Page:History of the United States of America, Spencer, v1.djvu/323

] The Virginia House of Burgesses, stimulated by the zeal of such men as Henry, Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee and others, had vigorously seconded the action of the Massachusetts General Court, and a committee was appointed to obtain intelligence as to all such acts of Parliament, or the ministry, as might affect the rights of the colonists. Lord Dunmore, the governor, dissolved the House; but that did not prevent action by the committee, who dispatched a circular letter to the speakers of the popular branch of the several colonial Assemblies. Not only Massachusetts, but New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maryland responded cordially, and appointed similar committees; thus taking the first steps towards the political union the colonies.

The injustice and insults heaped upon Franklin; the making the governor and judges independent of the province by receiving their salaries from the crown; the irritating course pursued by the English ministry; the excitement kept up among the people by popular meetings and discussions; all tended to urge on the Americans to proceed to extremities. The attempt to force upon the colonies cargoes of tea, brought matters to a crisis. This article had largely accumulated in the warehouses, in England, of the East India Company; and, as we have before stated, it was hoped that the export duty being taken off, the colonists would not object to the odious imposition of three pence per pound, seeing that they in fact obtained the tea nine pence per pound cheaper than it was sold in England. But in this they reckoned without their host; and the colonists unanimously resolved not only not to use the tea at all, but also not even to permit it to be landed in America.

A public meeting was held in Philadelphia, October the 2d, at which a protest, in eight resolutions, was adopted against taxation by Parliament; and "whosoever shall aid, or abet, in unloading, receiving, or vending the tea," was denounced as an enemy to his country. The gentlemen who were reputed to be the consignees of the expected cargo of tea were waited upon by a committee: one firm complied at once with the request to resign the obnoxious appointment; another refusing, was greeted with hisses and groans.

In Boston, an anonymous notice was sent to the persons rumored as consignees of the tea, to repair at an appointed hour to the "Liberty Tree," in order to surrender their commissions. Several hundred persons assembled, November 3d, to see the result; but, as might be expected, the consignees treated the whole affair with contempt. Two days after, by a call of the selectmen, a town meeting was held, at which Hancock presided, who sent a second committee to summon the consignees, among whom were two of the governor's sons, to resign their posts. This, however, to the great indignation of the meeting, they declined to do, at least until they had received advices from England. As the ships were shortly to be expected, another town meeting was held (November 18th,) when a final