USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Boston notions; being an authentic and concise account of "that village," from 1630 to 1847 > Part 13
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Oliver, which was supposed to be the intended office for distributing the stamps, and instantly demolished it, bear- ing on their shoulders a portion of its ruins to Fort Hill ; there made a bonfire with it, in full view of Oliver's house, and burnt his effigy upon it : Mr. Oliver was thereby indu- ced to declare that he would not attempt, directly or indirect- ly, to introduce any of the King's Stamps into the market.
A change in the British Ministry soon repealed the obnox. ious law, and on the receipt of said glad tidings, May 16, 1766, the Town bells were rang, Liberty tree hung with lamps; fire works were every where sent off; the air was filled with rockets; the ground covered with serpents, and in the evening a magnificient pyramid was erected on the common with 280 lighted lamps ; these rejoicings were ushered in by subscriptions for releasing all prisoners for debt, that all should partake in the general rejoicing's of the Liberty Boys.
On Monday, August 26, 1766, some boys began to light a bonfire in front of the Town House, which was a signal for mischief; and before dark, a great number of people gathered and sang out " Liberty and Property," and soon beset a house tenanted by Mr. Paxton, marshal of the Admiralty Court, and also Surveyor of the Port : the owner of the house was in front of it and informed them that Mr. Paxton had left the premises with his effects, and to save his property ho invited them to drink a barrel of punch at the next tavern, which was accepted by the multitude : after that, they went to the house of Mr. Storey, Register-deputy of the Admiralty, opposite the north corner of the State or Town House, and staved it to pieces, took out all the books and papers, Records of the Admiralty ; carried them to Fort-hill, and there fed the Liberty flame of bonfire, with those parlimentary paper shackles : they then visited the house of Mr. Hallowell, comptroller of the Customs ; broke into it, and destroyed or carried off, every thing of any value.
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The Lieut. Governor not considering himself a party in the Stamp act or Custom House concerns, thought himself safe from their fury ; but while he was at supper, he was ap prised that the mob bad hin in special remembrance : he sent his children away, determining to tarry in the house himself; but his eldest daughter returned, and declared she would stay there with her father; when he prudently left the building : the mob soon enicred and made diligent search and enquiry for him ; everything in the house they destroy- ed or carried off; with 21000 sterling in specie, a great quan- tity of family plate, large and valuable collections of manu- scripts and original papers, which he had been collecting through a long life; with contributions from others, relating to the policy and features of the country from its earliest set- tlement by Europeans ; all were destroyed : as for the house itself, they worked hard three hours for the destruction of its cupola ; and the rest of that night at disfiguring every part of that noble edifice, which stood fonting the north square : the next day, money, plate, rings, &e. were pick- ed up in the streets, dropped by those freebooters; the loss of property in this attack, was about ten thousand dollars.
The anniversary of the Popish or Gunpowder plot, which was to have taken effect on the 5th. of Nov. 1685, in London, was celebrated in this colony, in 1765, by firing cannon, shows of pageantry, eilifies representing Tyranny, Oppies- sion, Popery, Slavery and the Devil ; at noon, they brought their elligies on stages, from the north and south parts of the town, and met in King (auto) Street; a pledge of un- ion was established between the two parties, in a formal manuer ; closing with loud hazzas; they then exchanged routes, the south portion, graded through the north part of the town, and the north through the south, returning to King Street, the whole proceeded to the Liberty Tree, and from thence to Copp's lidl ; a bonfire was made, and the whole
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pageantry or effigies of Popery, Tyranny, and the devil, was committed to the flames.
STAMPED PAPER. To relieve the merchants in some meas- ure from the difficulties created by the Stamp act, the Cus- tom House officers gave a certificate to vessels for foreign ports, that no stamped papers could be had in Boston : with this paper, and a wish to contest the right of the crown to pass such a law, John Hancock despatched the ship Boston Packet for London in Nov. 1765, which was received in that port without any difficulty.
February 20, 1766, was fixed on for burning a stamped paper, in all the principal towns through the colonies: in Boston, effigies of Bute and Granville, in full court diess were added to the flames.
