CHAP. III. 1769. ❝ceeding to business while an armed force was quartered in the province, was not a derelic"tion of the privileges legally claimed by the "colony, but from neceffity, and that no undue co advantage should be taken from their compliance." 66 After this, they had not time to do any other bufinefs, before two meffages of a very extraordinary nature, in their opinion, were laid before them.* The first was an order under the fignmanual of the king, that Mr. Bernard should repair to England to lay the state of the province before him. To this meffage was tacked a request from the governor, that as he attended his majesty's pleasure as commander in chief of the province, his falary might be continued, though abfent. The fubftance of the other meffage was an account of general Gage's expenditures in quartering his troops in the town of Boston; accompanied by an unqualified demand for the establishment of funds for the dif charge thereof. The governor added, that he was requested by general Gage to make requifition for future provifion for quartering his troops within the town. The fubfequent refolves of the house on these messages were conformable to the ufual spirit of that affembly. They warmly cenfured * Journals of the first feffion at Cambridge. 1769. both governor Bernard and general Gage for CHAP. III. wantonly acting against the conftitution; charged them with making false and injurious rep resentations against his majesty's faithful fub. jects, and discovering on all occafions a most inimical difpofition towards the colonies. They obferved that general Gage had rafhly and impertinently intermeddled with affairs altogether out of his line, and that he had betrayed a degree of ignorance equal to his malice, when he prefumed to touch on the civil police of the province. They complained heavily of the arbitrary defigns of government, the introduction of a standing army, and the encroachments on civil liberty; and concluded with a declaration replete with fentiments of men confcious of their own freedom and integrity, and deeply affected with the injuries offered their country. They obferved, that to the utmost of their power they should vindicate the rights of human nature and the privileges of Englishmen, and explicitly declared that duty to their conftituents forbade a compliance with either of these meffages. This clear, decided answer being delivered, the governor fummoned the house to attend, and after a fhort, angry, and threatening speech, he prorogued the affembly to January, one thoufand feven hundred and feventy. Governor Bernard immediately embarked for Europe, from whence he never more re CHAP. III. 1769. turned to a country, he had, by his arbitrary difpofition and indifcreet conduct, inflamed to a degree, that required both judgment and prudence to cool, perhaps beyond the abilities, and certainly incompatible with the views, of the administration in being. The province had little reason to suppose, that confiderations of the intereft of the people had any part in the recal or detention of this mifchievous emiffary. His reception at court, the fummary proceedings with regard to his impeachment and trial, and the character of the man appointed to fucceed him, strongly counteracted fuch a flattering opinion. Notwithstanding the high charges that had been alleged against governor Bernard, he was acquitted by the king and council, without allowing time to the affembly to support their accufations, honored with a title, and rewarded with a pension of one thousand pounds fterling per annum on the Irish establishment. Governor Bernard had reafon to be perfectly fatisfied with the fuccefs of his appointment to the government of Maffachusetts, as it related to his perfonal interest. His conduct there procured him the fmiles of the British court, an honorary title, and a penfion for life. Befides this, the legislature of that province had in the early part of his administration, in a moment of complacency, or perhaps from digefted policy, with a hope of bribing him to his duty andftimulating him to defend their invaded rights, made him a grant of a very large tract of land, the whole of the island of Mount Defert. This was afterwards reclaimed by a Madame Gregoire, in right of her ancestors, who had obtained a patent of fome part of that country in the early days of European emigration. But as governor Bernard's property in America had never been confifcated, the general affembly of Maffachusetts afterwards granted to his fon, Sir John Bernard, who still poffeffes this territory, two townships of land near the river Kennebeck, in lieu of the valuable ifle recovered by Madame Gregoire. CHAP. III. 1769. CHAP. IV. 1769. CHAPTER IV. Character of Mr. Hutchinfon.-Appointed Governor of Maffachufetts. The attempted Affaffination of Mr. Otis. -Tranfactions on the fifth of March, one thousand seven hundred and feventy.-Arrival of the East India Company's Tea-Ships.-Establishment of Committees of Correfpondence. The Right of Parliamentary Taxation without Representation urged by Mr. Hutchinson.-Articles of Impeachment refolved on in the Houfe of Representatives against Governor Hutchinfon and Lieu. tenant Governor Oliver.-Chief Justice of the Province impeached. Boston Port-Bill.-Governor Hutchinson leaves the Province, It is ever painful to a candid mind to exhibit the deformed features of its own fpecies; yet truth requires a juft portrait of the public delinquent, though he may poffefs fuch a share of private virtue as would lead us to esteem the man in his domeftic character, while we deteft his political, and execrate his public tranfactions. The barriers of the British conftitution broken over, and the miniftry encouraged by their fovereign, to pursue the iniquitous fyftem against the colonies to the moft alarming extremities, they probably judged it a prudent expedient, in order to curb the refractory fpirit of the Maffachusetts, perhaps bolder in fentiment and earlier in opposition than some of the other colonies, to appoint a man to prefide |