as

tive to the tea, which took place in their respective governments, from the first intelligence of their being shipped in England, to the date of their letters; also the threatenings, and prophetical informations, which had been often fent to the gentlemen to whom the tea was configned; copies of printed papers, inflammatory hand bills, alarms, illegal proceedings of Committees, and extraordinary minutes of council, had been all tranfported across the Atlantic, to the government in England, and were now laid before the parliament. In these papers the uniformity of ftile, language and fentiment, fully difcovered that the colonists were generally of the fame opinion, and that not only the Maffachufett's-Bay, but all America were offended at the proceedings of the ministry.

When these papers were laid before the house, they were aggravated by minifterial comments, which fet them forth in the most atrocious and criminal point of view, particularly those which related to the tranfactions of Boston. In thefe the conduct of the governor was reprefented in the moft favourable and fhining point of light; to which was contrasted, the vicious, factious, and rebellious behaviour and difpofition of the colonies. In behalf of the gover. nor it was faid, that he had taken every measure which prudence could fuggeft, or good policy justify, for the fecurity of the property of the Eaft India company, the fafety of the confignees, and the preferving of order and quiet in the town. Every civil precaution, to prevent the mischiefs that followed had been ufed in vain. His majefty's council, the militia, and the corps of cadets, had all been feparately applied to for their affiftance in the preservation of the public peace, and the fupport of the laws, but all without effect; they refufed or declined doing their duty. The

fheriff

fheriff read a declaration to the faction of that town, at their town meeting, by which they were commanded to break up their illegal affembly; but the procla mation was treated with the greatest contempt, and the fheriff infulted in the groffeft manner.

That he had it undoubtedly in his power, by calling in the affiftance of the naval force which was in the harbour, to have prevented the deftruction of the tea; but as the leading men in Boston had always made great complaints of the interruption of the army and navy, and charged all disturbances of every fort to their account, he, with great prudence and temperance, determined from the beginning to decline a meafure which would be fo irritating to the minds of the people; and might well have hoped, from this confidence in their conduct, and truft repofed in the civil power, that he should have calmed their turbulence and preferved the public tranquility, Thus, faid the ministry, the people of Bofton were fairly tried. They were left to their own conduct, and the exercife of their own judgment, and the refult has given the lie to all their former profeffions. They are now, fay they, without an excufe; and all the powers of government in that province, are found infufficient to prevent the most violent outrages. The loyal and peaceable people of a mercantile town, as they affect to be peculiarly confidered, have given a notable proof to the world of their justice, moderation, loyalty, and affection for the mother country, by wantonly committing to the waves a valuable commodity, the property of another loyal mercantile body of fubjects; without the pretence of neceffity, even fuppofing that their oppofition to the payment of the duties, could juftify fuch a plea; as they had nothing to do but to adhere to their own refolution of nonconfumption

confumption, effectually to evade the revenue laws, It was concluded upon the whole, that by an impartial view of the papers now before them, it would manifeftly appear, that nothing could be done by either civil, military, or naval officers, to effectuate the reestablishment of tranquility and order in that province, without addition of parliamentary powers, to give efficacy to their proceedings. That no perfon employed by government could, in any act, however common or legal, fulfil the duties of his office or ftation, without being exclaimed againft by the licentious, as an infringement of their liberties. That it was the

fettled opinion of fome of the wifeft men both in England and America, and those the best acquainted with the affairs of the colonies, that in their prefent ftate of government, no measures whatfoever could be purfued, that could, in any degree, remedy thofe glaring evils which is every day growing to a more enormous and dangerous height. That parliament, and parliament only, was capable of re-establishing tranquility among thofe turbulent people, and of bringing order out of confufion. And that it was therefore incumbent on every inember to weigh and confider with an attention fuitable to the importance of the subject, the purport of the papers before them, and totally lay all prejudices afide, to form his opinion upon the measures moft eligible to be pursued, for fupporting the fupreme legislative authority of parliament, and the great interefts of the British empire. This is the fubftance of what was urged by the miniftry, when they prefented the papers. The grand object which the ministry had in view, and which they coloured with the name of the fupremacy of parlia ment, was the fupremacy and dominion of themselves, which they wanted to establish on the authority of parliament. They could not help knowing, that if the

colonists

colonists were fubjects of the British empire, that they were to be governed by the fundamental ftatutes of the constitution; and that no new forms of government, or modes of taxation, could be admitted in any part of the British empire, contrary to the fundamental laws, without diffolving the ancient frame of government, and bringing the people again to a state of nature. The fupremacy of the parliament of Britain could only legally and reasonably extend as far as thofe places where its members reprefented, or to objects that had been fettled by agreement to be referred to their jurisdiction. To proceed farther was to establish in parliament a defpotifm over one part of the empire, which is not permitted in other parts, which few people will think reasonable when applied to themselves.

This

The party in parliament which had ftrong prefumptions that the diforders in the colonies proceeded as much from the mifmanagement of government, as from the turbulent temper of the colonies, propofed an examination of the measures that had been pursued for fome time past, and that the conduct of the feveral governors, and the orders that had been fent to them from the ministry should be examined. was a very fair and reasonable proposal, which honest men could not decently refuse, But the miniftry ftrongly oppofed all retrospect views of their past conduct, alledging that it only tended to inflame the minds of the people, and would exafperate them more against government. The bufinefs they faid was urgent and important, and required a fpeedy difcuffion and that in the enquiry, fome great and important points would come under their confideration, Particularly, is America any longer to be dependent on this country? How far is it to be connected. In what degree? It might be a great question, Whether

;

the

the colonies fhould not be to given up? But if this question is decided in the negative, then it would be neceffary to examine in what manner their fubordination fhould be preferved, and the authority of this country enforced? These points required the most ferious investigation, in which the retrofpect recommended would be unneceffary, and perhaps dangerous, as encouraging thofe whom it was the bufinefs of parliament, by every means, to reduce to obedience. This method of reafoning was fophiftical and delufory; for it suggested that there were no other methods of conciliating the affections of the colonies, and fecuring their dependence on the mother country, except thofe that were calculated to support the dominion of the miniftry, and fecure them and their friends in the places and penfions. Inftead of any of those questions which have been mentioned, it might perhaps have been much better for the honour and dignity of the nation, and the fupreme legiflature, never to have called their authority in question, but to have proceeded to reverse the laws complained of, and to rectify thofe falfe fteps of government which had occafioned the prefent difcontents. It has almost been the cafe in all ages, with all empires and governments, that have as yet existed, that their power and authority were never called in question, till they began to stretch them beyond their just bounds; and then by making new ftatutes to inforce the power, they fuggefted reasons of doubt whether they were poffeffed of any fuch authority. It is highly probable, that had the miniftry purfued the advice given them by the minority, and made fuch a reformation as the nature of the fubject requiree, that we should not have heard of the independency of America for a century to

come.

Many plaufible, but felfish arguments, were used

the