On the 24th. a vessel arrived from Jamaica with a stamp- ed clearance : the sons of liberty wrote an order to one of their fraternity, "to demand in their name this mark of ere- ole slavery : " her captain was sought for, and found at the custom house ; the order was shown to him and he gave up the document : they hoisted it on a pole paraded it through the streets to the Town House; there put it in the stocks, and at one o'clock removed it to the middle of the street and set fire to it; the executioner exclaiming. 'behold the smoke ascend to heaven, to witness between the Isle of Britian and an injured people ;' three cheers were then given by a vast multitude, and the people then dispersed.
Gov. Bernard was suspected of privately favoring the Stamp act and other measures, for coercing the colonies, al- though he formally disavowed having any thing to do in those matters ; the house of Representatives, May 28, 1766, elected James Olis as their speaker, which the Gov. disap- proved of, and Mr. Cushing was substituted for him ; this arbitrary act of his, was met by a retaliation on the part of the house, by leaving out from the Council list, the Lieut. Gov.,
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Secretary of State, Judges and Attorney General ; all of whom having been of the council the previous year, thus, a spirit of oppugnation was reciprocally fomented.
A new demand from the Ministry, that compensation should be made to all those who suffered by the riots of the 24th. and 26th. of Aug. was complied with by a resolve of the Legislature.
Accompanying the repeal of the stamp act, Parliament re- solved, that they had the right to make laws of sufficient force and validity to bind the colonies and people of Ameri- ca, subject to the crown of Great Britain in all cases what- ever, which the people of these colonies were determined to resist.
On the 25th. of Nov. 1766, a large transport-ship with troops bound for Quebec, was obliged by the weather to put into Boston ; provision for them was made by the Govern- or, under the force of the munity act : on the 24th. of May, 1767, twenty-seven recruits were brought in and their officer demanded quarters to be provided for them, which was also complied with.
July, 1767, a duty on Tea, Glass, and Colors, of three pence per pound, was laid by Parliament: the preamble to it stating, that these taxes were for the support of the govern- ment of the colonies, the Crown intending to grant salaries to the Governor and judges, and to determine the amount thereof ; and another clause was for appointing a permanent administration of the customs, and designated Boston as its head quarters : whereupon the people resolved to encourage the use and consumption of all articles raised or manufactur- ed in the colonies and not to purchase any of the enumerat- ed articles imported from abroad ; at funerals, not to use any gloves but of colonial manufacture, or purchase any new ar- ticles for such an occasion but those absolutely necessary.
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Nov. 1767, two of the five new commissioners for the cus- toms arrived in Boston. Feb. 11, 1768, the House of Rep- resentatives addressed a circular to each of the speakers of other Legislatures in the colonies, on the subject of their grievances, and among them the commissioning these men as a great stretch of power, and alarming to the liberties of the people.
March 18, being the anniversary of the repeal of the Stamp act, and celebrated as a day of rejoicing, some boys in the evening paraded the streets and repaired to the house of the inspector general ; they were received with such gen- tleness and suavity of manners, aided with the interpositions of his neighbors, that they retired without doing any mis- chief: on the 10th. of June, the custom house officers seiz- ed a sloop belonging to Jolm Hancock, at his wharf, used as a store-ship for articles which he had no room for in his stores; they made signal to the British man-of-war Romney, in the stream, when boats were manned from her and when they arrived, the sloop's fastenings were cut and she was carried off and anchored under the guns of the Romney ; some of the people pelted the collector, the comptroller and the col- lector's son, with stones ; and broke some windows in the comptroller's dwelling, but with the advice of some more prudent men they did no further damage.
Sailors and laborers were afraid of being impressed on board the Romney, and they made a search for a boat from her, and on their way met the inspector whom they at- tacked ; broke his sword and tore his clothes ; as they could not find any frigate's boat, they seized the pleasure boat of the collector, drew it through the streets huzzaing all the way to the common ; there set it on fire and burnt it to ash- es; they then broke several windows in the house of the collector, and also of the inspector general : several cases of aggravated impresment had already occurred, and one was
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accomplished on Saturday eve following the above events.
