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Domestic News
March 23, 1769
The Virginia Gazette
Richmond, Williamsburg, Richmond County, Virginia
What is this article about?
Williamsburg reports on House of Lords' resolves condemning Massachusetts Bay House of Representatives' votes denying Parliament's authority over colonies, and Boston's disorderly proceedings, riots, and illegal conventions. Lords address the King, thanking him and urging punishment of instigators via special commission.
Merged-components note: These components form a continuous article reporting the resolves of the House of Lords and their address to the King regarding proceedings in Massachusetts Bay and American colonies.
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WILLIAMSBURG, March 23.
By a letter from London we have received the following resolves of the House of Lords, and their address to his Majesty in consequence of them.
Resolved by the Lords SPIRITUAL and TEMPORAL, in PARLIAMENT assembled,
I. THAT the votes, resolutions, and proceedings of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts Bay, in the months of January and February last, respecting several late acts of Parliament, so far as the said votes, resolutions, and proceedings, do import a denial of, or draw into question, the power of his Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in Parliament assembled, to make laws and statutes of sufficient force and validity to bind the colonies and people of America, subjects of the crown of Great Britain, in all cases whatsoever, are illegal, unconstitutional, and derogatory of the rights of the Crown and Parliament of Great Britain.
2. That the resolution of the Said House of Burgesses of the province of Massachusetts Bay, in January last, to write letters to the several Houses of Representatives of the British colonies on the continent, desiring them to join with the said House of Representatives of the province of Massachusetts Bay in petitions which do deny, or draw into question, the right of Parliament to impose duties and taxes upon his Majesty's subjects in America, in pursuance of the said resolution the writing such letters, in which certain late acts of Parliament, imposing duties and taxes, are stated to be infringements of the rights of his Majesty's subjects of
1. That the proceedings of the town of Boston, in the province of Massachusetts Bay, are of a most unwarrantable and dangerous nature, calculated to inflame the minds of his Majesty's subjects in the other colonies, tending to create unlawful combinations, repugnant to the laws of Great Britain, and subversive of the constitution.
2. That it appears that the town of Boston, in the province of Massachusetts Bay, has for some time past been in a state of great disorder and confusion, and that the peace of the said town has at several times been disturbed by riots and tumults of a dangerous nature, in which the officers of his Majesty's revenue there have been obstructed by acts of violence in the execution of the laws, and their lives endangered.
3. That it appears that neither the Council of the said province, nor the ordinary civil magistrates, did exert their authority for suppressing the said riots and tumults.
4. That in these circumstances of the province of Massachusetts Bay, and of the town of Boston, the preservation of the public peace, and the due execution of the laws, became impracticable without the aid of a military force to support and protect the civil magistrate and the officers of his Majesty's revenue.
5. That the declarations, resolutions, and proceedings, in the town meetings at Boston, on the 14th of June and 12th of September, were illegal and unconstitutional, and calculated to excite sedition and insurrections in his Majesty's province of Massachusetts Bay.
6. That the appointment at the town meeting of the 12th of September of a convention to be held in the town of Boston on the 22d of that month, to consist of deputies from the several towns and districts in the province of Massachusetts Bay, and the issuing a precept by the Selectmen of the town of Boston to each of those said towns and districts for the election of such deputies, were proceedings subversive of his Majesty's government, and evidently manifesting a design in the inhabitants of the said town of Boston to set up a new and unconstitutional authority, independent of the Crown of Great Britain.
7. That the elections by several towns and districts in the province of Massachusetts Bay of deputies to sit in the said convention, and the meeting of such convention in consequence thereof, were daring insults offered to his Majesty's authority, and audacious usurpations of the powers of government.
The humble ADDRESS of the Lords Spiritual & Temporal, in Parliament assembled.
Most Gracious Sovereign,
We your Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament assembled, return your Majesty our humble thanks for the communication your Majesty has been graciously pleased to make to your Parliament of several papers relating to public transactions in your Majesty's province of Massachusetts Bay.
We beg leave to express to your Majesty our sincere satisfaction in the measures which your Majesty has pursued for supporting the constitution, and for inducing a due obedience to the authority of the legislature; and to give your Majesty the strongest assurances that we will effectually stand by and support your Majesty, in such further measures as may be found necessary to maintain the civil magistrates in a due execution of the laws within your Majesty's province of Massachusetts Bay. And as we conceive that nothing can be more immediately necessary, either for the maintenance of your Majesty's authority in the said province, or for guarding your Majesty's subjects therein from being further deluded by the acts of wicked and designing men, than to proceed in the most speedy and effectual manner for bringing to condign punishment the chief authors and instigators of the late disorders, we most humbly beseech your Majesty that you will be graciously pleased to direct your Majesty's Governor of Massachusetts Bay to take the most effectual method for procuring the fullest information that can be obtained touching all treasons, and misprisions of treason, committed within his government since the 30th day of December last, and to transmit the same, together with the names of the persons who were most active in the commission of such offences, to one of your Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, in order that your Majesty may issue a special commission for inquiring of, hearing, and determining, the said offences, within this realm, pursuant to the provisions of the statute of the 35th of King Henry VIII. in case your Majesty shall, upon receiving the said information, see sufficient ground for such proceeding.
