1774.

among other important subjects a provincial congress, and that CHAP. III. the collectors of taxes, and all officers who have public monies in their hands, retain the same until the civil government of the province be placed upon a constitutional foundation, or until it shall otherwise be ordered by the provincial congress; having been taken into consideration,-it was unanimously agreed; "That this assembly deeply feels the suffering of their countrymen in Massachussetts' Bay under the operation of the late unjust, cruel, and oppressive acts of the British parliament, that they most thoroughly approve the wisdom and fortitude with which the opposition to these wicked ministerial measures has hitherto been conducted, and they earnestly recommend to their brethren, a perseverance in the same firm and temperate conduct as expressed in the resolutions determined upon at a meeting of the delegates for the county of Suffolk, trusting that the effect of the united efforts of North America in their behalf will carry such conviction to the British nation of the unwise, unjust, and ruincus policy of the present administration, as quickly to introduce better men and wiser measures."

It was also resolved unanimously, "that contributions from all the colonies for supplying the necessities, and alleviating the distresses of our brethren at Boston, ought to be continued in such manner, and so long, as their occasions may require."

The merchants of the several colonies were requested not to send to Great Britain any orders for goods, and to direct the execution of all orders already sent to be suspended until the sense of congress, on the means to be taken for the preservation of the liberties of America, be made public. In a few days, resolu

1774

CHAP. III tions were entered into, suspending the importation of goods from Great Britain or Ireland, or any of their dependencies, and of their manufactures from any place whatever, after the first day of the succeeding December; and against the purchase or use of such goods. It was also determined that all exports to Great Britain, Ireland, and the West Indies, should cease on the 10th of September, 1775, unless American grievances should be redressed before that time. An association corresponding with these resolutions was then framed, and signed by every member present. Never were laws more faithfully observed than the resolves of congress at this period, and their association was of consequence universally adopted.

Very early in the session, a declaration* of rights, in the shape of

"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 upon 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 dependent on the crown alone for their salaries, and standing armies kept in time 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

of resolves, was agreed to, which merits peculiar attention be- CHAP. III. cause it states precisely the ground now taken by America, and

evidences

1774.

And whereas in the last session of parliament, three statutes were made; one entitked, An act to discontinue in such manner and for such time, as are therein mentioned, the landing and discharging, lading or shipping of goods, wares, and merchandize, at the town and within the harbour of Boston in the province of Massachussetts' Bay, in North America,' another entitled, An act for the better regulating the government of the province of Massachussetts' Bay in New England ; and another entitled, An act for the impartial administration of justice, in the case of persons questioned for any act done by them in the exccution of the law, or for the suppression of riots and tumults, in the province of Massachussetts' Bay in New England,' and another statute was then made for making more effectual provision for the government of the province of Quebec, &c.'-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 petitions to the crown for redress, have been repeatedly treated with contempt by his Majesty's ministers of state; the good people of the several colonies of New Hampshire, Massachussetts' Bay, Rhode Island, and Providence plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Castle, Kent, and Sussex on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, justly alarmed at the arbitrary proceedings of parliament and administration, have severally elected, constituted, and appointed deputies to meet and sit in general congress, in the city of Philadelphia, in order to obtain such establishment, as that their religion, laws, and liberties may not be subverted: whereupon the depu ties so appointed being now assembled, in a full and free representation of these colonies, taking into their most serious consideration the best means of obtaining the ends aforesaid, do, in the first place, as Englishmen their ancestors in like cases have usually done, for asserting and vindicating their rights and liberties, DECLARE, that the inhabitants of the English colonies in North America, by the immutable laws of nature, the principles of the English constitution, and the several charters or compacts, have the following rights :

Resolved, N. C. D, 1st, That they are entitled to life, liberty, and property:

and

CHAP. III. evidences the terms on which a satisfactory reconciliation was practicable. It is observable that rights were, at this period, as

1774.

serted

and they have never ceded to any sovereign power whatever, a right to dispose of either without their consent.

