The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume], February 11, 1773, Image 1

About The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775

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Or, Thomas’s Bolton Journal.
A Weekly, Political, and Commercial Paper .-—Open to all Parties, but Influenced^ None.
'DO thou Gieat LIBER 1 Y inspire our Souls,—And make our Lives in THvPoflefiion happy,—Or, our Deaths ghrkus in thy JusTDefcnce.
Vol. ll.]
FRIDAY, Ecbtuary 5.
BOS r O N.
?rocfeoing< of the tvwn of NEWTOJ.
SE thefubferi e s being a corn*
mi'tee appointed by toe town
of Newton to confide 'and
।eport what we think liny be
proper for the town to d r re
luting to the p-e'e-t unhap*
py ft uati n thia country is
reduced to by f me late attacks made on our
natural and co- ft’ ution J lighuand privileges;
have duly attended chat fervicc, and do report as
folio vs viz
ill We judge it just and expedient, anl u>
recommend it to the town, as a te lim .ry of
their due sense of the inequable rights and pl
▼ifeges belonging -o them **oth ss men, is mern
ben of the British Empia. and as colonids, to
come into the so hwiag rrfolvM, viz.
Relolved, Tna: no go id m n can be lilept,
and inadive in the c use of libtity at this alarm*
ine perio i, when such ar’itrary mcafures are
taken as tend c >deiboy that glorious coofticdti*
on which has cost the lab urs of ages aid the
blood of th Wands, and that all wuo abet ty
ranny merit ihe deteftuion of this people and
the contempt or mankind
Re o’ved, That we ever did snd now do, ear
t*ue loy dty to thr King and affeftion to ou. bre
th en io Great Britain, and Hull ever ceatri
bu e to the wmoft of our ability to ptbm te
the honour and dignity of the crown and the
prosperity of theprefefit ttate. so far as may ue
confident with our right* and p ivilcges as co
keifts- . .. . , .
Tint no cwi’ officer who (p'Operly
co»-fidrrcd) ia a fervast ot the people can coefti
tu ional'y or with fafety to them, oe dcpeUaet
en the crown for his fuoport, the-ef>re any
grant or grants ma*e or that myb • m ide by
the crown to the Judgos of our Superior Court
mull naturally (dealt heeafter) tend to dettroy
ail cmfife .ce in theft Judges and charg: the
COU ts f juiliccinto engines of fl«very.
Reeved, That tax*t ons impaled on the
ir.h bi a-ta of the ciloniis without their eWent
Or rep.efentatiot in pa»li.mem, for the eapteC
purp 'fe of aifi' g • revenue, are uaconhitution*:
•'d oppressive. ... . . ~.
Ri/ivd Th*t it “ »he firm opinion of th--
town, thai the eftab ifhment or a b >ard of com •
m stoner, with a grest rumbeh f officers Under
them, at an eno■ m* us a d uunecefla y expence ;
tha 'he large extebfi a of the powers Gs the
cou t of Ad ni-alty wh-.-rebv the lives and liber
ti s of his Majsily’s (bbjeds in the colonies are
jedere ’ p ecsr out nd uolTe—That tna in*
sroducing m i keapi g v mi i ary force in our
rne'ropo ia in a time of p ofuUnd pe«ce 'O he
giea di u bance o» the prop c That th
pravidi g for the fuppirtof the people—Th t
the p oviding I r he Idpp rt of the G overnur io
ar y other way thin by grsnts of cm G ne al
Court, and thereby rendering him entire y in
depe dent of the people over he presides,
and many other proceedings of h s Majesty’*
minift y aregrievanc s,ofw kh we j-ft y cem •
p'ain, and mull in fait’ tunefs to < u Ie ves and
our poUerity cantioue so tc* do uadi they are re
zHy. We j ;dge i* neceff.ry at thi» time ?rd
du recommend it so the town to gtve tndr re*
prefei tative, Abr him Fu er, Elq; rhe folkw*
kg IMsTkUCTION i, v«
•• 7a Abkamam Fullvr Ey Rpr/hntative
ts m (•mud. Afl
“SIR,
“AT this alarming ae-a when the 3 lift A ■
me ica.. fubjofU a e loudly complti. ing f srbi
