sessions of the peace in the several counties within the said province, next after [September, 1774,] . . . the jurors to serve at the superior courts of judicature, courts of assize, general gaol delivery, general sessions of the peace, and inferior court of common pleas, in the several counties within the said province, shall not be elected, nominated, or appointed, by the freeholders and inhabitants of the several towns within the said respective counties, nor summoned or returned by the constables of the said towns; but that, from thenceforth, the jurors to serve at . . . [the said courts] shall be summoned and returned by the sheriffs of the respective counties within the said province

No. 42. Administration of Justice Act

May 20, 1774

APRIL 15, 1774, the bill for regulating the government of Massachusetts having been presented in the House of Commons, Lord North moved for leave to bring in, "as the last measure that Parliament will take," a bill "for the impartial administration of justice, in the cases of persons questioned for any acts done by them in the execution of the laws, or for the suppression of the riots and tumults," in the Massachusetts colony. Leave being given, the bill was brought in on the 21st, had its second reading on the 25th, and May 6 passed, by a vote of 127 to 24. On the 9th it was carried up to the Lords, where it was read a second time on the 13th, and on the 18th passed, the vote being 43 to 12. Eight members of the Lords entered a protest against the bill. May 20 the act received the royal assent. Throughout the debate the attendance in each house was small.

REFERENCES.

Text in Pickering's Statutes at Large, XXX., 367–371. The act is cited as 14 Geo. III., c. 39. The debates are in the Parliamentary History, XVII., and Force's American Archives, Fourth Series, I., III-129; see also the Annual Register (1774).

An act for the impartial administration of justice in the cases of persons questioned for any acts done by them in the execution of the law, or for the suppression of riots and tumults, in the province of the Massachuset's Bay, in New England.

WHEREAS in his Majesty's province of Massachuset's Bay, in New England, an attempt hath lately been made to throw off the authority of the parliament of Great Britain over the said province,

and an actual and avowed resistance, by open force, to the execution of certain acts of parliament, hath been suffered to take place, uncontrouled and unpunished, in defiance of his Majesty's author. ity, and to the utter subversion of all lawful government: and whereas, in the present disordered state of the said province, it is of the utmost importance to the general welfare thereof, and to the re-establishment of lawful authority throughout the same, that neither the magistrates acting in support of the laws, nor any of his Majesty's subjects aiding and assisting them therein, or in the suppression of riots and tumults, raised in opposition to the execution of the laws and statutes of this realm, should be discouraged from the proper discharge of their duty, by an apprehension, that in case of their being questioned for any acts done therein, they may be liable to be brought to trial for the same before persons who do not acknowledge the validity of the laws, in the execution thereof, or the authority of the magistrate in support of whom, such acts had been done: in order therefore to remove every such discouragement from the minds of his Majesty's subjects, and to induce them, upon all proper occasions, to exert themselves in support of the public peace of the province, and of the authority of the King and Parliament of Great Britain over the same; be it enacted That if any inquisition or indictment shall be found, or if any appeal shall be sued or preferred against any person, for murther, or other capital offence, in the province of the Massachuset's Bay, and it shall appear, by information given upon oath to the governor. . . [or lieutenant governor] . . . of the said province, that the fact was committed by the person against whom such inquisition or indictment shall be found, or against whom such appeal shall be sued or preferred, as aforesaid, either in the execution of his duty as a magistrate, for the suppression of riots, or in the support of the laws of revenue, or in acting in his duty as an officer of revenue, or in acting under the direction and order of any magistrate, for the suppression of riots, or for the carrying into effect the laws of revenue, or in aiding and assisting in any of the cases aforesaid; and if it shall also appear, to the satisfaction of the said governor. that an indifferent trial cannot be had within the said province, in that case, it shall and may be lawful for the govto direct, with the advice and consent of the council, that the inquisition, indictment, or appeal, shall be tried in some

ernor

other of his Majesty's colonies, or in Great Britain; and for that purpose, to order the person against whom such inquisition or indictment shall be found, or against whom such appeal shall be sued or preferred, as aforesaid, to be sent, under sufficient custody, to the place appointed for his trial, or to admit such person to bail, taking a recognizance . . . from such person, with sufficient sureties, to be approved of by the said governor . . ., in such sums of money as the said governor . . . shall deem reasonable, for the personal appearance of such person, if the trial shall be appointed to be had in any other colony, before the governor, or lieutenant-governor, or commander in chief of such colony; and if the trial shall be appointed to be had in Great Britain, then before his Majesty's court of King's Bench, at a time to be mentioned in such recognizances; and the governor, or lieutenant-governor, or commander in chief of the colony where such trial shall be appointed to be had, or court of King's Bench, where the trial is appointed be had in Great Britain, upon the appearance of such person, according to such recognizance, or in custody, shall either commit such person, or admit him to bail, until such trial . . .

