Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/106

 82 SKETCHES OF THE

discretion; with authority to call for aid, upon the na- val and military establishments within the colony; and with an exemption fivryi prosecution or lesponsihility be- frn^e any of the king's courts, fm^ whatsoever they might do, by any constniction of tJieir commissimi.

Another measure which gave great offence to the co- lonies, was the establishment of a board of admiralty, with extensive powers, supported by large salaries in- dependent of the colonies, yet drawn from the revenues compulsorily levied upon them; and the appointment, also, of common law judges, to be paid by the crown out of the revenues of the colony, and to hold their offices during the king's pleasure.

To all these outi'ages, the legislatures of the colonies answered by petitions, memorials, remonstrances, and letters, addressed to the friends of colonial liberty in England; blending with the strongest professions of loy- alty, the expression of their hope, that those obnoxious measures would be reconsidered and reversed, and the colonies protected in their ancient and unalienable rights. I» 'reply, they received from the kindest of their English friends, only exhortations to patience un- der their sufferings; by the court party, menaces and anathemas were brandished over their heads; and the commissioners of the revenue, together with their auxi- liaries, the naval and military officers and soldier^-, con- tinued to outrage and insult them, both in their persons and property.

The people of Massachusetts, with the view of frus- trating the new revenue bill, entered into an associa- tion, by which they bound themselves not to import from Great Britain, or use any of the articles taxed; and in- cluded in the resolution every article of British manu- facture which was not of the first and most indispensa-

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