Gospel, and the proteftant reformed religion established by law. That, although the term of imprisonment of the fubject is limited to three months, the power of fining is left indefinite and unreftrained, by which the total ruin of the party may be effected by an enormous and excessive fine. That the whole legislative power of the province is vefted in perfons to be folely appointed by your majefty, and removable at your pleasure, which we apprehend to be repugnant to the leading principles of this free conftitution, by which alone your majefty now holds, or legally can hold, the imperial crown of these realms. "That the faid bill was brought into parliament very late in the prefent feffion, and after the greater number of the members of the two Houses were retired into the country, fo that it cannot fairly be prefumed to be the fenfe of those parts of the legislature. Your petitioners, therefore, Abftra&t of an Act to discontinue, in fuch Manner and for fuch Time as are therein mentioned, the Landing and Difcharging, Lading or Shipping of Goods and Merchandise, at the Town, and within the Harbour, of Bofton, in Massachusett's Bay, in North-America. THE HE preamble declares, that as dangerous commotions and infurrections have been fomented and raised in the town of Bofton, in the province of Maffachufett's-bay, by ill-affected perfons, to the fubverfion of government, and to the utter deftruction of the public peace; in which commotions certain valuable cargoes of teas, the property of the Eaft India company, and on board veffels lying within the bay or harbour of Bofton, were feized and deftroyed: and as, in the prefent condition of the town and harbour, the commerce of his majesty's fubjects cannot be fafely carried on there, nor the customs duly collected; it is therefore expedient that the officers of his majesty's customs should be forthwith removed from the faid town and it is therefore enacted, that from and after the first day of June, 1774, it fhall not be lawful for any perfon or perfons to lade, or caufe to be laden or put, off or from any quay, wharf, or other place, within the town of Boston, or in or upon any part of the fhore of the bay, commonly called the harbour of Bofton, into any fhip, veffel, boat, &c. any goods, wares, or merchandise whatsoever, to be carried into any other country or place whatsoever, or into any other part of the province of the Maffachufett's-bay, or to take up, discharge, or caufe to procure to be taken up, or difcharged, within the town, out of any boat, lighter, fhip, &c. any goods, wares, or merchandise whatsoever, to be brought from any other country or place, or any other part of the province of the Maffachufett's-bay, upon pain of the forfeiture of the goods and merchandise, and of the boat, boat, fhip, or other bottom into which the fame fhall be put, or out of which the fame fhall be taken, and of the guns, ammunition, tackle, furniture, and ftores, in or belonging to the fame: and if any fuch goods, wares, or merchandife, fhall, within the town, or in any the places aforefaid, be laden or taken in from the fhore into any barge, or boat, to be carried on board any fhip outward bound to any other country, or other part of the province of the Maffachufett's-bay, or be laden or taken into fuch barge, or boat, from or out of any hip coming in from any other country or province, or other part of the province of the Maffachufett's-bay, fuch barge, boat, &c. fhall be forfeited. And it is further enacted, That if any wharfinger, or keeper of any wharf, or their servants, shall take up or land, or knowingly fuffer to be taken up, or fhall fhip off, or fuffer to be water-borne, at or from any of their wharfs, &c. any fuch goods or merchandife; in every fuch cafe, all and every fuch wharfinger, and every perfon who fhall be affifting, or concerned in the Shipping or putting on board any boat, or other veffel, for that purpofe, or in the unfhipping fuch goods and merchandife, or to whofe hands the fame hall knowingly come after the loading, shipping, or unfhipping thereof, fhall forfeit and lofe treble the value thereof, to be computed at the highest price which fuch fort of goods and merchandise fhall bear at the place where fuch offence fhall be committed, at the time when the fame fhall be fo committed, together with the veffels and boats, and all the horfes, cattle, and carriages, made ufe of in the shipping, unfhipping, landing, or conveyance of any of the goods and merchandise. It is further enacted, That if any fhip or vessel shall be moored or lie at anchor, or be seen hovering within the bay, or within one league from the faid bay, it fhall and may be lawful for any admiral, chief-commander, &c. of his majefty's fleet or Thips of war, or for any officer of his majesty's customs, to compel fuch fhip or veffel to depart to fome other port, or to fuch station as the officer fhall appoint, and to ufe fuch force for that purpofe as fhall be found neceffary: and if fuch fhip or veffel fhall not depart, within fix hours after notice for that purpofe given, fuch fhip or veffel, with all the goods laden on board, and all the