trary and u confihutsua me.lurcs and inneva
tionr thrtovnof Newton ju< gr it akoiether
impre prto be who ly ft err We rhe efo e hia
M i ily’s m-U loval aid dutiful fubj-tts, the
freeholders a’-d other inhabit*n’s of laid town,
ir o*n meeting kgr y fl mbed, on M mday
the I orth day of Jaruary. 1773. by adjouru
me t from the zStbcf e Uli ; judge i
net only pro er tu’abf lu rly rectff ry to :in
part tu or QM*ed feetimenta, being as or
the out hand ever ready to give a due sfli. ascc
for e^cuungir.g atd kpuOujrg the extrei s cf
gove ament in a corftiiutiocal rr an. er, so co the
ether hand deeply c-ycerted that the rights arc
p ivikge* of Bri ift fobjeAs, that belt birthright
aad n- cleft iaheritarce of mar kind, uray be fe
«o f, ’y crjoved by u »rd trvrlmrte.l io or.r pof
tertty. cannot b.i exp dahjw gnudy cue fcara
T ri U R S D A Y, February ii, 1773.
have beeu i re eafsd esp the late ahi mi g
repirt, adde.l <0 the other grievances nndti
which this pop e have for a numb r of y«s
groaned, v z That iboends «*« affierd *»y or
dec of the crjwn to the effi.es of the Judgea of
the Supe i’r Cou-t of J rdicature of this pro
vj ce, confi .yentlv instead of rec''vi”g 'heir fa
lades of fuppoa frem annud g>in« mide bv th
G'cst and General <ourt aa ht-enfore, they
t depend frlciy on 'hefovetcig will and
ft»re of the crown for their fuppoit. '1 hi.
charge we canuot but confide as a mod impor
uni and dangerous ehst ge, creating an undue
and uncon dtutiunal daperdwee, quite repug
nani to the fpiritof the Briuft cunUnution, and
which will, we apprehend, by an unhappy
f Undati-n for the (übverting public juft'ce; and
we alfu cannot but take notice how much more
hard and grievous it is that when all pr Hi fe csre
has been t-ken by arts of par i.inent, and ex
press oefire even fcm his present Mrjefty upon
his ti ft accc Ilion to the throne, to make the
judges cf England whoHv independent of the
C'own, th.t th? Judgea of our Supe ior ciourt
ft >uld be rendere 1 absolutely dependant on the
crown in the importa t article of their falariet,
whereby we are thus c uelly diitingu'lhjJ-kam
his Majafty’s fubj-ds in G eat
therefore think it p oper to rnftmft { 0 ewy I
prefenta ivein Ge. eral AIT moly : Ika: »ou u-J
nite in such meaiures as ftad place the- Judged
of tlw Court of Judicature ot this pro*
vioce upon a conll.tufon.l basis, and m-ke
{when thm ia d »ne) fo'tablc piovifion for their
foDpOrt, adequate to their meri and station.
We further indrurt you that you use your utmuft
endeavours that all ou righ s be reftired and ef*
tabiihed as he erofo e, and that a decent though
nu- ly ecnonfttance be fe t to the Kimg, rilur
ing his Majelty that univerf.l difeautent prevails
in America and nothing will restore harmony
and iniu e the attachment of the people >o the
ciowu but a fu l rest ration of alt their liberties
“ Jdly. We judge it proper and di r<k it mo
a-.fwer a good and do tie elore re
Commend it ’0 the town to reiu-n the following
anfarer to a Ie ter of 20th November lats from
the town of ikdL-a, dLedcd to the bclcdnun
oftmstown,
“ Lift y. We do recommend it to thetowß,
that they order the foreg i>ig rcfJvca and la
ftrcfti ,ns to the r repreleotative, end ie:ier to
u-e town d B ulon, to b* r?co ded in the buck
of records belonging io the town, that peflerity
m: y f:e and know the gr- at concern the p«opie
of this day had for their i<.valuable righ s, p ivi*
leges ard liberties Thus we think we have
complea:ed the bufineft e mmiued tu us, ar d if
we meet with the approbation of the town, we!
dull thiak ourkives amply rewarded
Chales Pelham,
Noah Hide,
Edward Durant,
Alix. Shepard,
Will’amPh. llips ”
“ To the committee of correspondence «t Bol
ton.
