The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

Extract of a Letter from London, November 10. 1768.

"By this Mail you will receive the King's Speech and Address. You will see by them in what Light the Behaviour of the People at Boston, in particular, is considered here. I was in the House of Lords on Tuesday, when Lord P--t moved for the Address, in a decent enough Speech, wherein he recommended treating the Colonies with Firmness, & with such a kindly Severity, as might prevent the Breach from spreading farther, and the Effusion of BLOOD, which he thought it was likely to end in, if some Means were not soon taken to enforce Obedience to the Legislature. Here the Address passed without Opposition, and they were up by Three o'Clock.

The House of Commons sat till Twelve at Night. I was not there, so cannot give you so complete an Account of their Debates as I could wish. Mr. G--le, I find, made a long Speech upon the Occasion, laying the whole Blame of our Differences with the Colonies on Lord C--hm and Lord C--dn ; which last, he said, ought to have known better, but had left him to the Compunetions of his own Conscience. He had in his Pocket the Farmer's Letters, which he frequently quoted; & called them libellous throughout. Mr. B--re spoke in Behalf of the Colonies, and against the Parliamentary Right of imposing Taxes upon them. Mr. C--w-l found great Fault with Lord H--b--rh's Letter, requiring the American Governors to dissolve their Assemblies; till they had retracted what they had done respecting the Circular Letter to the different Provinces. Mr. B--ke spoke too. Lord N--h, the C--c-l r of the E--q-r, said that whatever Prudence or Policy might hereafter induce us to repeal the late Paper and Glass Acts, he hoped we should never think of it, till we saw America prostrate at our Feet. These were his very Words. Alderman B--ck moved for an immediate Repeal. In Conclusion, the Address passed as you see it, without a Division ; and the general Sense of the House was clearly for enforcing the Act, & the Authority of the Legislature in general.

Some People here think the Difference between us is now past all healing. I am of a contrary Opinion ; because I know there is no Disposition, either in the King, the Ministry, or the Parliament, to oppress America in any Shape, or to lay heavier Burdens upon them than they are able to bear. The Power of the British Legislature here to impose Taxes upon you, will now be (indeed must now be) either enforced, or given up, and so the principal Bone of Contention between us will be taken out of the Way. The violent Encroachments of James the Second, brought on the glorious Revolution ; and tho' I am far from comparing our Differences to the Differences between the King & People at that Time; yet it is a good Sign, when the Causes of Disgust between any two Parties come to be fully and openly canvassed, that they will soon terminate in an Accommodation."