fides are impartially confidered, it must be allowed that the tempers of the difputants appear very mani feftly intermingled with their arguments. Their interefts alfo appear vifibly to weigh heavy in the fcalë of difputation, which in all things that relate to human things bear a mighty fway. Lord Dunmore probably imagined to rule in Virginia in such a manner, (according to his inclination) and for fuch a time till his fortune was fufficiently enlarged, and being difappointed in his view, would be likely to colour his account of the proceedings of the colonists in the highest taste. The Virginians, who confidered themselves as a free people, and not under the jurisdiction of a legislature where they were not reprefented, viewed all those acts which the Governor was for putting in execution as acts of tyranny and oppreffion, which he for the fake of his own intereft wanted to force upon them. They were irritated with the thought of having new taxing impofed on them, without their confent, and were not likely to speak favourably of the agent immediately employed to inforce the payment of them. New taxes have always been unpopular in all ftates, when the people could not perceive their own interefts in paying of them; and it is highly impolitic to propofe a taxation that is univerfally contrary to the minds of the fubjects. --What makes taxation ftill more difagreeable is, when the government of a nation creates places of finecure, which are fupported merely by burdens laid upon the people. In this cafe the fubjects confider their fubftance wafted for no valuable purpofe, but rather ufelefly fpent in fupporting idle and ufelefs members of the community, that might be otherwife engaged in fome active employment. A labouring and induftrious people, who gain

their fubftance from labour and frugality, can never well endure to fee it fpent upon haughty noblemen and infolvent courtiers.

It will readily be fuggefted, that in this state of illhumour and diftruft on both fides, every day would produce new occafions of difpute and altercation.Every new occurrence afforded new reafons of fufpicion, and fresh bickerings happened every day :-— There was a continual intercourfe by addreffes, meffages, and anfwers, between the Houfe of Burgeffes and the Fowey man of war, which was now the court of the Governor.. This was a fingular fituation; an attempt to govern without choofing or finding it fafe to fet a foot on fhore in the country to be governed; it had all the appearance of an abdication, or deferting the government, at a time when there was the most need of steadinefs, advice, and execution.

When the neceffary bills were paffed, and the advanced feafon required their attendance in their feveral counties, the Council and Burgeffes jointly entreated the Governor's prefence to give his affent to them, and finish the feflion. They took notice that though the bufinefs had been greatly impeded by his abfence from the feat of government, and they had fubmitted to the inconveniences of repeatedly fending their members twelve miles to attend his Excellency on board a ship of war, they could not but think it highly improper, and too great a departure from the conftitutional and accustomed practife of tranfacting bufinefs, to prefent the bills to him at any other place than the capital. His Excellency returned a rough anfwer to this requeft. He infifted upon his right of calling them to any place of the colony where the exigency of affairs might render their attendance necet

fary.

fary. He further obferved, that as he had not been acquainted with the whole proceedings of the affembly, he knew of no bills of importance, which if he were inclined to rifque his perfon again among the people, they had to prefent to him, nor whether they were fuch as he could affent to if they had.

To obviate thefe objections, though it was an unprecedented act, the affembly fent the bills, as well as other papers which were afterwards demanded, on board the Fowey, for his infpection. The moft important and interefting of thefe bills feemingly to all parties, was that for the payment of the forces who had lately under his Lordship's command fuffered confiderably, at the fame time they had done effential fervice to their country by their bravery and fuccefs in the Indian war. The bill was objected to by the Governor, for its impofing a tax upon the importation of flaves, and for fome informality in refpect to the emiffion of paper money. The other bills were approved of.

The Houfe of Burgeffes upon this returned an addrefs to his Lordfhip, intreating him that he would meet them the enfuing day at Williamfburgh, to pafs the bills that were ready; they expreffed their hopes that he could not fill entertain any groundless fears of perfonal danger; but declared, that it was impoffible he could remain under fo ftrange an influence, and pledged their honour and every thing facred for his fecurity. If nothing could prevail, they requested that he would grant a commiffion for paffing fuch bills as he approved. This was the laft addrefs of the Houfe of Burgeffes to his Excellency. Lord Dunmore perfifted to the objections he had made to the bill; and faid that the well ground

ed

ed cause he had for believing his perfon not fafe at Williamsburgh increafed daily. That he therefore could not meet them, as they requested, at the capital, but that he would be ready to receive the Houfe on the following Monday, at his prefent refidence, for the purpose of his giving his affent to fuch bills as he fhould approve. This anfwer put an end to all public correfpondence and bufinefs between Lord Dunmore and the colony. The transferring the legislativé council and houfe of reprefentatives of a great country on board a man of war, was evidently not to be expected. The danger of the members of the council and house of representatives in fuch a fituation, if on other accounts it were poffible they could put themselves into it, was no lefs than Lord Dunmore's could be upon land. To have put themselves into the hands and power of an enraged Governor, whỏ had declared them guilty of rebellion, and threatened them with military laws, would have been an inftance of imprudence unworthy of any people of common fenfe. The Governor's general character, as a man of prudence and difcretion, was not fo remarkable as to tempt them to run fuch a rifk. They therefore wifely declined going a-board to his Lordship, and voted his Lordship's demand a breach of privilege: They faid, the unreafonable delays thrown into their proceedings, and the evafive anfwers given to their fincere and decent addreffes, gave them reafon to fear that a dangerous attack was meditated against the unhappy people of that colony, and it was therefore their opinion that they fhould prepare for the prefervation of their ineftimable rights and privileges.They concluded by ftrongly expreffing their loyalty to the king, and regard to the mother-country, and врод

upon this they concluded the feffion. Thus unhappily was an end put for the present to the English government in the colony of Virginia, which it is doubtful, if ever it shall be restored again by either force or good will.

On the 18th of July, a convention of delegates was appointed to fupply the place of the affembly, who had an unlimited confidence repofed in them by the people, and became accordingly poffeffed of au unlimited power in all public affairs. Thefe immediately took in hand the raifing and embodying of an armed force, as well as providing means for its fupport, and pursued every other means which could tend to place the colony in a strong state of defence. -Thefe were dangerous fteps, the confequence of which iffued in actual rebellion against government, and expofed the colonies to the vengeance of the former executive power. Against the charge of rebellion they vindicated themselves by tracing the mea-, fures of government that led to the prefent unhappy flate of public affairs. They fet forth the cause of their meeting, and fhewed the neceffity of immediately putting the country in a state of defence for the protection of their lives, liberties, and properties.--They concluded that what they had done was purfued with the strongest regard to faith and loyalty, and they declared, that as on the one hand they were determined, at the peril of the extremeft hazards, to maintain their just rights and privileges; fo on the other hand, it was their fixed and unalterable refolution to disband fuch forces as were for the defence of the colony, whenever their dangers were removed, and America reftored to its former state of tranquility and happiness.