“ NfM:tn, January \tb, 1773.
‘‘Gentlemen,
“WE the freeholders and other inhabitants
of the tow > of Newton in tuwa m eti g legally ।
sfirmbied this d»y by adj urnment, think it in
cumbent on u» to ack .ow’edge the receipt of
your litter of the so h of November IXI past di*
reeled to the Sdcitnen of Newion. We great
ly applaud you and .hink ou loves as wed as the
whole province much bl ged to you for ycur
generous exerrmn ol ihat patriotic spirit lot
uh ch you ftacd d ttir.gtnfted ; and however
urfuccehfu! msy have been he me.fores yon
hive taken for ohtawir g ’edreG of sundry griev
ances of which we j iftly compl.in ; yet as far as
in us ie* we wou>d encourage ycur hearts to
p-rtev re in all legal, 1 >val, rcgulai and confti
<u iond meihods, for the red el* of tho’e g rev
a ces we feci, acd for p eventing chose wc have
e*foo to fer, Vve are g eat y coccer. ed at the
report which pievails.thas .u- Judges ot the cir
cuits are to receive their tala ica from *
which must tender them cepecdsot ou the
crown and independent vo thr people, th ns
.u-.levi contequenc.-s cf winch are too tbvsous
and truly alarni'ug. We regret the odu.m cal.
on rhe texvn cf bvlLn as Un g of *
faAicui foi ir, and car not Lu ihi k hat a pro
perly cxprefTrd union < f feetime t by the fever*
towrsm ihe p>ovircc,whe m*»de kr<wn toou
4’zcivua uvuc:g: ( mu.t iclU tc colvi&cc him
and hi> m niftry that the refe tment fttwn on
the msny urconftuutional impt fitiuns laid on the
count-y <n gc eral a-id thepioviuceuf the Maf*
lachufetts B<y in particular, is not the savings of
1 f'rttoi, but the cool dlfpafli mate an I just com*
pl.inings >f hisM ij:it/’s dutiful and lays) lul'j rts
in th s popular p uvi ce, and wecann-x but h >pe
w u!J render his Mrjefty in his wildom a d
gOM|»efs rbllmorc dilpofed to grant us all due
re icf.t i nromite which vduab’e puroefes, •« far
4s our i-fluence will serve, we have psft.’d a
number cf efo ves and vote ! inll-uft ons to
our Reprefeutative, cipies of wmeh are in
doled,
“We heartily commend the prefin'diflr fkd
la'e oftliis country to the gren and good Ki g
afK'igs prayi'g f<r M« bkfti g on, and diridr
uni to the whole British Empire
“ -Vi h <•!! due rrfpert and efleem, and in the
Caufeof true ’thirty, we are Gent cmXi,
Your bret'iren and m ft humble Servan's,
By order and in behilf of the town of Newton
“ *BR. FUu. ER. Town Clerk ”
U anim-ufty voted :h*itbe foregoing ’efowes
iuftrudions and the leucr to the iel tines cl
Bullon be accepted aud recorded in the I'uWn
book
X A true copy fom Ne vt ?n’s book of rec rds
Aueit. ABI FU .1 ER, Tuwo-Cleik
a uniting of tbr frtfba.d ri and tlbrr ‘votab t
inbahitanii of 'br tiftn if A IQ , uga ls a!
fimbtea. on Monday tbt iH h day nt January.