Resolved, N. C. D. 2d, That our ancestors who first settled these colonies, were at the time of their emigration from the mother country, entitled to all the rights, liberties, and immunities of free and natural born subjects within the realm of England.

Resolved, N. C. D. 3d, That by such emigration they by no means forfeited, surrendered, or lost any of those rights, but that they were, and their descendants now are, entitled to the exercise and enjoyment of all such of them, as their local and other circumstances enabled them to exercise and enjoy.

Resolved, 4th, That the foundation of English liberty, and of all free government, is a right in the people to participate in their legislative council: and as the English colonists are not represented, and from their local and other circumstances cannot properly be represented in the British Parliainent, they are entitled to a free and exclusive power of legislation in their several provincial legislatures, where their right of representation can alone be preserved, in all cases of taxation, and internal polity subject only to the negative of their sovereign, in such manner as has been heretofore used and accustomed : but from the necessity of the case, and a regard to the mutual interests of both countries, we cheerfully consent to the operation of such acts of the British Parliament, as are bona fide, restrained to the regulation of our external commerce, for the purpose of securing the commercial advantages of the whole empire to the mother country, and the commercial benefits of its respective members; excluding every idea of taxation internal or external, for raising a revenue on the subjects in America without their consent.

Resolved, N. C. D. 5th, That the respective colonies are entitled to the common law of England, and more especially, to the great and inestimable one of being tried by their peers of the vicinage, according to the course of that law.

Resolved, 6th, That they are entitled to the benefit of such of the English statutes, as existed at the time of their colonization; and which they have, by experience respectively found to be applicable to their several local and other circum

stances.

Resolved, N. C. D. 7th, That these his Majesty's colonies are likewise entitled to all the immunities, and privileges granted and confirmed to them by royal charters, or secured by their several codes of provincial laws.

Resolved,

serted which, in the commencement of the contest, were not CHAP. III. generally maintained; and that, even now, the exclusive right

of

1774.

Resolved, N. C. D. 8th, That they have a right peaceably to assemble, consider of their grievances, and petition the King; and that all prosecutions, prohibitory proclamations, and commitments for the same, are illegal.

Resolved, N. C. D. 9th, That the keeping a standing army in these colonies, in time of peace, without the consent of the legislature of that colony, in which such army is kept, is against law.

Resolved, N. C. D. 10th, It is indispensably necessary to good government, and rendered essential by the English constitution, that the constituent branches of the legislature be independent of each other; that, therefore, the exercise of legislative power in several colonies, by a council appointed, during pleasure, by the crown, is unconstitutional, dangerous, and destructive to the freedom of American legislation.

All and each of which the aforesaid deputies in behalf of themselves, and their constituents, do claim, demand, and insist on, as their indubitable rights and liberties; which cannot be legally taken from them, altered or abridged by any power whatever, without their own consent, by their representatives in their several provincial legislatures.

In the course of our enquiry, we find many infringements and violations of the foregoing rights, which, from an ardent desire that harmony and mutual intercourse of affection and interest may be restored, we pass over for the present, and proceed to state such acts and measures as have been adopted since the last war, which demonstrate a system formed to enslave America.

Resolved, N. C. D. That the following acts of parliament are infringements and violations of the rights of the colonists; and that the repeal of them is essentially necessary, in order to restore harmony between Great Britain and the American colonies; viz.

The several acts of 4 Geo. III. ch. 15, and ch. 34. ; 5 Geo. III. ch. 25.; 6 Geo. III. ch. 52.; 7 Geo. III. ch. 41., and ch. 46. ; 8 Geo. III. ch. 22. which impose duties for the purpose of raising a revenue in America, extend the power of the admiralty courts beyond their ancient limits, deprive the American subject of trial by jury, authorize the judges' certificate to indemnify the prosecutor from damages that he might otherwise be liable to, requiring oppressive security from a

impose