OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 1850.

Whole Number of Senators, 40; Representatives 297-Total, 337.

BOSTON TEA PARTY.

[From the Boston Gazette of Dec. 6, 1773-recopied in the Mercantile Journal of Dec. 15, 1849.]

BOSTON, December 6, 1773.

At a Meeting of the PEOPLE of Boston, and the neighboring Towns at Faneuil-Hall, in said Boston, on Monday, the 29th of November, 1773, Nine O'Clock, A. M. and continued by Adjournment to the next Day; for the Purpose of consulting, advising and determining upon the most proper and effectual Method to prevent the unloading, receiving or vending the detestable TEA sent out by the East India Company, Part of which being just arrived in this Harbour:

IN Order to proceed with due Regularity, it was moved that a Moderator be chosen, and JONATHAN WILLIAMS, Esq.,

was then chosen Moderator of the Meeting.

A Motion was made that as the Town of Boston had determined at a late Meeting legally assembled, that they would to the utmost of their Power prevent the landing of the Tea, the Question be put, Whether this Body are absolutely determined that the Tea now arrived in Capt. Hall shall be returned to the Place from whence it came at all Events. And the Question being accordingly put, it passed in the Affimative. Nem. Con.

It appearing that the Hall could not contain the People assembled, it was Voted, that the Meeting be immediately Adjourned to the Old South Meeting-House, Leave having been obtained for this Purpose.

The People met at the Old South according to the Adjournment.

A Motion was made, and the Question put, viz. Whether it is the firm Resolution of this Body that the Tea shall not only be sent back, but that no Duty shall be paid thereon, and passed in the Affirmative. Nem. Con.

It was moved that in order to give Time to the Consignees to consider and deliberate, before they sent in their Proposals to this Body, as they had given Reason to expect would have been done at the opening of the Meeting, there might be an adjournment to Three o'Clock, P. M. and the Meeting was accordingly for that Purpose adjourned.

THREE O'Clock, P. M., met according to Adjournment.

A Motion was made, Whether the Tea now arrived in Captain Hall's Ship shall be sent back in the same Bottom-Passed in the Affirmative, Nem. Con.

Mr. Rotch the Owner of the Vessel being present, informed the Body that he should enter his Protest against their Proceedings.

It was then moved and voted, nem. con. That Mr. Rotch be directed not to enter this Tea; and that the Doing of it would be at his Peril.

Also Voted, That Captain Hall the Master of the Ship, be informed that at his Peril he is not to suffer any of the Tea brought by him, to be landed.

A motion was made, That in Order for the Security of Captain Hall's Ship and Cargo, a Watch may be appointed—and it was voted that a Watch be accordingly appointed to consist of 25 men.

Capt. Edward Proctor was appointed by the Body to be the Capt. of the Watch for this Night, and the names were given in to the Moderator of the Townsmen who were Volunteers on the Occasion.

It having been observed to the Body, that Governor Hutchinson had required the Jus

tices of the Peace in this Town to meet and use their Endeavours to suppress any Routs or Riots, &c. of the People that might happen-It was moved and the Question putWhether it be not the Sense of this Meeting, that the Governor's Conduct herein carries a design'd Reflection upon the People here met; and is solely calculated to serve the views of Administration-Passed in the Affirmative, nem. con.

The People being informed by Col. Hancock, that Mr. Copley, Son-in-Law to Mr. Clarke, Sen. had acquainted him that the Tea Consignees did not receive their Letters from London till last Evening, and were so dispersed, that they could not have a joint Meeting early enough to make their Proposals at the time intended; and therefore were desirous of a further Space for that Purpose.

The Meeting out of great Tenderness to these Persons, and from a strong Desire to bring this Matter to a Conclusion, notwithstanding the Time they had hitherto expended upon them to no Purpose, were prevailed upon to adjourn to the next Morning Nine o'Clock.

Met according to Adjournment

TUESDAY Morning Nine o' Clock.

THE long expected Proposals were at length brought into the Meeting, not directed to the Moderator but to John Scollay, Esq.; one of the Selectmen-It was however voted that the same should be read, and they are as follows, viz:

SIR,

Monday, Nov. 29th, 1773.

WE are sorry that we could not return to the Town satisfactory Answers to their two late messages to us respecting the Teas; we beg Leave to acquaint the Gentlemen Selectmen that we have since received our Orders from the Honorable East India Company.

We still retain a Disposition to do all in our Power to give Satisfaction to the Towns, but as we understood from you and the other Gentlemen Selectmen at Mess. Clarke's Interview with you last Saturday, that this can be effected by nothing less than our sending back the Teas, we beg leave to say, that this is utterly out of our Power to do, but we do now declare to you our Readiness to Store the Teas until we shall have Opportunity of writing to our Constituents and shall receive their further Orders respecting them; and we do most sincercly wish that the Town considering the unexpected Difficulties devolved upon us will be satisfied with what we now offer.

We are, Sir,

John Scollay, Esq.

