Engraved for Murrays History of the American War. HUGH Earl PERCY. Printed for T.Robson, Newcastle, upon Tyne. ་་་ ་་་་་་ fcheme of oppreffion has been pertinaciously carrying into execution. In this addrefs they next appeal to the mother country, how patiently they have fuffered the reftraint upon their trade in every way that could conduce to the emolument of Britain. Say they, you have exercifed unbounded authority over the fea; you have named the ports and nations to which alone our merchandize fhould be carried, and with whom alone we fhould trade, and though fome of these reftrictions were grievous, we nevertheless did not complain; we looked up to you as our parent state, to which we were bound by the strongest ties, and were happy in being inftrumental to your profperity and grandeur, They warmly call upon the inhabitants of Britain to bear witnefs to their loyalty, and attachment to the common interefts of the whole empire, and appeal to them if they did not, in the laft war, add all the ftrength of the American continent to the force which repelled the common enemy. Did we not, fay they, leave our native fhores, and meet difeafe and death to promote the fuccefs of the British arms in foreign climates? And did not you thank us for our zeal, and even reimburse us large fums of money, which you confeffed we had advanced beyond our proportion, and far beyond our abilities? To what caufes then, are we to attribute this fudden change of treatment, and that fyftem of flavery which was prepared for us at the reftoration of the peace? They add, before we had recovered from the diftreffes which ever attend war, an attempt was made to drain our country of money by the oppreffive ftamp act. Painted glafs, and other commodities, which you would not permit us to purchase of other nations, were taxed: Nay, though no wine is made in any country fubject to the British ftate, you prohibited us from procuring it of foreigners, without paying a tax impofed by your parliament on all we imported, Thefe, fay they, and many other impofitions, were laid upon us unjuftly and unconftitutionally, for the exprefs purpofe of raising a revenue. In order to filence complaint, it was indeed provided that this revenue fhould be expended in America for its protection and defence. But, fay they, thefe exactions, however, can receive no juftification from a pretended neceffity of defending us. They are lavishly fquandered on court favourites, and minifterial dependents, generally avowed enemies to America, and employing themselves by partial reprefentations, to traduce and embroil the colonies. For the neceffary support of government here, fay the colonists, we ever were, and ever shall be ready to provide. And whenever the exigencies of the state may require it, we fhall, as we have hitherto done, chearfully contribute our full proportion of men and money. To inforce this unconftitutional and unjust scheme of taxation, every fence that the wifdom of our British ancestors had carefully made against arbitrary power, has been violently thrown down in America, and the ineftimable right of trial by jury taken away, in cafes that touch both life and property. It has been ordained that whenever offences fhould be committed in the colonies. against particular acts, impofing various duties and reftrictions upon trade, the profecutor might bring his action for the penalties in the court of the admiralty; by which means the fubject loft the advantage of being tried by an honeft and uninfluenced jury of the vicinage, and was fubject to the fad neceffity of being judged by a creature of the crown, and according to the course of law which exempts the profecutor from the trouble of proving his accufation, and obliges the defendant defendant either to evince his innocence or fuffer: To give this new judicatory the greater importance, and as if with a defign to protect falfe accufers, it is further provided that the judge's certificate of their having been probable caufes of feizure and profecution, shall protect the profecutor from actions at common law, for recovery of damages. In this addrefs it is alfo reprefented, that although juftice is impartially administered in all the colonies, yet by the conftruction of fome, and the direction of other acts of parliament, offenders are to be taken by force, together with all fuch perfons as may be pointed out as witneffes, and carried to England there to be tried in a distant land by a jury of strangers, and fubject to all the disadvantages that refult from want of friends, want of witneffes, and want of money. The colonists in this address do not forget to take notice of the tea act, with a defign to raise a revenue in America; and it must be allowed they represent this affair both warmly and judicioufly. They obferve, that when the defign of raifing a revenue from the deputies upon tea, imported into America, was in a great measure rendered abortive by their ceafing to import that commodity, a scheme was concerted by the ministry with the Eaft-India company, and an act paffed enabling and encouraging them to tranfport and vend their tea in the colonies. Aware of the danger of giving fuccefs to this infidious manoeuvre, and of per mitting a precedent of taxation thus to be established among us, fay they, various methods were tried to elude the ftroke. The people of Boston, then ruled by a governor, whom, as well as his predeceffor, Sir Francis Bernards, all America confiders as her enemy, were extremely embaraffed. The fhips which had arrived with the tea were, by his management, prevented |