A D 1773, Ay otjouriMfnt, from toe i.ijt
day of Diam er lad
*• HIE ommittec who we'echofen bv the
town at heir meeting on the 2.1 l Jay of D>
cembe I »11, to co> it cr on the ft ate of the r gits
if the co.onifts ano of the violations an l iufring
inentsof ihuf* rights *nd -eport a nrsft of luch
votes ar tlfey may think heft for the town to
come info, reported in the wo ds following.
“ TAioginto fesiuus confide ation the a
larming ctrcuinftane s o’ this province, relati> g
to the violations of our chatter rgh s a..d
privileges, as we appteheno by the iiriufli ad
miiriftrauuo, are of opinion that the rghts of tne
calooilb, natural, ecdefi.ftic I and civil, ar
well stated by the town tnhabrants of Boftoo,
and it ts our cplnfon, the taxing nf u< without
our consent, the m-lt'cg the g iver-or of this
province,and'hejudge*of th«SuperiorCpu tin
ue/e <dent of the pe pie, an ! d pen Una on the
ciown, by havi. g their salad s paid by thr
c-own, out of m t.ty extorted from us, and
mrny other instances us c croachment upon cur
fad charter rights, a»e into erab e grie a ces
and ha' e » direct tendency to vc thr w our hap
pv cotiftitution, and bn g us in o a llate of ah
jert slivery. But we have a g scioui fovercig ~
w n is the father of America as we>l as of
Great Britain, and <s he man in whern we have
had t,o co. fide nee, is removed from before th
th one, and one in uhom we hope to have re.-
son to put co fi Ifoce in plac d io hi* dead, we
aopr that ou’ petition will be f rwirded and
tvard, and all our grievances redrefle 1
*'A'sr//,th: Above at (he kotimems of thet-'Wn
“ Ktttd, That as we nave nu member in the
Houle cf we earntflly recom
mend it to the reprefeutative body o' this pro
vioce, ih«t you genremen iufptrt wt.h aj:a
1 lou, eye ourcharter rig ■ sand frivi|ege’>*nd that
you ult every cooftitmiona: meh d t j vbtaio are
dreG of a I ju g ievances, and that you ft enu
oofly endeavour in such ways as you ia you-,
wiidoin thick fit, that the hotiour-bk- Judges cf
tne Su.-oior court, may harethdr lupport as
formerly, agreeable to the chantr of this pro
vime,
*• I’tled, That the sincere thanks of this town
be given to the inhabitant* of tha own of Bui
toe, lor their fpiriitd endeavours co p«efcrve ou
sights and privileges inviubuc, when urcatCLcd
with defirurtion.
Votia, That the Town-Clerk trerfmit an
•netted copy cf the above proceedsg< ot thi»
town, (o the committee of cor.cfpondence a*
Bolton.
A true copy, Atrft.
" Fkascis Favlkne*. Towß-Clerk.
“ ARitt, JatMtry tbt tHio, S77} ”
“ Tb the crmm'tteeuf ccneipordence and 0-
thers in the t jwo of Button.
"Siu,
“ We the committee appointed by the town
of Teu?LETOR,-.t 'heir late mecticg.ro w-i(ean
‘tfwer io d Uc zo.h of.
November last, do at this time, with g* ea ;
pfea ure, for ou lelves and the I>h bitants of
(hi. town, return you our fircere tha-.lts for the
K eat rare and pain* you have f O m time tu ti|M
t ’ken for th fjpp’-t and defance . f at i».v- u .
abl ■ right* and ib-’rties; but efpe. iaily for the
■ concern y?u have lately fte» n w e the-e Items
;to be but a step b.tween us »nd rum We ihc
inhabitants of thia town have, ii 1 tme, been
' inured to roil and hardfh'ps; bu dunk God wo
do not look upon ourselves, with refpift to any
। o*’ our fellow men, as creatures at mercy;
herefore you may depend, that we will cnc ir
with you and ether t« wn« in the provnee,
far taking tVe’y legal step io order ta obtain a
full red’efs <-f all our grievances.
