not to import any British manufactures for one year from the first of January next. These resolutions are equivalent to a prohibition, and intended to operate as fuch; and therefore I fhall confider them as acts of the legislature of that ftate prohibiting all trade with the island of G. Britain: and what occurs to me as the most natural reply to fuch acts is a like prohibition of trade between the fubjects of G. Britain and the people of New England

This is a method of making war with out bloodshed; and let us inquire whether it might not be an effectual one for fhewing thefe braggarts their infignificancy in the fcale of empire, and their abfolute dependence on the good pleasure of G. Britain for all they have or can require : I would therefore humbly propofe an act of parliament to take place the ft of January next, and to continue in force fo long as the people of New England adhere to their refolutions, (for I would not punish them longer than until they became fenfible of their error), to the following effect.

1. That no fhip or veffel, built in the year 1769, owned by any inhabitant of New England, be admitted into any port of G. Britain, or other the dominions thereunto belonging.

2. That no ship or veffel belonging to the said inhabitants be permitted to fifh on the banks of Newfoundland, or in the gulf or river of St Laurence, or any o. ther the bays, creeks, rivers, or feas, within the dominions, or appertaining to the territories of G. Britain.

3. That no lumber, provifions, or other products of the country of New England, be permitted to be imported into any of the islands or territories belonging to G. Britain.

4. That no flax-feed, lumber, or other commodity of the product of New England, be permitted to be imported into Ireland.

5. That no rum, or other fpirits, difilled in New England, be permitted to be fold to any British fubject, either on the coaft of Africa, or on the banks of Newfoundland, &c.

6. That no inhabitant of New England be permitted to trade with any Indians being in an alliance with the King of G. Britain without the limits of the faid

Country.

7. That the inhabitants of New Eng

The effects of such a measure would be presently felt by these haughty colonists; and perhaps it would in the end prove highly advantageous to G. Britain. For it would oblige all the fishermen in that country to remove into the province of Nova Scotia, and the other obedient provinces; the hip-builders would do the fame; the diftillers would follow them; and fo would the Indian traders; Boston would foon dwindle into a poor fmuggling village; and Halifax and St John's would rife upon its ruins. No trade would be loft to G. Britain by this remove, and an eternal monument would be erected to deter the colonies from ever venturing to provoke the mother-country to caft them off: we should hear no more of their refusing to trade with her, or coming into refolutions not to import or use her manufactures.

The truth is, the people of England have been made to believe, they have no other trade in the world worth carrying on but with the colonies, and that all their wealth and greatness has risen out of them: than which nothing is more

untrue.

In Q. Elifabeth's reign we had no colonies, and yet England was then no contemptible ftate. Ireland, fo late as the reign of K. Charles I. received 10,000l. a-year from England to help her to pay her civil establishment, and Scotland was difunited from England, and generally an adverse kingdom. England now exports to Ireland to a greater amount than all the colonies in North America take from her; and Scotland not only takes much, but supplies her with near three millions of fubjects, and all their labour goes into the joint stock.

I mean not to depretiate the real value of the North-American colonies, but I would not have them nor the people of England imagine, that G. Britain could not fubfift an hour without them. Thofe high notions of their importance ferves to make them infolent, and to make us afraid of chaftifing them: whereas it ought always to be in our memories, that whatever their value be to G. Britain, the derives it all from their being her fubjects, and being bound by her laws. Let them once be discharged from

the

From the Maffachufets Gazette, 08. 6. At a full meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Hatfield, Sept. 22. 1768. A letter from the felectmen of the town of Bofton, together with the votes paffed by the faid town the 12th and 13th inft. [591.], was by the felestmen communicated to this town; which being read, calmly and fully deliberated and confidered, the question was then put by the moderator, Whether this town will chufe any perfon or perfons a committee to meet in convention with others in Boston, as propofed in the faid letter? and it passed unanimously in the negative. It was then moved, and feconded, that the meeting would chufe a committee to prepare an answer to the felectmen of Bofton, to be laid before this town for their confideration at the time to which this meeting shall be adjourned: it pafled unanimously in the affirmative. A committee was chofe accordingly, and then the meeting adjourned till to-morrow at five o'clock in the afternoon.

Sept. 23. The inhabitants being affembled agreeable to adjournment, the committee appointed yesterday report, which being repeatedly read and duly confidered, was accepted, and then unanimoufly refolved, that the following anfwer be fent by the electmen as foon as may be to the selectmen of the town of Boston. GENTLEMEN,

WE have fully confidered your propo

fal of a convention, and the reafons you are pleased to align for it, and hereby take the liberty to exprefs our fenti

ments.

We are not fenfible that the fate of America is to alarming, or the state of this province fo materially different from what they were a few months fince, as to render the measure you propofe either falutary or neceffary. The act of parliament for raifing a revenue, fo much complained of, has been in being and carrying into execution for a confiderable time paft, and proper fteps taken by feveral governments on this continent to obtain redrefs of that grievance; and humble petitions by them ordered to be prefented to his Majefty, we truft, have already, or foon will reach the royal ear, be graciously received, and favourably an

fwered; and the petition from the houfe of Reprefentatives of this province the the last year among the reft. If it should not, for want of an agent from this province at the court of G. Britain to prefent it, we prefume you very well know, if it be an impolitic and imprudent omiffion, where to lay the blame; and we apprehend, that nothing that can or will be done by your propofed convention, can or will aid the petition.