The business of the town being in some measure ruined by the coercions of Parliament laws and the agents of the Crown, raised among the people such a high spirit of re- sentment, that the commissioners with their officers, and the collector and comptroller, thought it the better part of valor to go on board the Romney.
On Monday, a notification was issued, calling on " the sons of liberty?' to meet at Liberty Hall, on Tuesday at 10 A. M. This notice for a meeting, allayed the fury of the greatly ex- cited people ; on Tuesday morning, colors were waving over the Tree of Liberty, and at the appointed hour, vast numbers of the inhabitants had assembled, but as the streets were un- comfortably wet, they adjourned to Faneuil Hall; then it was proposed to have a legal meeting called, which was im- mediately done by the selectmen, to be holden that day at 3 P. M .; at that time, so many more had gathered together than the hall could contain, they adjourned to the Old South meeting house ; there a petition to the Governor was unan- imously adopted, a committee of twenty one appointed to pre- sent it : after a strong declaration of their rights and a me- morial of their injuries, they added "the town is at this cri- 'sis in a situation, nearly such as if war was formally declared 'against it : to contend with our parent state is in our idea ' the most shocking and dreadful extremity : but tamely to ' relinquish the only security we and our posterity retain of 'the enjoyment of our lives and properties, without one 'struggle, is so humiliating and base that we cannot sup- ' port the reflection. We apprehend, Sir, that it is at your op- ' tion, in your power, and we hope in your inclination, to ' prevent this distressed and justly incensed people from of- ' fecting too much, and from the shame and reproach of at- ' tempting too little.
Gov. Bernard received the deputation with politeness, but
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to the request in their petition, for him to order the frigate out of Boston harbour, he had not any competent authority : her commander, (Capt. Corner) was thereby induced to give public notice, that he would not press any man belonging to, or married in the province, or any one belonging to the trade along shore, or to the neighboring colonies.
The Legislature being in session, the town instructed its representatives to support equally as strong measures as were asserted in their petition of the 13th. of June ; but on the 1st. of July, the House of Representatives was prorogued by order of the Governor, in consequence of their refusal to rescind or disavow their circular, addressed to the other prov. inces, Feb. 11. and this measure was in compliance with the late received order from the British ministry.
On the 1st. of August, 1768, two hundred and eleven mer- chants of Boston, agreed, that for one year from Jan. 1, 1769, they would not order any goods or merchandize from Eng- land, except coals, salt and some few articles necessary for the fisheries ; or import tea, glass, paper or colors, " until ' the acts imposing duties on those articles are repealed. '
That same month, some difficulty occurred between the crew of the ship Romney and the people, in which the lat- ter triumphed, and drove the misereants from the town.
These proceedings furnished Gen. Gage,(who command- ed all the king's forces in the colonies,) with sufficient pre- tence for supplying Boston with a goodly portion of his ar- my : this intention of the General, was known in July, but not made certain till September, and on the 12th. of that month, a town meeting was held in Faneuil Hall ; a com- mittee of seven appointed to wait on the Governor, "'and re- quest him to communicate to them the reasons for which troops would be ordered here," and another committee was appointed to request him forthwith to convene the House of Representatives ; his Excellency replied, that his information
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respecting the troops was only of a private nature, and that of calling together the Representatives, was then before the King, and he could do nothing without his Majesty's com- mands.
But the people of Boston did not choose to wait for his majesty's determination ; they met again the next day, and ' chose a suitable number of persons, to act for them as a ' committee in convention; with such as may be sent to join ' them from the several towns in this province; in order that ' such measures may be consulted and advised, as his majes- ' ty's service and the peace and safety of his subjects in the ' provinces may require;' and a vote as follows, was passed; ' as there is at this time, a prevailing apprehension of ap- ' proaching war with France, every inhabitant be requested ' to provide himself with a well fixed firelock, musket, ac- ' courtrements and ammunition, as the law requires .?