“ We are very f,r y that yo ir so reTunible
r-quest to the G veraor was aofwer*d in f„ci. a
m .nr,er. I; is, no doubt, the died us iudg.
pende cy.
•• ri ally, we hop- y u will continue t*>
have .m eagle-eyc. with regard 10 ou- ficrcd
an I liberties, and cfpy danger though rc
rtwtc. Our sincere defi es and hup*, are, that
y ur names will be had in cvcrlalling remem
brance*
“ In the nima and by order cf the town, we
fobferibe vurfelves. Gentleman,your moll hum
ble and obliged fervams,
John Richardson,
lona. Baldwin,
Thomas White,
He*ry AW 1 ELL,
Jonas Wildsr,
Ebmnkser Wright,
bILAS JONES,
Ah fl Hunt,
Joshua weight.
fefUilelm, J" tnu/try 11, 1773.
“ E. S. We (end to you the votes and pro
cccidmgs ■ f this town, mol fed in this, that you
mar b- fully acquainted with thei? corime.us
aid difp lition, <Ve a e rours as aoove.
At a ftt't meeting of tbt Freeboldert andothtr in,
biihifanti of "»r loton ts IE le
gn y ajfrmhlei, on liurjdjy tbt day of
December, A D lT]i.
Proceeded as follows. “ After hea-ing those
th "gs contained, represented, and uige.i in the
pain 'hlet from the town »,f Brilon, the town
to >k the fame inti fe ious coufidnrat on, and it
wis put to vote, whether the town us Bolton
h ve ita el ou cra-te rights and ihe infringe
ment; upon them in a proper manner. I oT
f d in he ft nu ive, not one diffen er. Theo,
V *TED to ehorfca commrinc of r ioe
meh, to ex imine more critically the proceedi
ng, of the town aforrfaid, to make rep *rt t an
aljourcment, and to write ar a fver to ihe let
ter of cor c pondence from Bolton.
“ Thereupon the fol owing gentlrmen we c
chosen th: committee for thefc purp-rfes, viz.
Mcifrs J hn Ricn.rdf »n, Jonathan BuJwin,
reonns Whi e, Henry Sawtell, Cap* Jonas
Wilder, Capt. Ebenezer W-ight, M (Ds lilaa
Jne , Abel Hunt, Md Jft ja Wit.,ii. L.ft'y,
Voted To dj >nrn tms meeting p ihe (e
---cond Mon fay in Ja u ry enfmog.”
“ Ata meeting of tbn v table inhabitants of
the town of TBM? B TON, by a j u
J.nua y <l, 1773- When. Amr having met
up ,n the hufi'iek above foeeified, and c refuily
perused the excellent charter el this province,by
winch ou. rishis and liberties arc comum.d (j
th, c mmittee reported in the Jodj*ing
m nrer, viz.
‘ WE are fully of the opinion that th, town
of Boston have prefer red our cba ter rghts and
liberties and the infringements upon ih in in a
v>ew, very convircing to ail who are fnenda to
our glorious and happy conftimtion. If refe
be the wretched circumilacces we are in, where,
in the mme or reafm, are <ur Eng'ift liber
tiesy those for which our ar.cell to left fttir
go div habitat! >0 and ple.fant gride-,, came <0
this then howling wider'els, a a fu(F red hun
ger ard nake ircfs and -Im ft every other hard
ft-p ? Did they so remove and so folFcr that
the r pest- nty should only lot a few years erjry
these liberties .nd privi cgei wb'ch cost so m ch
1 b >od and >hen be n„de, at it were, brail* bf
bu-de- ? No, fore y ; but it w«, to purc-haie
for ihe.-nf-ves and f r rt eir eft'priug, a f re
connirution and quiet fetileirei u to .he h’eit
g-ncatton. We (nerefee, the font of those he
roes are under the greatdi obligation*, 10 exeat
curfeives to tLe »e>y um- ft, fir rreicrviag in.
vUla:e th vic tigbts which Ged and nature
[Numb. 106.