Page:History of the United States of America, Spencer, v1.djvu/345

 imposed rates and duties payable in these colonies, established a board of commissioners with unconstitutional powers, and extended the jurisdiction of courts of admiralty, not only for collecting the said duties, but for the trial of causes merely arising within the body of a county:

"And whereas, in consequence of other statutes, judges, who before held only estates at will in their offices, have been made dependent on the crown alone for their salaries, and standing armies kept in times of peace: and whereas it has lately been resolved in Parliament, that by force of a statute made in the 35th year of the reign of Henry VII colonists may be transported to England, and tried there, upon accusations for treason, and misprisions and concealment of treasons committed in the colonies; and by a late statute, such trials have been directed in cases therein mentioned:

"And whereas, in the last session of Parliament three statutes were made; one entitled 'An act to discontinue in such manner and for such time as are therein mentioned, the landing and discharging, lading or shipping of goods, wares and merchandise, at the town and within the harbor of Boston, in the province of Massachusetts Bay, in North America;' another, entitled 'An act for the better regulating the government of the province of Massachusetts Bay in New England;' and another act, entitled 'An act for the impartial administration of justice in the cases of persons questioned for any act done by them in the execution of the law, or for the suppression of riots and tumults in the province of Massachusetts Bay in New England:' and another statute was then made for making more effectual provision for the government of the province of Quebec, etc.: all which statutes are impolitic, unjust and cruel, as well as unconstitutional, and most dangerous and destructive of American rights:

"And whereas, Assemblies have been frequently dissolved, contrary to the rights of the people, when they attempted to deliberate on grievances: and their dutiful, humble, loyal and reasonable petitions to the crown for redress, have been repeatedly treated with contempt by his majesty's ministers of state: the good people of the several colonies of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Newcastle, Kent and Sussex on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia. North Carolina, South Carolina,—justly alarmed at the arbitrary proceedings of Parliament and administrations, have severally elected, constituted and appointed deputies to meet and sit in general Congress, in the city of Philadelphia, in order to obtain such establishment, as that their religion, laws and liberties may not be subverted : whereupon, the deputies so appointed being now assembled in a full and free representation of these colonies, taking into their, most serious consideration the best means of attaining the ends aforesaid, do, in the first place, as Englishmen, their ancestors, in like cases have usually done for asserting and vindicating their rights and liberties, declare, that the inhabitants