nature as will effectually restore that affection and obedience which formerly characterized all the dependances of this great Nation I am with personal esteem and regard Your most obedient & most humble servant ISAAC BARREE The Committee appointed the 4 Instant to Consider what Measures are proper to be taken to vindicate the Character of the Town from the false and injurious Representations contained in the Letters & Memorials wrote by Governor Bernard, Commodore Hood, the Commissioners of the Customs and others" Reported a Draft; And upon a Motion made and seconded, the Same was recommitted, and the Committee desired to Report again in the Afternoon. Voted, that this Meeting be Adjourned to 4 O'Clock. P: M: [172.] October 18th. 4. O'Clock P: M: Met according to Adjournment The Inhabitants brought in their Votes for a Collector of Taxes in the room of Mr. Samuel Ruggles Jun'. who declined serving and upon sorting them it appeared that Mr. Jacob Wendell was chosen into that Office The Committee according to Order, again Reported ? Draft relative to Governor Bernard, Commodore Hood, General Gages & Commissioners Letters and Memorials, (see at the close of this Year the same recorded at large) — which Report being read and considered, was unanimously accepted, and Ordered to be published and the Committee were directly respectfully to transmit a printed Copy of the same to the following Gentlemen. Viz. The Honble. Coll. Isaac Barree Esq. a Member of Parlament, His Excellency Thomas Pownall Esq. late Governor of this Province, and a Member of Parliament, Benjamin Franklin Esq. Doctor of Laws, William Bollan Esq. Agent for his Majestys Council of this Province, Dennis Deberdt Esq. Agent for the House of Representatives, and Barlow Trecothick Esq. Aldermau of the City of London, and a Member of Parliament Then the Committee made Report of the following Resolves Vizt. Resolved, That the Letters and Memorials of Governor Bernard and the Commissioners of the Customs in America, transmitted by them respectively to his Majestys Ministers, and laid before the Parliament of Great Britain, authentick Copys of which are now before this Town, had a tendency to deceive the Ministry, and lead them unavoidably to misinform his Majesty, with Regard to the Affections and loyalty of his American Subjects in general: [173.] And that the said Governor Bernard and the Commissioners have perticularly in their Letters and Memorials before mentioned, discovered an implacable Enmity to this Town, and the most virulent Endeavors to traduce it even to his Majesty himself, by Means whereof the Inhabitants very sensibly feel the Displeasure of their gracious Sovereign Resolved, That this Town have Reason to rejoice in the Measure taken by the Honble. House of Representatives, in the last Session of the General Assembly; by so seasonably preferring their dutiful and loyal Petition to his Majesty, for the removal of Governor Bernard forever, from the Government of this Province: And the Town take this Opportunity to express their most ardent wish, that the Prayer of said Petition to his Majesty may be graciously heard and granted Resolved, That General Gage and Commodore Hood in their Several Letters to his Majestys Ministers and Servants, authentick Copies of which are now before the Town, have discovered an unreasonable Prejudice against the Town. And the General in particular, in declaring in his Letter to the Right Honble, the Earl of Hillsborough, one of his Majestys Secrataries of State that "in truth there was very little Government in Boston" and in making use of other Expressions alike severe, has done great injustice to the Town, and an irreparable injury. And it is moreover the Opinion of the Town, that the readiness he has discovered to receive unfavourable Impressions of it, and the publick Testimony he was prevailed on to bear against it, before he could have had Time to make an impartial Enquiry, betrayed a want of Candor unbecoming his Station and Character Resolved, That many of the Letters & Memorials aforesaid are false scandalous and infamous Libels upon the Inhabitants of this Town, Province and Continent, of the most virulent and Malicious, as well as dangerous and pernicious tendency: And that the Selectmen be and hereby are directed, to apply and complain to proper authority, that the wicked Authors of these incendiary Libels, may be proceeded with [174.] According to Law, and brought to condign punishment. Voted, That Mess". Edes and Gill have the printing of the vindication of the Town of Boston from the many false and malicious Aspersions contained in Governor Bernard, and others Letters &c. as Reported by the Committee The Committee appointed by the Town to inspect the State of the Town Treasury, from Time to Time and make Report upon that and other Money Matters, now Report, That Mr. Payson a late Collector has paid the Town Treasurer £2,, 12,, 8 since their former Report, and also the Province Treasurer £107. So that there is still due to the Town Treasurer £743,, 15 1. and to the Province Treasurer £448,, 4,, 6 lawful Money Upon a Motion made Voted, unanimously That the Thanks of this Town be and hereby are given to the Honble. Isaac Barree Esq. a Member of Parliament for his singular Service to the Town in waiting upon our gracious Sovereign in Person, and presenting to his Majesty their humble and dutiful Petition for the Redress of Grievances, and that The Honble. Thomas Cushing Esq. John Adams Esq. The Honble. James Otis Esq. Richard Dana Esq. Joshua Henshaw Esq. Joseph Jackson Esq. & Benjamin Kent Esq. be a Committee respectfully to transmit this Vote of Thanks to Collo. Barree as soon as may be Voted, unanimously, that the Thanks of [175.] The Town be and hereby are given to the Honble. Thomas Cushing Esq. Moderator of this Meeting for dispatching the Business thereof Then the Meeting was dissolved. At a Meeting of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of the Town of Boston legally qualified and warned in publick Town Meeting Assembled at Faneuil Hall on Monday the 13 Day of November Anno Domini 1769 Warrant for calling the Meeting read The Honble. James Otis Esq. was chosen Moderator of this Meeting, and took the Oaths respecting his paying and receiving Bills of Credit of the other Governments as required by an Act of this Province The Inhabitants were directed to withdraw and bring in their Votes for a Collector of Taxes for the present Year; and upon sorting them it appeared that Mr. Benjamin Henderson was chosen a Collector of