And here we beg leave to fay, that we judge that it would be much for the intereft of this province to have an agent at this critical dav. A perfon that would have ferved us faithfully, we make no doubt might have been found; but the reafons given, and the methods that we hear have been taken, to prevent it, are diffatisfactoy, and give us much uneasiness.

We are further informed, that all matters of a public and private nature lying before the last general court were fully confidered and acted upon, and all then propofed to be done, finifhed before the adjournment, except the impeachment of his Majefty's reprefentative, which perhaps might not have been agreed to had they fat longer, or not been afterwards diffolved. We are forry for that circumftance that occafioned fo early a diflbintion of the general court: though we must own that the Governor by charter is vefted with that power, yet we with, if he had judged it confiftent with his duty to the King, it had been as ufual; however, we hope another will be foon called, or at furtheft on the laft Wednesday in May next, and that in the mean time the public affairs of the province will not greatly fuffer."

And here we propofe to your confideration, whether the circular letter which gave fuch umbrage, containing these expreffions, or others of the like import,

That the King and parliament, by the late revenue act, had infringed the rights of the colonies, impoted an inequitable tax, and things yet worse might be expected from the independence and unlimited appointments of crown-officers therein mentioned," [465.], was to per. fectly innocent, and entirely confiftent with that duty and loyalty proteffed by the houle of Representatives the laft year, in their petition to his Majefty; and whether the last house might not have complied with his Majefly's equifition, with a full faving of all their rights and privileges, and thereby prevented our

being deftitute of a general court at this day.

We cannot comprehend what pretence there can be for the propofed convention, unless the probability of a confiderable number of regular troops being fent into this province, and an apprehenfion of their being quartered, part in your town, and part in the castle. · And here' we would obferve, that it was a matter of doubt and uncertainty, whether any were coming or not; if otherwife, for what purpose the King was fending them, whether for your defence in cafe of a war, (as you tell us [591.], there is in the minds of many a prevailing apprehenfion of one approaching, and if we don't misunderstand your letter, induced them to pafs the votes tranfmitted to us), or whether they are destined for the protection of the new-acquired territories, is altogether uncertain. That they are to be a ftanding army in time of peace you give us no evidence; and if your apprehenfions are well grounded, it is not even fuppofeable they are intended as fuch: and if your town meant fincerely, we can't fee the need they had of interpofing in military matters, in an unprecedented way requefting their inhabitants to be provided with arms, &c. (a matter till now always fuppofed to belong to another department); especially as they must know fuch a number of troops would be a much better defence in case of a war than they had heretofore been favoured with. To fuppofe what you furmise they may be intended for, is to miftruft the King's paternal care and goodness! If by any fudden excurfions or infurrections of fome inconfiderate people, the King has been induced to think them a neceflary check upon you, we hope you will, by your loyalty, and quiet behaviour, foon convince his Majefty, and the world, they are not longer neceffary for that purpose; that thereup. on they will be withdrawn, and your town and the province faved any further trouble and expence from that quarter.

We are fenfible the colonies labour under many difficulties, and we greatly fear what the confequences of the dif putes with our mother-country will prove; however, we are far from thinking the measures you are pursuing have any tendency to deliver the good people of this province; but, on the contrary, immerge them in greater. After all, we should hope (were it not for your prefent atVOL. XXX.

tempt, attended with a bad complexion) we might foon have deliverance from our prefent troubles, and things restored as at the firft, The governments have, in our opinion, confulted, and are purfuing the propereft methods to obtain redress of their grievances; our duty is to wait with patience the event, unless we are determined to take the alternative. How far passion, and disappointment, and private refentment, may influence any to hurry their neighbours in to fuch mad and defperate measures, we don't know, but pray God prevent. Suffer us to obferve, that in our opinion the measures the town of Boston are pursuing, and proposing to us and the people of this province, to unite in, are unconftitutional, illegal, and wholly unjustifiable, and what will give the enemies of our conftitution the greatest joy, fubverfive of government, destructive of that peace and good order which is the cement of fociety, and have a direct tendency to rivet our chains, and deprive us of our charterrights and privileges, which we the inhabitants of this town defire may be secured to us, and perpetuated to our latest poste rity.

Thus we have freely expreffed our sentiments, having an equal right with others, though a leffer part of the community, and take this first opportunity to protest against the propofed convention;

and hereby declare our loyalty to his prefent Majefty, and fidelity to our country, and that it is our firm refolution, to the utmost of our power, to maintain and defend our rights in every prudent and reasonable way, as far as is confiftent with our duty to God and the King,

OLIVER PARTRIDGE Town-clerk,

Bofton, Od. 31. Laft Friday the following addrefs was prefented to General Gage, by feveral gentlemen of the council, in behalf of themselves and the other members who subscribed it, being all that were present.

To his Excellency General Gage, Commander in Chief of his Majesty's forces in A

merica.

The address of the subscribers, members

of his Majesty's council of the province of the Maffachufets Bay. SIR,

A General council being held yesterday,

gives the diftant members of it, together with members in the town and 4 L neighbourhood,