II. And, to prevent a failure of justice, from the want of evidence on the trial of any such inquisition, indictment or appeal, be it further enacted, That the governor . . is hereby authorised and required, to bind in recognizances to his Majesty all such witnesses as the prosecutor or person against whom such inquisition or indictment shall be found, or appeal sued or preferred, shall desire to attend the trial of the said inquisition, indictment, or appeal, for their personal appearance, at the time and place of such trial, to give evidence: and the said governor . . . shall thereupon appoint a reasonable sum to be allowed for the expences of every such witness

V. And be it further enacted That where it shall be made appear to the judges or justices of any court, within the said province of Massachuset's Bay, by any person [charged with crimes as aforesaid], that he intends to make application to the governor . . . that such inquisition, indictment, or appeal, may be tried in some other of his Majesty's colonies, or in Great Britain, the said judges or justices are hereby authorised and required to adjourn or postpone the trial of such inquisition, indictment, or appeal,

M

for a reasonable time, and admit the person to bail, in order that he may make application to the governor for the

purpose

afore

JUNE 17, 1774, the Massachusetts House of Representatives, under the leadership of Samuel Adams, resolved: "That a meeting of committees from the several colonies on this continent is highly expedient and necessary, to consult upon the present state of the colonies, and the miseries to which they are and must be reduced by the operation of certain acts of Parliament respecting America, and to deliberate and determine upon wise and proper measures, to be by them recommended to all the colonies, for the recovery and establishment of their just rights and liberties, civil and religious, and the restoration of union and harmony between Great Britain and the colonies, most ardently desired by all good men: Therefore, resolved, that the Hon. James Bowdoin, Esq., the Hon. Thomas Cushing, Esq., Mr. Samuel Adams, John Adams and Robert Treat Paine, Esqrs., be, and they are hereby appointed a committee on the part of this province, for the purposes aforesaid, any three of whom to be a quorum, to meet such committees or delegates from the other colonies as have been or may be appointed, either by their respective houses of burgesses or representatives, or by convention, or by the committees of correspondence appointed by the respective houses of assembly, in the city of Philadelphia, or any other place that shall be judged most suitable by the committee, on the 1st day of September next; and that the speaker of the house be directed, in a letter to the speakers of the houses of burgesses or representatives in the several colonies, to inform them of the substance of these resolves."

In accordance with this call, delegates from all the colonies except North Carolina and Georgia met at Philadelphia September 5; representatives from North Carolina appearing on the 14th. On the 7th, a committee of two from each colony was appointed "to state the rights of the colonies in general, the several instances in which those rights are violated or infringed, and the means most proper to be pursued for obtaining a restoration of them." A report under this resolution was brought in on the 22d, and read. On the 24th, however, it was voted "that the Congress do confine themselves, at present, to the consideration of such rights as have been infringed by acts of the British Parliament since the year 1763." A report in accordance with this vote being brought in and read, further consideration was postponed

while the Congress deliberated "on the means most proper to be used for a restoration" of colonial rights. The report on the rights and grievances of the colonies was finally taken up October 12, and on the 14th agreed to in the form following. REFERENCES. - Text in Journals of Congress (ed. 1800), I., 26-30; see also Ford's ed., I. The record of proceedings in the journal is meagre; for additional details see Frothingham's Rise of the Republic, 331-391; John Adams's diary, in his Works, II., 340-404; and lives and works of members of the Congress. The instructions to the Virginia delegates, in Jefferson's Writings (ed. 1830), I., 100–116, are especially significant.

Whereas, since the close of the last war, the British parliament, claiming a power, of right, to bind the people of America by statutes in all cases whatsoever, hath, in some acts, expressly imposed taxes on them, and in others, under various pretences, but in fact for the purpose of raising a revenue, hath imposed rates and duties payable in these colonies, established a board of commissioners, with unconstitutional powers, and extended the jurisdiction of courts of admiralty, not only for collecting the said duties, but for the trial of causes merely arising within the body of a county.

And whereas, in consequence of other statutes, judges, who before held only estates at will in their offices, have been made dependant on the crown alone for their salaries, and standing armies kept in times of peace: And whereas it has lately been resolved in parliament, that by force of a statute, made in the thirty-fifth year of the reign of King Henry the Eighth, colonists may be transported to England, and tried there upon accusations for treasons and misprisions, or concealments of treasons committed in the colonies, and by a late statute, such trials have been directed in cases therein mentioned:

And whereas, in the last session of parliament, three statutes were made . . [the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, and the Administration of Justice Act;] . . . and another statute was then made . . . [the Quebec Act]. All which statutes are impolitic, unjust, and cruel, as well as unconstitutional, and most dangerous and destructive of American rights:

And whereas, assemblies have been frequently dissolved, contrary to the rights of the people, when they attempted to deliberate on grievances; and their dutiful, humble, loyal, and reasonable