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"Resolved, That any person who shall, by speaking, or writing, assert, or maintain, that any person or persons, other than the General Assembly of this colony, have any right, or power to impose, or lay any taxation on the people here, shall be deemed an enemy to this his majesty's colony."

Here is a display of that greatness of soul, that distinguished the true born sons of liberty in America, at that eventful day, and has recorded the illustrious names of a Johnston and a Henry, in the temple of immortal fame.

The hearts of such foreign members, as were present in the house of Burgesses, were appalled at such a display of magnanimity, and cried out treason; but the house, true to itself, and its country, passed the resolves, and thus led the way to independence, and glory. Stung with chagrin, at such daring oppressions of liberty, the creature of the crown, Farquier, who acted as lieutenant-governor, dissolved the assembly.

At the same time, the house of assembly in Massachusetts, passed the following resolve.

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Resolved, That it is highly expedient, that there should be a meeting, as soon as may be, of committees from the houses of Burgesses, or representatives, in the several colonies, to consult on the present circumstances of the colonies, and the difficulties to which they are, and must be reduced, and to consider on a general congress, to be held at New-York the first Tuesday in October."

This resolution was sent to the speakers of the several assemblies, in two days after, and soon after, James Otis, Jun. Oliver Partridge, and Timothoy Ruggles, where chosen a committee for Massachusetts.

The resolutions of Virginia, as above, flew like lightning throughout the colonies, accompanied by the resolve of

the general court of Massachusetts; the spirit of liberty caught the flame, became universal, and united in a focal point, at the congress in New-York.

This congress, faithful to their trust, met at the time, drew up, and signed a petition to the British House of Commons, which was forwarded to their agents in London, to be presented in due form. As soon as the business of the congress was closed, and the petition forwarded, a succession of mobs, and riots, commenced in Boston, in which the highly exasperated public feeling, was expressed against the known officers, and friends of the British government, and measures, in America, in the most daring, and outrageous manner. These commenced by hanging their persons in effigy, upon the limbs of an ancient elm, near to the most public entrance into the town of Boston, whose persons were designated by labels; where they hung through the day, and at evening they were cut down, and conveyed to Fort Hill, amidst the acclamations of a vast concourse of the populace, shouting "liberty and property forever, but no stamp act;" where they were burnt in due form, amidst the plaudits of the populace, and the continued cry of "liberty and property forever, but no stamps." In their way, the mob demolished a large new brick building, which they supposed to be designed for the stamp office, and at the same time broke all the front windows of the house of Mr. Oliver, the stamp officer. Not satisfied with this, when they had closed the ceremony of burning his effigy, they returned to his house, armed with clubs, staves, &c. (the common instruments of the mob) and demolished his fences, gardens, and furniture, together with all the remaining windows, and at midnight they retired, leaving the wreck of his house standing.

This riot commenced on the 15th of August, 1765, and on the 25th, they were renewed upon the houses, and

property, of several other suspected officers of the crown, and on the 26th, they reached the house of the chief justice, Hutchinson; and such was the rage and fury of the mob, that they exceeded on these two days, the violence of the first, and some of the best finished, and best furnished houses in the colony, were ruined and destroyed, excepting the bare walls, which stood as monuments of the desperate fury of the rioters. Money, plate, papers. books, and furniture, were all devoted to indiscriminate destruction, and even the owners themselves would have been sacrificed, could they have been found.

Such was the violence, and fury of the mob, that old, and experienced military officers declared, that it far ex ceeded all the sacking of towns which they had ever witnessed in Germany.

The town of Boston met the next day, and passed resolves, authorising and directing the selectmen to use their endeavours, to suppress all riots for the future, and the military was put in requisition for the purpose, both night and day, which took effect.

On the 24th and 27, the same spirit caught in RhodeIsland, at Providence, and Newport, and the same riotous disorders commenced; but they were appeased, before they had extended to the same degree of violence as in Boston.

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The same farce, of burning in effigy, Mr. Ingersoll the stamp-master, was exhibited in Connecticut; but the scenes were less violent here than in Rhode-Island. The populace met Mr. Ingersoll on his way from New-Haven to Hartford, and such was his alarm for his personal safety, that he publicly resigned his office, in the highway in Wethersfield, where he stood paraded upon a large table, and amidst the acclamations of a large concourse of people, twirled his hat into the air, and exclaimliberty and property, and no stamp `act." That

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spirit of patrotism which glowed in the breasts of the multitude, caught fire at the deed, and rent the air with the repeated cheers of "huzza, liberty, and property forever, but no stamp act." From this the populace conducted Mr. Ingersoll to Hartford, where the same scene was again renewed, and the populace quietly withdrew, and left Mr. Ingersoll to enjoy his own repose.

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The same spirit took fire in New-York; but before any particular warmth of feeling was expressed, by the populace, the stamps arrived. The stamp-master, Mr. Evers, resigned, and Lieutenant-Governor Colden received the stamps, and secured them, with himself, in Fort George, November 1st. Enraged at this proceeding, the mob assembled in the evening, and proceeded to the walls of the fort, and demanded the stamps, which being refused, they broke open the governor's stables, took out his coach, and paraded the streets, bearing his effigy; they next marched in procession to the common, and suspended the effigy of the governor upon a gallows, bearing in one hand a stamped bill of lading, and the devil in the other. When this exhibition was closed, they took the gallows with the effigy as it was, and proceeded through the streets, with the coach in front, until they reached the fort, and then upon bowling green, under the muzzles of the guns, they committed the coach and effigy, gallows and all, to the flames, in presence of the governor, where the whole were consumed, amidst the plaudits, and acclamations of the people. The populace then withdrew to Vauxhall gardens, all which, with the genteel mansion, furniture &c. fell a prey to the fury of the mob; and one general bonfire, which consumed the furniture, books, papers, curiosities, &c. closed the scene, and the mob dispersed.

The next morning, a Captain Isaac Sears, who had commanded a privateer, beat up for volunteers, and assembled a mob, to go and recover the stamps. Captain Sears put

himself at their head, flourished his hat, and exclaimed, ⚫ huzza my lads, we will have the stamps within twentyfour hours." Which threat so intimidated the governor, that he delivered up the stamp papers to the corporation, who deposited them in the city hall, to the satisfaction of the people; but the next arrival they committed to the flames.

On the 6th of November, the citizens met in the fields, to organize the mob for the general safety, by appointing a head, when the famous Captain Sears was appointed, and accepted the command, with four assistants. The se leaders, thus appointed, resolved themselves into a corresponding committee, which extended in a similar form throughout the colonies.

When the ships bearing the stamps arrived at Philadelphia, all vessels in that port hoisted their colours half mast high; the bells were muffled, and tolled through the day, and the feelings, as well as the countenances of the citizens, were in solemn mourning. The populace assembled, and demanded of Hughes, the stamp-master, that he should resign, with which he finally complied, without violence.

The same spirit extended into Maryland, and Mr. Hood the stamp-master, fled for safety, and took refuge in the fort at New-York. Virginia caught the fire, burnt the stamp-master in effigy, and compelled him to resign. Thus the fire raged, and Boston fanned the flame, by instituting a public paper, under the title of the "Constitu tional Courant, containing matters interesting to liberty, and no ways repugnant to royalty. Printed by Andrew Marvil, at the sign of the bribe refused, on ConstitutionHill, North America." The device which characterised this paper, was a snake cut into eight pieces. The head part was marked N. E.-for New-England, and the others containing the initials of N. Y.-N. J.-P.-M.—-V. --

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