Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/102

 78 SKETCHES OF THE

that brilliant political meteor, Charles Townsend, urged, among other things, "//le propriety of mate troops being sent to America, and of tJieir being quar- tered in the large toicns. He said that he had a plan preparing, which he would lay before the house, for the raising of supplies in America. That the legislative authority of Great Britain, extended to every colony, in every paHicula7\ That the distinction, between in- teiiial and external taxes, was iwnsense; and that he voted for the repeal of the stamp act, not because it was not a good act, but because, at that time, th£re appeared a propriety in repealing it. He added, that he repeated tJie sentence, that the galleries might hear him; and after that, he did twt expect to have his statue erected in Ame- nca: in all which, Mr. Grenville joined him fully /^

This temper soon manifested itself in open acts, and tm'ned the late joy of the colonies, into mourning.

The first obnoxious measure was a stern demand of satisfaction, from the legislatures of the colonies, for the injuries which had been done to the stamp officers and their adherents. The legislature of Massachusetts, of whom this demand was first made, very respectfully, and with good reason questioned the propriet}^^ and jus- tice of taxing the whole colony, for the excesses of a few individuals, which they had neither prompted nor approved; for the sake of peace however, and in the spirit of accommodation that satisfaction was given; but they annexed to their vote of satisfaction, a grant of par- don to the rioters; and in England, according to the usual courtesy of that countiy, nothing was said of the satisfaction, while the pardon was treated as a most insolent and impudent usurpation of the royal au- thority.

The next step was that suggested by Mr. Townsend.

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