ceeding to the deftruction of the prison, when its fafety was procured by the enlargement of their companions. But their rage was too much heated by liquor to be appeafed by conceffions. They not only proceeded to deftroy the houfes of obnoxious perfons, but marched in a body to demolish the exchange. The exchange was barricaded, fhut up, and defended by the merchants and townfmen, and, fome lives were loft upon this occafion; but the arrival of fome. light horfe put an end to this diforder. In a fhort time there was fufficient employment found for the failors in the King's fervice.

About this time Mr Penn, late Governor, and one of the proprietors of Pennfylvania, arrived from thence with a petition from the general congrefs to the King, which he prefented through the hands of the Earl of Dartmouth. During the time that this petition hung in fufpence, the most fanguine hopes were formed by those who were earneft for peace, or friends to America, that it would have led to an happy reconciliation, especially as it had already tranfpired that it contained expreffions of the greatest loyalty, and was couched in the most humble and moderate terms. But in proportion as thefe hopes were received, was the degree of the difappointment to those who fo eagerly wished for fo defireable an event, when they found that Mr Penn was informed that no answer would be given to his petition. The Americans had alfo laid great ftrefs upon the fuccefs of this final application, and were faid to have relaxed their operations confiderably upon that idea, until they heard the event. This petition, which was fubfcribed by all the members of the congrefs, was full of expreffions of duty, refpect, and loyalty to the King

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and of affection to the parent state.

They attributed

all the differences and misfortunes which had hither-. to taken place, to a pernicious fyftem of government adopted at the end of the laft war, and to the evil defigns and conduct of minifters fince that time. They declared that they not only ardently defired that the former harmony between the mother country and the colonies might be restored, that a concord might be eftablished between them, upon fo firm a bafis as to perpetuate its bleflings, uninterrupted by future differences, to fucceeding generations in both countries. That notwithstanding the fufferings of his Majefty's loyal colonies during the courfe of the prefent controverfy, their breafts retain too tender a regard to the kingdom from whence they derived their ori gin, to request fuch a conciliation as might in any manner be inconfiftent with their dignity or wel fare. That thefe, related as they were to her, honour and duty, as well as inclination, induce them to fupport and advance; and the apprehenfions that now opprefs their hearts with unfpeakable grief being once removed, his Majefty will find his faithful fubjects on that continent ready and willing at all times, as they have ever been, with their lives and fortunes, to af fert and maintain the rights and interefts of his Majefty, and of their mother country.

When this ruinous war and all its confequences are confidered, and the lengths which the parties had proceeded to are remembered, they fuggeft a doubt of the finecrity of the fentiments that were fet forth in this petition. But the following part explains the particular intentio n of what has juft now been mentioned.

With all humility fubmitting to your Majefty's wife confideration, whether it may not be expedient for facilitating

facilitating thefe important purposes, that yourmajefty be pleafed to direct fome mode by which the united applications of your faithful colonists to the throne, in purfuance of their common councils may be improved into a happy and permanent reconcilia tion; and that in the mean time meafures may be taken for preventing the further deftruction of the lives of your majefty's fubjects, and that fuch ftatutes as more immediately distress any of your Majesty's colonies may be repealed:"

Whatever the inward intentions of the parties might be, the language was conciliatory, and the request not immoderate. Such as favourad the plan of pacification by conceffion, complamed loudly of Lord Dartmouth's anfwer, as calculated to drive the colonies to the last extremities of independence and foreign connections: for this reception, they faid, of fo dutiful and decent an addrefs, amounted to no lefs than a renouncing of their allegiance. The friends of the ministry took it in a different light. They granted that the petition had a very decent appearance: but then the authority of parliament was not formally acknowledged. They were also still in arms, and on that account there was no fecurity that they could give that could be relied on. It was faid that they wanted to gain time by a negotiation, until they had formed a government, and establifhed their ftrength in fuch a manner as would render all efforts for their reduction ineffectual. We had already gone too far in the expence of a war, and fhould not now ftop fhort, but reap the benefits to government which always arife from an unfuccessful rebellion. And befides thefe great objects of punishing the obnoxious, and providing for our friends, to rivet, without leav

ing room for a future conteft, that unconditional fub. miffion upon America, which no treaty or negotiation could ever obtain. If amicable terms were entered into, all our expence and preparation would be thrown away; we must fhrink back from our propofals made to foreign princes for hiring their troops, which would difgrace us in their eyes, as our tamenefs in putting up with the infolence of our own people, would render us contemptible in the eyes of all Europe; and all that we have done would neither imprefs the colonies with a fenfe of our dignity nor with the terror of our power. It was added, that the nation was prepared, by the language of war, for the event, and it was not certain, if the temper of the nation was fuffered to cool, that the people at another time would be fo ready to fupport fuch an undertaking. This favourable difpofition was therefore to be cultivated and employed in the critical moment. This was a part of the ministerial reasoning at that time, and fhews the fpirit with which they were poffeffed.

As the time of the meeting of the parliament drew near, addreffes were poured in from all quarters, fome in the most violent, and fome in a more moderate ftile, but all condemning the conduct of the Americans, approving of all the acts of government, and in general recommending a perfeverance in the fame ftrong measures, until the colonies were reduced to a thorough obedience, and brought to a full sense both of their errors and duty. In fome of these addreffes, fevere and unjust reflections were thrown forth against thofe gentlemen who had oppofed adnistration in the prefent American meafures, who were reprefented as factious and defperate men, and ftigma

matized, as being not only encouragers, but in a great meafure, the authors, of the American rebellion. This greatly inflamed the leaders of the minority against the procurers of the addreffes, and only ferved to irritate the spirit of oppofition against the minifters and measures which the addreffes were intended to fupport. It is well known with how much difficulty: many of the addreffes were procured, and how few, after all the diligence of minifterial agents, fubfcribed them. All fenfible men confidered them as nothing more than the dictates of the miniftry, and the fubfcriptions forced fignatures or teftimonies of the worthlefsness of the fubfcribers. In fome places the fubfcribers confifted principally of penfioners, crown-officers, and dependents upon fome friends at the court. Some of these were truly reputable and of an inde pendent principle of mind, and refufed to fign fuch addreffes as their heart could not confent to. What made fome of these addreffers more fufpicious, was, they were generally promoted by fuch as were never remarkable for their attachment to the revolution principles, and who had been deeply involved in an unnatural rebellion againft King George the Second, in, behalf of the Pretender. Thefe were now leading men in promoting the addreffes both in England and Scotland, which made thofe who were called whigs, fufpe&t that there was fome fecret carrying on, un friendly to the conftitution, and that the American war was only a colour for a deeper fcheme, which was excogitated in fecret, and would be revealed when all things were ready for its execution. People who were acquainted with the Jacobites.throughout the kingdom, and knew fomething of their private converfation, could not but be aftonished at their

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