guns, tackle, and furniture, fhall be forfeited, whether bulk fhall have been broken or not. Provided always, That nothing in this act contained shall extend, or be conftrued to extend, to any military or other ftores for his majefty's ufe, or to the fhips or vessels whereon the fame fhall be laden, which fhall be commiffioned by his majefty; nor to any fuel or victual brought coaftwife from any part of the continent of America, for the neceffary use and fustenance of the inhabitants of the town of Botton, provided the veffel wherein the fame are to be carried fhall be duly furnished with a cocket and let-pafs, after having been duly fearched by the officers of his majelly's customs at Marble-head, in the port of Salem, in the province of Maffachufett's-bay; and that fome officer of his majesty's customs bealfo there put on board the veffel, who who is authorised to go on board, and proceed with the veffel, together with perfons properly armed, for his defence, to the town or harbour of Bofton; nor to any fhips or veffels which may happen to be within the harbour of Boffon on or before the first day of June, 1774, and may have either laden, or be there with intent to load, or to land or discharge any goods and merchandise, provided the hips and veffels do depart the harbour within fourteen days after the first day of June, 1774. It is further enacted, That all feizures and forfeitures, inflicted by this act, fhall be made and profecuted by any admiral or commiffioned officer, of his majefty's fleet, or by the officers of the customs, or by fome other perfon authorised by warrant from the lord high treafurer, or the commiffioners of his majefty's treasury for the time being, and by no other perfon; and if any fuch officer, or other perfon authorised, fhall, directly or indirectly, take or receive any bribe, to connive at fuch lading or unlading, or fhall make or commence any collufive feizure or agreement for that purpose, or fhall do any other act, whereby the goods, or merchandise, prohibited, fhall be fuffered to pafs either inwards or outwards, or whereby the forfeitures inflicted by this act may be evaded, every fuch offender fhall forfeit the fum of 500l. for every fuch of fence, and fhall become incapable of any office or employment; and every person who fhall give, or promife, any fuch bribe, or fhall contract with any perfon, fo authorifed, to commit any fuch of fence, fhall forfeit the fum of 50l. It is further enacted, That the forfeitures and penalties inflicted by this act fhall be profecuted and recovered, and be divided and applied, in like manner as other penalties inflicted by any act or acts of parliament, relating to the trade or revenues of the British colonies or plantations in America, are di rected to be profecuted or recovered, divided and applied, by two feveral acts of parliament, the one paffed in the fourth year of his prefent majefty, (intitled, An Act for granting certain duties in the British colonies and plantations in America; for continuing an act paffed in the fixth of George the Second, intitled, An Act for the better securing the trade of his majesty's fugar colonies in America, &c.) the other paffed in the eighth year of his prefent majefty's reign, (intitled, An A&t for the more easy recovery of the penalties and forfeitures inflicted by the acts of parliament relating to the trade of the British colonies and plantations in America.) It is further enacted, That every charter-party bill of lading, and other contract for configning, ship. ping, or carrying any goods and merchandise, to or from the town of Bofton, or any part of the bay or harbour, which have been made or entered into, or which fhall be made or entered into, fo long as this A&t fhall remain in full force, relating to any ship which fhall arrive at the town or harbour, after the first day of June, 1774, fhall be, and the fame are hereby declared to be, utterly void, to all intents and purpofes. It is further enacted, That, whenever it fhall be made to appear to his majetty, in his privy council, that peace and obedience to the laws laws fhall be fo far reftored in the town of Boston, that the trade of Great-Britain may fafely be carried on there, and his majesty's cuftoms duly collected, and his majesty thall adjudge the fame to be true, it fhall be lawful for his majefty, by proclamation, or order of council, to align and appoint the extent, bounds, and limits, of the port or harbour of Boston, and of every creek or haven within the fame, or in the islands within the precinct thereof; and alfo to appoint fuch and fo many other places and wharfs, within the harbour, creeks, &c. for the landing and fhipping of goods, as his majefty fhall judge neceffary; and to appoint fuch and fo many officers of the customs as his majefty fhall think fit; after which it shall be Jawful for any perfon to lade, or to difcharge and land upon, fuch wharfs, &c. fo appointed within the harbour, and none other, any goods and merchandise. Provided always, that if any goods or merchandise, fhall be laden or discharged upon any other places than the quays, or places, fo to be appointed, the