A circular, was forthwith addressed to the several towns, and on Thursday, Sept. 22d. upwards of seventy delegates appeared from sixty towns, and districts, which encreased to upwards of one hundred, from ninety eight towns and dis- tricts ; James Otis, S. Adams, J. Hancock, and Cushing, were members from Boston ; Mr. Cushing was chosen chair- man ; their debates and proceedings were open ; their first business, was a petition to the Governor to call the general assembly together, but his excellency ' begged to be excus- 'ed from receiving a message from that assembly, which is 'called a committee of convention, for that would be to ad- ' mit it to be a legal assembly, which I can by no means al- ' low; " on the same day, his Excellency sent a message, but without any signature, stating his opinion " that the con- ' vention, to all intents and purposes, was an assembly of the ' representatives of the people," and therefore he added, 'I do earnestly admonish you, that instantly, and before ' you do any business, you break up this assembly and sep-
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arate yourselves." This message was ordered to be return- ed to the Secretary of State by a vote, and the next day it was sent in with the signature of Fra. Bernard attached to it.
On Saturday the convention transmitted a message to the Governor by way of answer which he refused to receive; the convention continued their sittings daily till the 29th. during which time they adopted a letter to Denny's De Berdt royal agent of the province at London ; and published the result of their conferences and consultations in which they declared their allegiance to the King, their abhorrence of ii- ots, and their determination to yield all assistance to the civ- il magistrates towards suppressing them ; and also declared their rights by charter and by nature, and their humble de- pendence on their generous Sovereign that their wrongs would be speedily redressed.
It is probable that this convention effected all that could be accomplished at that time, and perhaps it was fortunate that they closed their deliberations on the 29th. for the day previous, six of his Majesty's ships of war from Halifax, came to anchor in Nantasket, and his Ex. might have asserted the prerogative of the Crown in a more public manner : on Fri- day, Sept. 30, the ships of war, armed schooners, transports, &c., came up and anchored around the town; their cannon loaded and springs on their cables, as if for a regular seige : the next day, Oct. Ist., at noon, the 14th. and 29th. Regi. ments, a detachment fiom the 59th. and a train of artillery with two cannon, landed on Long Wharf and the wholo marched up through King (State) St., each soldier having sixteen rounds of powder and shot.
Various disputes arose about quarters for such a lot of troops ; the council maintaining not only, that they were not obliged by law, but that they were forbidden by law from quartering them on the town while the barracks at Castle Is- land were not filled ; yet some of them were lodged in the
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Town-house, some in Faneuil Hall and some in stores : the town was thus overawed by the mercenary force of his Maj- esty's regular troops.
By the 6th. of October, the use of Tea was proscribed ; 200 families in Boston agreed to abstain from the use of it ; other towns followed the example : the students of Harvard Uni- versity resolved, " with a spirit becoming Americans to use 'no more of that pernicious herb : " and so little demand was there for tea in Boston, that considerable quantities were shipped off.
Amusements that would at any other time have been par- taken of with joy and hilarity were at that time avoided : some officers of the Crown circulated a proposal for a series of dancing assemblies, but out of their own limited circle, they could not obtain the presence of any ladies, for the women of Boston refused to join in any show of gaiety and pleasure while their country was oppressed and mourning.
Nov. 10th. several Transports arrived from Cork, having part of the 64th. and 65th. Regiments : and a notice in the News Letter, stated, "we hear the honorable the commis- 'sioners leave Castle William this week : preparations are 'making to hold their board in town at Concert Hall, as ' heretofore. "?
On Monday, Jan. 30, 1769, the jail took fire, the prisoners were all taken out; it continued to burn through the night and left but the bare walls standing : the military in this case assisted and also took charge of the prisoners.
It was currently reported in Boston that the occurrences of the Town were represented in England in an unfavorable light : the selectmen made a call upon Gov. Bernard 10 communicate to them such representation of facts as he had sent to England, and at the annual meeting in March, the Town addressed a most loyal petition to the King, setting forth their grievances and in the most affecting strains beg-
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ging his protection against their rulers and oppressors.
When the annual time for the choice of representatives arrived, the selectmen waited on Gen. Mackay, commander of the British troops in Boston with a request that he would order them out of the Town on the day of the election : the General declared that to be out of his power, but he would confine them within their barracks.
