arms; it was cried about the streets, and stiled "The folly of England, and the ruin of America.

"Emblems of the most hostile signification were at the same time adopted by sundry newspapers: one of them in particular, exhibited the figure of a snake, cut in thirteen pieces, each one inscribed with the name of some colony. The motto above them was, " Join or die!"

"Ships that arrived with stamped papers on board were obliged to deliver them up into the custody of persons appointed to prevent their being used; or to enter into an engagement that they would not land them. The only places were they could be effectually protected from the fury and insolence of the multitude, were men of war and garri

sons.

"The persons who were commissioned to distribute these papers, were all, without exception, compelled to resign their office, and solemnly promise never to resume it.

"But their chief resentment was directed against such of their own countrymen as sided with government, and were active in asserting its authority. They plundered their houses, destroyed their property, and used their persons with the greatest indignity.

"While these outrages were perpetrated by the lower classes, the better sort did not interfere in the least to prevent them. They saw, with secret pleasure, how well they would be supported in the determination. they had formed to resist the designs of Great Britain. Some of them did not scruple to signify, in a public manner, that they would pay no taxes but such as were laid upon them by the legislature of their respective provinces.

"The assemblies themselves connived, in fact, at these tumultuous proceedings. They soon proceeded farther; and from silent spectators, became the principal actors in the more interesting and important scenes that succeeded to these popular commotions."

The General Assembly of Virginia was the first that openly and formally declared against the right of Britain to lay taxes on America. Of this assembly, Washington was a member; he most zealously opposed what he considered an encroachment on the liberties of his countrymen and the example of this legislative body was followed by those of the other colonies.

In June, 1765, the Assembly of Massachusetts, from a conviction of the expediency of a continental Congress, passed a resolution in favour of that measure, and sent circular

letters to the several assemblies, requesting

their concurrence.

Accordingly a deputation from ten of the colonies met at New-York; and this was the first Congress held in North America.

In consequence of a petition from this Congress to the King and both Houses of Parliament, the stamp act was repealed, to the universal joy of the colonists, and the general satisfaction of the English, whose manufactures had suffered a considerable depression in consequence of the American associations against their importation.

But the Parliament, by repealing this obnoxious act, did not relinquish the idea of their right to tax the colonies, and the bill for laying a duty on tea, paper, and painters' colours, and glass, was passed, and sent to America in 1768. This act occasioned new discontents in the colonies, especially at Boston; and though Parliament thought proper, in 1770, to take off those duties, except three pence a pound on tea: yet even this trifling impost kept alive the jealousy of the colonists, who denied the supremacy of the British legislature. The troops quartered in Boston was another cause of offence to the inhabitants, and on all occasions they manifested an inclination to quarrel with men whom they considered inimical to their liberties.

In the beginning of March, 1770, a quarrel happened in Boston between a private of the 29th regiment and one of the townsmen; and a few days afterwards a more fatal dispute occurred. The soldiers, when on parade, were insulted by a mob, who pelted them with snow-balls; at the same time they were dared to fire. Exasperated by such treatment, six of the military fired upon the populace, by which three persons were killed, and five dangerously wounded. The town was immediately in commotion, and nothing but the timely removal of the troops, and the expostulations of moderate men, prevented the people from proceeding to open hostilities. The whole province of Massachusetts rose in arms, and the soldiers were obliged to retire to Castle William for protection.

By a series of concurrent circumstances, the flame of discontent was revived in the province of Massachusetts, after it had visibly abated in the other provinces. The animosity of the people of that colony against their Governor, Mr. Hutchinson, was in- creased by the accidental discovery, that he had written letters to people in power in England, which contained a misrepresentation of the state of public affairs, and recom

mended coercive measures in order to secure the obedience of the province. These letters fell into the hands of Dr. Franklin, agent of the province, who transmitted them to Boston. The House of Assembly passed a petition to his Majesty, by a large majority, in which they declared their Governor and Lieutenant-Governor enemies to the Colonies, and prayed for their dismission from office. This petition was not only rejected, but declared to be groundless and scandalous.

About this time, Dr. Franklin was dismissed from the office of deputy post-mastergeneral of America, which he held under the crown. But it was not merely by his transmission of the letters above mentioned, that he had offended the British ministry; he had written two pieces in favour of America, which excited public attention on both sides of the Atlantic. The one was entitled, "An edict from the king of Prussia for taxing the inhabitants of Great Britain, as descendants of emigrants from his dominions ;" and the other, "Rules for reducing a great empire to a small one." These essays were both written with his peculiar simplicity of style, and abounded with the most poignant satire.

The disputes between Great Britain and her colonies had now existed above ten years,