Taxes for the Year 1769 Voted, that this Meeting be Adjourned to 4 O'Clock P: M: 4. O'Clock Met according to Adjournment [176.] Mr. Benjamin Henderson who was chosen in the Fore-Noon a Collector of Taxes, appeared, and acquainted the Town, that having thoughts of removing into the Country, it would not be convenient for him to serve in that Office- And therefore desired the Town would be pleased to excuse his serving whereupon Voted, that Mr. Benjamin Henderson be excused from serving in the Office of a Collector of Taxes to which he had been chosen The Town brought in their Votes for a Collector of Taxes, and upon sorting them it appeared that Capt. Samuel Dashwood was chosen a Collector of Taxes for the Year 1769 Capt. Samuel Dashwood chosen into the Office of a Collector of Taxes came into Meeting, and prayed the Town, that he might be excused from serving in said Office - whereupon it was Voted that he be accordingly excused A Motion was made and seconded that the Town come into some Methods for preventing the Forestalling of the Market, which is a great and growing evil, after some debate had thereon it was moved and carried, that the further Consideration of this Motion be referred over to the Adjournment Voted, that the Town Clerk be directed to procure Copys of such Bills as have at any Time been presented to the General Assembly relative to forestalling of the Market, or any other Documents respecting this practise, to be laid before the Town at the Adjournment of this Meeting Voted, that this Meeting be Adjourned to Fryday the 17 of this Instant 10 O'Clock. Before-Noon [177.] Fryday November 17. 10. O'Clock A: M: Town met according to Adjournment The Meeting being thin and the Weather very Cold, it was Voted, that the Meeting be Adjourned to the Selectmens Chamber The Town taking into Consideration the great loss the Inhabitants sustain by means of the pernitious practise of forestalling the Market, which is a growing Evil, and as detrimental to the Interest of the Landholder or Farmer as it is to the People of this Metropolis Voted, that the Gentlemen the Selectmen be and hereby are appointed a Committee to take this Matter into Consideration, and to consult the best methods that may be taken to obtain at the next Session of the Great and General Assembly of this Province, such an Act as may be effectual to remedie the Evil complained of, and also to prevent the Incumbrances in the Streets near Market Square, by means of the Country People placing their Horses and Carts in said Street instead of bringing them with their Provisions into the Market Enclosures Voted, that this Meeting be Adjourned to Fryday next being the 24 Instant. 10. O'Clock Before-Noon Fryday November 24 10. O'Clock cording to Adjournment Before Noon Town met ac Voted, that the Thanks of the Town be and hereby are given to the Moderator of this Meeting The Honble. James Otis Esq. for dispatching the Business thereof Then the Meeting was dissolved. [178.] At a Meeting of the Freeholders & other Inhabitants of the Town of Boston legally qualified & warned in publick Tow: Meeting Assembled at Faneuil Hall on Fryday the 8 Day of December Anno Domini 1769 Warrant for calling the Meeting read Joshua Henshaw Esq. was chosen Moderator of this Meeting, and took the Oaths respecting his paying and receiving Bills of Credit of the Governments of Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, as required by an Act of this Province The Petition of Mr. Hugh Mc. Daniel, "setting forth that he is now a Prisioner in his Majestys Goal for Non Payment of his Taxes for 1766 & 1767. amounting in the whole to £22,, 12,, 3 as well as for other Suits; and praying such relief as to the Town may seem meet" was read, and after considerable debate had thereon a Motion was made, that the said Petitioner might have leave to withdraw his Petition Mr. Benjamin Henderson was chosen a Collector of Taxes for the Year 1769 Adjourned to Wednesday December 13. 4. O'Clock P: M: December 13. 4. O'Clock P: M: Met according to Adjourn ment [179.] Voted, that the Thanks of the Town be and hereby are given to Joshua Henshaw Esq. the Moderator of this Meeting for dispatching the Business thereof Then the Meeting was dissolved. The Report of the Committee appointed to vindicate the Town of Boston from the many false and malicious Aspersions contained in certain Letters and Memorials, written by Governor Bernard, General Gage, Commodore Hood, the Commissioners of the American Board of Customs, and others, and by them respectively transmitted to the British Ministry, which was laid before the Town and accepted, at a General Meeting of the Freeholders and Inhabitants, the 18. of October last, is as follows, Vizt. The Town of Boston having by the generous care of William Bollan Esq. formerly a very worthy Inhabitant in it, but now a Resident in London, received authentick copies of Letters Memorials &c. written by Governor Bernard, General Gage, Commodore Hood, the Commissioners of the American Board of Customs, and others, and laid before the Parliament; which contain many base insinuations and virulent charges of an high nature against the Town: The Freeholders and Inhabitants in a legal Town Meeting assembled for the purpose, have considered the same. As they have not yet been favoured with the particular vouchers: if indeed these Gentlemen have produced any to the Ministry [180.] Before whom they laid their accusations, it cannot be expected they should be enabled to make so full a vindication of the Town as otherwise they might: They have however endeavoured to extract from those writings, so far as the Town is concerned in them, and to lay before the publick their true spirit: From whence it will appear how restless, Governor Bernard & his Associates have been in their malicious intrigues to traduce not this Town and Province, alone, but the whole British American Continent. In his Letter to the Earl of Shelburne, dated March 19. 1768 he tells his Lordship that "he sees such an opposition to the Commissioners and their Officers, and such a defyance to the Authority by which they are appointed, continually growing, that he can no longer excuse his informing his Lordship of the detail of facts, from whence the most dangerous consequences are to be expected -It is observable here, how artfully he connects an opposition to the Commissioners with a defiance of the authority by which they are appointed; and this with an apparent design to represent this Town as disaffected to his Majestys Government in general, than |