Your most humble Servants,

Tho. and Elisha Hutchinson
Benja. Faneuil, jun. for Self and
Joshua Winslow, Esq.;

Rich'd Clarke and Sons.

Mr. Sheriff Greenleaf came into the Meeting and begg'd Leave of the Moderator that a Letter he had received from the Governor, requiring him to read a Proclamation to the People here assembled might be read; and it was accordingly read.

Whereupon it was moved, and the Question put, Whether the Sheriff should be permitted to read the Proclamation-which passed in the Affirmative, nem. con. The Proclamation is as follows, viz:

Massachusetts
Bay.

}

By the Governor.

TO JONATHAN WILLIAMS, Esq; acting as Moderator of an Assembly of People in the Town of Boston, and to the People so assembled:

WHEREAS printed Notifications were on Monday the 29th Instant, posted in divers places in the Town of Boston and published in the News-Papers of that Day calling upon the People to Assemble together for certain unlawful Purposes in such Notifications mentioned: And whereas great Numbers of People belonging to the Town of Boston, and divers others belonging to several other Towns in the Province, did assemble in the said Town of Boston, on the said Day, and did then and there proceed to chuse a Moderator, and to consult, debate and resolve upon Ways and Means for carrying such unlawful Purposes into execution; openly violating, defying and setting at naught the good and wholesome Laws of the Province and the Constitution of Government under which they live: And whereas the People thus assembled did vote or

agree to adjourn or continue their meeting to this the 30th Instant, and great Numbers of them are again met or assembled together for the like Purposes in the said Town of Boston.

In Faithfullness to my Trust and as His Majesty's Representative within the Province I am bound to bear Testimony against this Violation of the Laws and I warn exhort and require you and each of you thus unlawfully assembled forthwith to disperse and to surcease all further unlawful Proceedings at your utmost Peril.

Given under my Hand at Milton in the Province aforesaid the 30th Day of November 1773 and in the fourteenth Year of His Majesty's Reign.

By His Excellency's

Command,

THO'S FLUCKER, Secr'y.

T. HUTCHINSON.

And the same being read by the Sheriff, there was immediately after, a loud and very general Hiss.

A Motion was then made, and the Question put, Whether the Assembly would disperse and surcease all further Proceedings, according to the Governor's Requirement—It pass'd in the Negative, nem. con.

A proposal of Mr. Copley was made, that in Case he could prevail with the Mess. Clarkes to come into this Meeting, the Question might now be put. Whether they should be treated with Civility while in the Meeting, though they might be of different Sentiments with this Body; and their Persons be safe until their Return to the Place from whence they should come -And the Question being accordingly put passed in the affirmative, Nem. Con.

Another Motion of Mr. Copley was put, Whether two Hours shall be given him, which also passed in the Affirmative.

Adjourn'd to Two o'Clock, P. M.

Two o'Clock P. M. met according to Adjournment.

A Motion was made and passed, that Mr. Rotch and Capt. Hall be desired to give their Attendance.

Mr. Rotch appeared, and upon a Motion made the Question was put, Whether it is the firm Resolution of this Body, that the Tea brought by Capt. Hall shall be returned by Mr. Rotch to England in the Bottom in which it came; and whether they accordingly now require the same, which passed in the affirmative, Nem. Con.

Mr. Rotch then informed the meeting that he should protest against the whole Proceedings as he had done against the Proceedings on Yesterday but that tho' the returning the Tea is an involuntary Act in him, he yet considers himself as under a Necessity to do it, and shall therefore comply with the Requirement of this Body.

Capt. Hall being present was forbid to aid or assist in unloading the Tea at his Peril, and ordered that if he continues Master of the Vessel, he carry the same back to London; who reply'd he should comply with these Requirements.

Upon a Motion, Resolved, That John Rowe Esq.; Owner of Part of Capt. Bruce's Ship expected with Tea, as also Mr. Timmins, Factor for Capt. Coffin's Brig, be desired to attend.

Mr. Ezekiel Cheever was appointed Captain of the Watch for this Night, and a sufficient Number of Volunteers gave in their Names for that Service.

Voted, That the Captain of this Watch be desired to make out a List of the Watch for the next Night, and so each Captain of the Watch for the following Nights until the Vessels leave the Harbour.

Upon a Motion made, Voted, that in Case it should happen that the Watch should be any Ways molested in the Night, while on Duty, they give the Alarm to the inhabitants by the tolling of the Bells-and that if any Thing happens in the Day Time, the Alarm be by ringing of the Bells.

Voted, That six persons be appointed to be in Readiness to give due Notice to the Country Towns when they shall be required so to do, upon any important Occasion. And six Persons were accordingly chosen for that Purpose.

John Rowe, Esq; attended, and was informed that Mr. Rotch had engaged that his Vessel should carry back the Tea she bro't in the same Bottom, and that it was the Expectation of this Body that he does the same by the Tea expected in Capt. Bruce; whereupon he replied that the Ship was under the Care of the said Master, but that he would use his utmost Endeavour, that it should go back as required by this Body, and that he would give immediate Advice of the Arrival of said Ship.