The government of Great Britain could not have found an agent less qualified to foster and preserve a spirit of reconciliation in the Colonies, than his Excellency Governour Bernard. He was haughty, morose and tyrannical, and seemed to take delight in thwarting every measure of the Assembly, not proposed by his immediate friends and sub-agents.

This conduct on the part of the Governour, so far from subduing the spirits of what was called the American party, or the friends of Liberty, irritated them to more open hostility, and brought continual accessions to their numbers. The town of Boston was at this time represented by James Otis jun. Thomas Cushing, Samuel Adams and John Hancock-men whose subsequent conduct proved, that they were not to be driven into any surrender of privilege. It was in the power of the Governour to have made them all fast friends of the King-but, happily for the independence of our country, he chose by every petty act of opposition to their patriotick views, to alienate their respect and affection, and confirm them in the glorious title of champions of freedom. At the meeting of the Assembly, Mr. Otis was chosen Speaker, but the Governour refused to confirm the choice-and thus, instead of paving the way, by a mere act of courtesy, for the gracious reception of his speech, aroused that spirit of animosity which dictated the reply just quoted. He in like manner refused to sanction the nomination of the Council, because the Crown officers had been left out. Hitherto the influence of the Governour over the Assembly had been greatly assisted by the secrecy with which the debates of that House had been carried on. He and his friends might promise or threaten, without fear of restraint from pub

lick indignation. But the friends of liberty were now so numerous in the House, that their doors were thrown open and a gallery ordered to be erected for the accommodation of their fellow-citizens. From this moment the Court party began to decline, and the cause of the people to acquire additional defenders.

In the course of the Session, an Act was passed granting compensation to the sufferers in the late riots, the principal of whom was his honour the Lieutenant Governour. But this act was accompanied by a declaration that it was a free gift of the Province, and not an acknowledgment of the justice of their claim. By the same act also a full pardon was extended to the rioters-two, circumstances which gave a character to the act by no means acceptable to his Majesty.

In New York likewise there was a similar spirit of half-way accommodation manifested. The Legislature by a voluntary act, granted compensation to those who had suffered a loss of property in their adherence to the Stamp Act. But they refused to carry into execution the Act of Parliament for quartering his Majesty's troops upon them.

The people of Connecticut too, though they heartily partook of the general rejoicings at the repeal of the Stamp Act, showed by their election of a new Governour that they were not disposed to forgive their former one for his acquiescence in the requisitions of that odious Act.

CHAPTER V.

Repeal of the Stamp Act produces but a short calm-transactions in England Mr. Pitt taken into the Ministry-the strange mixture in his administration-Mr. Townsend made Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr. Pitt accepts the title and dignities of Earl of Chatham-Mr. Grenville's Prohibitory Act against New-York-its effects upon the other Colonies-arrival of British troops in Boston-consequences thereof.-Mr. Townsend's plan for taxing the Colonies.-Effects of his measures upon the Americans.-Death of Mr. Townsend, and appointment of Lord North-Lord Chatham resigns, and is succeeded by the Earl of Bristol Lord Hillsborough made Secretary of State for the Colonies.-Resolutions of Boston town meetings-Circular Letter of the Massachusetts Assembly-The Farmer's Letters.— Governour Bernard dissolves the Legislature-effects of this violence.-Seizure of Mr. Hancock's sloop-riot in consequence thereof Board of Trade remove from Boston-Meeting at Faneuil Hall.-Arrival of a British Squadron and two Regiments at Boston.-The Governour quarters them in Faneuil Hall.-Resolutions of the merchants.-Letter of the Philadelphia merchants to their agents in London-Revival of the Statute of Henry VIII-Resolutions of the Virginia House of Burgesses the Governour dissolves them.-Other Assemblies also dissolved-Conduct of Governour Bernard-his recall—and character-Different conduct of Governour Bottetourt-Lord Hillsborough's Circular.-Sentiments of the Philadelphia merchants on his conciliatory proposition.

THE universal joy which pervaded all ranks of people in America, as well as in England, on the repeal of the Stamp Act, was but of short continuance. In the first warmth of their transports, they had seemed to forget that Great Britain had, in fact, yielded nothing, or scarcely any thing, in the mere repeal of the Stamp Act, so long as they continued to maintain the right of Parliament to tax them. This right they ei

ther regarded as a question that would never again come into discussion, or they considered the concession now made to them as such an acknowledgment of their power and influence, that they did not fear any serious evil from its exercise.

But they were not long suffered to labour under this delusion. The measures with regard to the Colonies, which followed close upon the heels of the Act of Repeal, showed that the Ministry were determined to punish them for former disobedience, and coerce them to future submission.-So that before the close of the year 1766, the gloom of despondency had again taken possession of the faces so lately brightened with happy anticipations of the time to come. In every Colony, something occurred to mark the return of discontent. Besides the progress of this feeling already noted in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New-York, the General Assembly of Virginia who had in their Spring Session voted a statue to the King, and an obelisk to several of the members of Parliament, in December of this year, postponed the final consideration of the resolution until the next session-which amounted in fact to a strong expression of their altered feelings. But we must exculpate the Marquis of Rockingham and his Administration, from any share in the scheme of oppression which we are now to develope.

Lord Rockingham had discovered, in the course of the debate in the House of Peers on the repeal of the Stamp Act, that his Majesty had not given his confidence to the Ministry of which he was the head, and that he was still under the influence of his favourite, Lord Bute. As a mean of putting a stop to the corrupting progress of this influence, he conceived the idea of uniting Mr. Pitt and the Whig party out of ser

vice, with the Whigs who were now in the Ministry, and for this purpose held a conference with Mr. Pitt. But this extraordinary man, who continued to feel the same scorn of the Marquis and his party, which he had so intemperately expressed, on their first coming into the Ministry upon terms that he thought derogatory to the honour of the Whigs, received his advances with great coldness. Indeed he made some remark almost at the beginning of the conference, which the Marquis construed to imply the necessity of his own removal from the Treasury, and the attempt at union of course failed.

Lord Bute, with a view to get rid of Lord Rockingham and his Administration altogether, had made similar advances to Lord Temple; but with no better success. That nobleman was too hon. lend himself to the corruptions of Lord Bute, even though his brother formed one of the junto.

The secret advisers of Carlton House had in the mean time determined upon a change; and Mr. Pitt was once more ordered to wait upon the King. The meeting took place on the 12th of July 1766, and his Majesty opened the negotiation by telling Mr. Pitt that he should put himself altogether into his hands, without proposing any terms.-This was precisely the point to which, six months before, the Americans, if they could have had their choice, would have desired affairs to be brought. And the friends of the Colonies had certainly every thing to hope, from the character and former conduct of Mr. Pitt.

The first thing which Mr. Pitt did after his audience with the King was to send for his Noble brotherin-law-to tell him of the plenary powers with which his Majesty had invested him, and to request his Lord