faid duties, but for the trial of caufes merely arifing within the body of a county. And whereas in confequence of other ftatutes, judges, who before held only eftates at will in their offices, have been made dependant on the crown alone for their falaries, and standing armies kept in time of peace. And it has lately been refolved in parliament, that by force of a ftatute made in the thirty-fifth year of the reign of King Henry the Eighth, colonifts may be tranfported to England and tried there upon accufations for treafons and mifprifions, or concealment of treafons committed in the colonies; and by a late statute, fuch trials itself, I fhall give it in the very words of the colonies, and leave it to the judgment of every reader, to determine of it as he may judge proper. We, his majesty's most loyal fubjects, the delegates, of the feveral colonies of New-Hampshire, Maffachufett's Bay, Rhode-Ifland, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennfylvania, the Three Lower Coun they attempted to deliberate on grievances; and their dutiful, humble, loyal, and reasonable petitions to the crown for redrefs, have been repeatedly treated with contempt by his majefty's minifters of ftate. The good people of the feveral colonies of New-Hampshire, Maf fachufett's-Bay, Rhode-Ifland, and Providence plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennfylvania, Newcastle, Kent and Suffex on the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, juftly alarmed at thefe arbitrary proceedings of parliament and adminiftration, have feverally elected, conftituted, and appointed deputies to meet and fit in general congrefs in the city of Philadelphia, in order to obtain fuch establishment as that their religion, laws, and liberties may not be fubverted: Whereupon the deputies fo appointed being now affembled in a full and free reprefentation of thefe colonies, taking into their moft ferious confideration the beft means of attaining the ends aforefaid do in the first place, as Englishmen their ancestors in like cafes have ufually done, for afferting and vindicating their rights and liberties, DE CLARE. That the inhabitants of the Englifh colonies in North America, by the immutable laws of nature, the ties principles of the English conftitution, and the feveral charters of compacts, have the following RIGHTS. Refolved, N. C. D. 1. That they are entitled to life, liberty, and property; and they have never ceded to any fovereign power whatever, a right to difpofe of either without their confent. Refolved, N. C. D. 2. That our anceflors, who first fettled these colonies, were at the time of their emigration from the mother country, entitled to all the rights, liberties and immunities of free and natural born fubjects, within the realm of England. Refolved, N. C. D. 3. That by fuch emigration they by no means forfeited, furrendered, or lost any of thofe rights, but that they were, and their defcendants now are, entitled to the exercife and enjoyment of all fuch of them, as their local and other circumftances enable them to exercife and enjoy. Refolved, 4. That the foundation of English liberty and of all free government, is a right in the people to participate in their legillative council: and as the English celonifts are not reprefented, and from their local and other circumstances cannot properly be reprefented in the Eritish parliament, they are entitled to a free and exclufive power A ties of Newcastle, Kent, and Suffex, on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, and South-Carolina, deputed to represent them in a continental Congrefs, held in the city of Philadelphia, on the fifth day of September, 1774, avowing our allegiance to his majefty, our affection and regard for our fellowfubjects in Great Britain and elsewhere, affected with the deepest anxiety, and most alarming apprehenfions at thofe grievances and diftreffes, with which his majesty's Ainerican fubjects are oppreffed, and having taken under our most serious deliberation, the state of the whole continent, find, that the prefent unhappy fituation of legiflation in their feveral provincial legiflatures, where their right of reprefentation can alone be preferved, in all cafes of taxation and internal polity, fubject only to the negative of their fovereign, in fuch manner as has been heretofore accustomed: But from the neceflity of the cafe, and a regard to the mutual interefts of both countries, we chearfully confent to the operation of fuch acts of the British parliament as are bona fide, reftrained to the regulation of our external commerce, for the purpose of fecuring the commercial advantages of the whole empire to the mother country, and the commercial benefits of its refpective, nembers, excluding every idea of taxation, internal or external, for raising a revenue on the fubjects in America without their confent. Refolved, N. C. D. 5. That the refpective colonies are entitled to the common law of England, and more especially to the great and neftimable privilege of being tried by their peers in the vicinage, according to the courfe of that law. Refolved, 6. That they are entitled to the benefit of fuch of the English ftatutes, as exifted at the time of their colozination; and refpectively found to be applicable to their feveral local and other circumftances. Refolved, N. C. D 7. That thefe, his majefty's colonies, are likewife entitled to all the immunities and privileges granted and confirmed to them by royal charters, or fecured by their feveral codes of provincial laws. Refolved, N. C. D. 8. That they have a right peaceably to affemble, confider of their grievances, and petition the king; and that all profecutions, prohibitory proclamations and commitments for the fame, are illegal. Refolved, N. C. D. 9. That the keeping a standing army in thefe colonies, in times of peace, without the confent of the legiflature of that colony, in which the army is kept; is against law. Reflred, N. C. D. ro. It is indifpenfably neceffary to good government, and rendered effential by the English conftitution, that the conftituent branches of the legiflature be independent of each other that, therefore, the exercife of legiflative power in feveral colonies, by a council appointed, during pleasure, by the crown, is unconftitutional, dangerous, and deftruc tive ; |