in society which his wealth, his family, and his alliances, had conferred on him,-it is said that his fortune was not essentially impaired by it.

It is not now possible to ascertain the precise period when Mr. Braxton was first called into public life. It is believed, however, that he was a member of the house of burgesses, the popular branch of the colonial legislature, as early as the year 1761; and that he took an active part in the eventful session of 1765, when the celebrated resolutions of Patrick Henry were adopted: by these it was strongly affirmed that the sole right and power to lay taxes and impositions on the people of the colony, was in the general assembly, and that every attempt to vest such power in the parliament, had a manifest tendency to destroy British, as well as American freedom.

In the session of the house of burgesses, which commenced on the eleventh of May, 1769, being a new assembly elected, and convened soon after the arrival of lord Bottetourt, as governor of Virginia, Mr. Braxton was one of the delegates from the county of King William. The proceedings, and speedy dissolution of that body, are matter of history. The session was marked by a set of resolutions so strong, as to have excited even the amiable and popular Bottetourt to displeasure. The house unanimously resolved, that the sole right of imposing taxes on the colony, was vested in the house of burgesses, with the consent of the council, and of the king, or his governor; that the colony had a right to petition the king for the redress of grievances, and to procure the concurrence of the other colonies, in dutiful addresses to the king; that all trials for treason, and other crimes, committed in the colony, ought to be conducted before his majesty's courts in the colony; that the seizing and sending

persons beyond sea for trial, was highly derogatory to the rights of British subjects; and that an address should be presented to his majesty, beseeching his interposition to avert from his subjects, those dangers and miseries, which would ensue, from seizing and carrying persons beyond sea, to be tried in any other than the ancient mode of proceeding.

Lord Bottetourt was then fresh from the court of his royal master, and did not at all relish the noble stand which the house had unexpectedly taken. The adoption of the resolutions caused the immediate dissolution of the assembly, by the governor, in these words: "Mr. Speaker and gentlemen of the house of burgesses,-I have heard of your resolves, and augur ill of their effects. You have made it my duty to dissolve you, and you are dissolved accordingly."But the minds of that assembly were too firm and enlightened, to be driven from the defence of the sacred rights of their constituents, by this act of power. As soon as they were dissolved, the whole body assembled in a private house of the city of Williamsburg, and entered into the memorable non-importation agreement of the eighteenth of May, 1769. In the subscription to that agreement, we find the name of Carter Braxton associated with the venerated names of Randolph, Nicholas, Bland, Cary, Carter, Lee, Washington, Henry, Jefferson, Nelson, and numerous other pure, disinterested, and determined patriots.

But the dissolution of the house of burgesses did not change the materials of which it had been composed. The same members were re-elected without a single exception, and among them, Mr. Braxton. At the first meeting of this assembly, which took place on the seventh of November, 1769, much greater harmony prevailed than had existed for seve

ral years before. This state of things is easily accounted for, by an extract from the opening speech of lord Bottetourt: "I think myself peculiarly fortunate," said his lordship, "to be able to inform you, that in a letter dated thirteenth of May, I have been assured by the earl of Hillsborough, that his majesty's present administration, have at no time entertained a design to propose to parliament, to lay any further taxes upon America, for the purpose of raising a revenue, and that it is their intention to propose, in the next session of parliament, to take off the duties upon glass, paper, and colours, upon consideration of such duties having been laid contrary to the true principles of commerce. It may possibly be objected, that as his majesty's present administration are not immortal, their successors may be inclined to attempt to undo what the present ministers should have attempted to perform; and to that objection I can give but this answer,-that it is my firm opinion, that the plan I have stated to you will certainly take place, and that it will never be departed from; and so determined am I forever to abide by it, that I will be content to be declared. infamous, if I do not, to the last hour of my life, at all times, in all places, and upon all occasions, exert every power with which I either am, or ever shall be, legally invested, in order to obtain and maintain for the continent of America, that satisfaction which I have been authorized to promise this day, by the confidential servants of our gracious sovereign, who, to my certain knowledge, rates his honour so high, that he would rather part with his crown than preserve it by deceit."

The noble sentiments expressed by the governor, and the feeling manner in which they were conveyed, were fully reciprocated by the house. A grateful and conciliatory answer

was prepared to the speech, by a committee consisting of Mr. Nicholas, (the treasurer) and Mr. Pendleton, which was unanimously adopted, and concluded with these words: "Your lordship's great regard and attention to the welfare and true interests of this colony, had before endeared you to us all; but your generous and noble declarations upon this occasion, demand our warmest, and most grateful acknowledgments."-Thus the wounds which American liberty had received by the stamp act,-by the declaration that parliament had a right to tax the colonies in all cases whatever,and by the duties laid on tea, glass, paper, and colours, appeared to be in a fair way of being healed; and, during the remainder of the administration of lord Bottetourt, there was a calm, with now and then a rumbling of distant thunder. But it was a deceitful calm preceding the furious tempest, which, during the government of his immediate successor, tore up by the roots, not only the pretensions of the British parliament, but the supremacy of the British king.

In this assembly, Mr. Braxton was considered a valuable and important member. According to the custom of the general assemblies, six standing committees, necessary for the management of the legislative business of the colony, were appointed in the beginning of the session: these were the committees of religion, of propositions, and grievances, of trade, of privileges, and elections, of public claims, and of courts of justice. And Mr. Braxton was appointed a member of the three first named. Their first session was occupied almost exclusively in the ordinary, though important, affairs of the colony, and on the twenty-first of December, the house was prorogued to the twenty-first of May, 1770, when it met for the second time. This session was engaged, like the last, in the ordinary concerns of the

colony, but there was one proceeding, which showed, that they watched, with great care, the conduct of parliament; that they still distrusted it; and that they were determined not to yield to its encroachments. That proceeding was a petition to the king, prepared by Richard Henry Lee, as chairman of a committee, consisting of himself, Mr. Bland, Mr. Henry Lee, Mr. Nicholas, Mr. Pendleton, Mr. Archibald Cary, and Mr. Harrison. After reminding him of their former claims to be exempt from all taxes not imposed by themselves, it stated, in language firm, but courteous, that they had the most convincing testimony that the sentiments and dispositions of his ministry, confirmed by the voice of parliament, continued to be extremely unfavourable and alarming to America; a reflection the more grievous, since they had recently flattered themselves, that a permanent foundation would be laid, for restoring and perpetuating that harmony, which once united the interests, and affections, of Britain and America. It deprecated the resolution of parliament, to continue the several acts imposing duties for the purpose of raising a revenue in America; exposing the persons and estates of the colonists to the arbitrary decisions of distant courts of admiralty, and thereby depriving them of the inestimable right of trial by their peers alone. It stated that a partial suspension of duties on British manufactures, could not remove their well-grounded apprehensions, while impositions were continued on the same articles of foreign fabric, and entirely retained on tea, for the avowed purpose of establishing a precedent. It, therefore, humbly besought and implored him, to interpose his royal influence and authority, to procure a total repeal of those disagreeable acts of parliament, and to secure to them the free and uninterrupted enjoyment of those rights and privileges, derived