fame, together with the fhips and other veffels employed, and the horses and carriages used to convey the fame, and he perfon or perfons concerned therein, or to whofe hands the fame fhall knowingly come, fhall fuffer all the forfeitures and penalties impofed by this or any other act on the illegal fhipping or landing of goods.. Provided alfo, That nothing herein contained fhall extend, or be conftrued, to enable his majefty to appoint fuch port, wharfs, places, or officers, in Boston, or in the bay or iflands, until it fhall fufficiently appear to his majefty that full fatisfaction hath been made by or on behalf of the inhabitants of the town of Boston to the company of merchants trading to the East-Indies, for the damage fuftained by the company by the deftruction of their goods fent to Boston, on board fhips as aforefaid; and until it fhall be certified to his majesty, in council, by the governor, or lieutenant-governor, of the province, that reasonable fatisfaction hath been made to the officers of the revenue, and others, who fuffered by the riots above-mentioned, in the months of November and December, in the year 1773; and in the month of January, in the year 1774. And it is further enacted, That, if any action or fuit fhall be commenced, either in Great-Britain or America, against any person or perfons, for any thing done in purfuance of this act of parliament, the defendant or defendants, in fuch action or fuit, may plead the general iffue, and give this act, and the fpecial matter, in evidence, at any trial, and that the fame was done in purfuance of this act and if it fhall appear fo to have been done, the jury fhall find for the defendant or defendants; and if the plaintiff fhall be non-fuited, or difcontinue his action, after the defendant or defendants fhall have appeared; or if judgment fhall be given upon any verdict or demurrer, against the plaintiff; the defendant or defendants fhall recover treble costs, and have the like remedy for the fame, as defendants have in other cafes by law. An 1 An Abstract of an Act for the better regulating the Government of the Province of Maffachufett's Bay. TH HIS a&t declares, that from and after the 1st of Auguft, 1774, fo much of the charter granted by King William to the inhabitants of Maffachufett's Bay, which relates to the time and manner of electing counsellors for that province, fhall be revoked and made void, and that from that day the council for the province fhall be composed of fuch of the inhabitants, or proprietors of lands, within the fame, as fhall be appointed by his majefty, with the advice of the privy council, agreeable to the practice now ufed in refpect to the appointment of counfellors in fuch of his majesty's other colonies in America, the governors whereof are appointed by commiffion under the great feal in GreatBritain Provided, that the number of counsellors fhall not, at any one time exceed thirty-fix, nor be lefs than twelve. That the affiftants or counsellors shall hold their offices during the pleasure of his majefty, and enjoy all the privileges at prefent held by counsellors of the province, under the charter; and fhall, upon their admiffion into the council, take the oaths, &c. That after the firft day of July, 1774, his majesty's governor, or, in his abfence, the lieutenant-governor, may nominate or remove, without the confent of the council, all judges of the inferior courts of common pleas, juftices of the peace, and other officers to the council or courts of justice be longing. That, from and after the first day of July, 1774, his majesty's governor, or, in his absence, the lieutenant-governor, may nominate and appoint the sheriffs without the content of the council, and remove fuch sheriffs with such consent, and not otherwise. That, upon every vacancy of the offices of chief juftice and judges of the fuperior court, the governor, or lieutenant-governor, without the confent of the council, fhall have full power to nominate the perfons to fucceed to the offices, who shall hold their commiffions during the pleasure of his majesty. That, from the first day of Aug. 1774, no meeting fhall be called by the felect men, or at the request of any number of freeholders of any townfhip, without the leave of the governor, or, in his absence, of the lieutenant-governor, in writing, expreffing the fpecial bufinefs of the meeting, firft had and obtained, except the annual meeting in the months of March or May.. for the choice of felect men, conftables, and other officers, or except for the choice of perfons to fill up the offices on the death or removal of any of the perfons first elected to fuch offices, &c. That from thenceforth, the jurors to ferve at the fuperior courts of judicature, general gaol-delivery, &c. fhall be fummoned and returned by the theriff of the refpective counties within the faid province. That the conftables fhall, at the general feffions of the peace, deliver to the juftices of the peace a true lift of the names and places of abode of all perfons within the refpective towns for which they ferve, qualified to ferve apon juries; which juftices, or any two of them, at |