The electors met on May 5th. but before proceeding to business entered on their records a declaration of their rights and a protest that their proceeding to an election under such circumstances as wholly from necessity and not to be conside ered as a precedent for any time hereafter, or to be constru- ed as a voluntary receding from the incontrovertible rights of British subjeets and frecholders on so interesting an affair : the next day Otis, Cushing. Hancock and Adams were cho- sen with nearly a unanimons vote ; the result showing that one general sentiment pervaded the town at that time.
When the Legislature met they refused to proceed to busi- ness in the Town-honse, other than for a choice of council- lors and officers, unless the fleet and army were removed from the town and harbor : after waiting a fortnight for their removal the Governor adjonrned them to Cambridge : there they passed votes of censure on his conduet : they al-o pass- ed a petition to the King for his removal, and on the next day, June 28th. he informed them that he was ordered to at- tend upon the King to lay before him the state of the prov- ince : he left Boston, July 31st. and Lieut. Gov. Hutchinson officiated in his stead.
The controversies between the people and the crown be- came as frequent as their intercourse, and every mind was enlisted in the cause of his neighbor, and an attack on the fame of James Otis occasioned the greatest degree of ex- citement and resentment : his name had been introduced in- to some paper of the commissioners of the Customs in an of-
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fensive manner and in return he published the names of tour of them, as being no more worthy of credit than Sir Francis Bernard.
The next evening, Sept. 5th. Mr. Otis went to the British Coffee House, situated where the Massachusetts Bank now stands : one of the published officers was there in company with some officers of the Army and Navy : an altercation inmediatety took place and Mr. Otis was struck with a cane which was returned with a similar weapon ; the lights were then put out, and Otis was single handed contending with many of the king's officers : a young man passing by en- tered the house and took the part of Otis, but he was beaten and put into the street; after some time the combatants were separated and Otis was led home, wounded and bleed- ing.
Mr. Otis commenced an action at court against his assault- er and obtained a verdict of £2000 sterling as damages, but which he refused to accept, on receiving from him a suita- ble apology.
Oct. 1769, the town published an appeal to the world and a vindication of Boston from the aspersions of Bernard and others.
Jan. 1770. The merchants renewed their agreement not to import British goods : they held meetings at Faneuil Hall and appointed committees to examine into the truth of any reports of those who were not faithful to their agreement: the names of several were reported and ordered to be pub- lished : Lient. Gov. Hutchinson sent a message by the Sher- iff to one of their meetings, enjoining and requiring them to separate and disperse without delay : after a calm delib- eration of the message, it was a unanimous vote to proceed, and a written answer was returned, stating that in the opin- jon of the meeting it was warranted by law.
Theophilus Lillie kept a shop near the new Brick in Han-
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over Street, and was one of the faithless importers, and on the 22d. of Feb. some persons erected a large wooden head on a pole near his place, on which was carved several faces of other importers : E. Richardson (an informer) wished some of the teamsters from the country to run the pole down with their carts, but knowing the design of the images being erect- ed they refused : Richardson seized the bridle of the for- ward horse, yet failed to guide the team against the pole, on which the boys shouted, which he resented : they pelted him with dirt and drove him into his house : a number of people gathered and high words were exchanged between R. and the multitude and then stones flew in every direction from both parties; at length R. discharged a musket from his door and another from his window, when one young man was severely injured and a lad, Christopher Snider, was killed.
The Bells of the town were set to ringing and a vast col- lection of people hastened to the spot : Richardson and one Wilmot were seized and carried to Faneuil Hall and then committed to prison : the friends of liberty were invited to attend the last ceremonies to " this little hero and first mar- 'tyr to the noble cause .??
On Monday, Feb. 26th, the funeral moved from his fath- er's house in Boylston Street; from four to five hundred school boys preceded the corpse and six of his play-fellows supported the pall; the relatives followed ; then thirteen hundred inhabitants on foot, closing with thirty chariots and other carriages.
The morning papers of the 5th. of March gave a particular account of these transactions and also of several quarrels between the soldiers and citizens : the officers were appre- hensive of more difficulties and were active to get their men into their barracks before night : the 14th. regiment was quartered in Brattle St. where the City Hotel now stands :
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