By a letter from London we have received the following resolves of the House of Lords, and their address to his Majesty in consequence of them.
Resolved by the Lords SPIRITUAL and TEMPORAL, in PARLIAMENT assembled,
I. THAT the votes, resolutions, and proceedings of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts Bay, in the months of January and February last, respecting several late acts of Parliament, so far as the said votes, resolutions, and proceedings, do import a denial of, or draw into question, the power of his Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in Parliament assembled, to make laws and statutes of sufficient force and validity to bind the colonies and people of America, subjects of the crown of Great Britain, in all cases whatsoever, are illegal, unconstitutional, and derogatory of the rights of the Crown and Parliament of Great Britain.
2. That the resolution of the Said House of Burgesses of the province of Massachusetts Bay, in January last, to write letters to the several Houses of Representatives of the British colonies on the continent, desiring them to join with the said House of Representatives of the province of Massachusetts Bay in petitions which do deny, or draw into question, the right of Parliament to impose duties and taxes upon his Majesty's subjects in America, in pursuance of the said resolution the writing such letters, in which certain late acts of Parliament, imposing duties and taxes, are stated to be infringements of the rights of his Majesty's subjects of
1. That the proceedings of the town of Boston, in the province of Massachusetts Bay, are of a most unwarrantable and dangerous nature, calculated to inflame the minds of his Majesty's subjects in the other colonies, tending to create unlawful combinations, repugnant to the laws of Great Britain, and subversive of the constitution.
2. That it appears that the town of Boston, in the province of Massachusetts Bay, has for some time past been in a state of great disorder and confusion, and that the peace of the said town has at several times been disturbed by riots and tumults of a dangerous nature, in which the officers of his Majesty's revenue there have been obstructed by acts of violence in the execution of the laws, and their lives endangered.
3. That it appears that neither the Council of the said province, nor the ordinary civil magistrates, did exert their authority for suppressing the said riots and tumults.
4. That in these circumstances of the province of Massachusetts Bay, and of the town of Boston, the preservation of the public peace, and the due execution of the laws, became impracticable without the aid of a military force to support and protect the civil magistrate and the officers of his Majesty's revenue.
5. That the declarations, resolutions, and proceedings, in the town meetings at Boston, on the 14th of June and 12th of September, were illegal and unconstitutional, and calculated to excite sedition and insurrections in his Majesty's province of Massachusetts Bay.
6. That the appointment at the town meeting of the 12th of September of a convention to be held in the town of Boston on the 22d of that month, to consist of deputies from the several towns and districts in the province of Massachusetts Bay, and the issuing a precept by the Selectmen of the town of Boston to each of those said towns and districts for the election of such deputies, were proceedings subversive of his Majesty's government, and evidently manifesting a design in the inhabitants of the said town of Boston to set up a new and unconstitutional authority, independent of the Crown of Great Britain.
7. That the elections by several towns and districts in the province of Massachusetts Bay of deputies to sit in the said convention, and the meeting of such convention in consequence thereof, were daring insults offered to his Majesty's authority, and audacious usurpations of the powers of government.
The humble ADDRESS of the Lords Spiritual & Temporal, in Parliament assembled.
Most Gracious Sovereign,
We your Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament assembled, return your Majesty our humble thanks for the communication your Majesty has been graciously pleased to make to your Parliament of several papers relating to public transactions in your Majesty's province of Massachusetts Bay.
We beg leave to express to your Majesty our sincere satisfaction in the measures which your Majesty has pursued for supporting the constitution, and for inducing a due obedience to the authority of the legislature; and to give your Majesty the strongest assurances that we will effectually stand by and support your Majesty, in such further measures as may be found necessary to maintain the civil magistrates in a due execution of the laws within your Majesty's province of Massachusetts Bay. And as we conceive that nothing can be more immediately necessary, either for the maintenance of your Majesty's authority in the said province, or for guarding your Majesty's subjects therein from being further deluded by the acts of wicked and designing men, than to proceed in the most speedy and effectual manner for bringing to condign punishment the chief authors and instigators of the late disorders, we most humbly beseech your Majesty that you will be graciously pleased to direct your Majesty's Governor of Massachusetts Bay to take the most effectual method for procuring the fullest information that can be obtained touching all treasons, and misprisions of treason, committed within his government since the 30th day of December last, and to transmit the same, together with the names of the persons who were most active in the commission of such offences, to one of your Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, in order that your Majesty may issue a special commission for inquiring of, hearing, and determining, the said offences, within this realm, pursuant to the provisions of the statute of the 35th of King Henry VIII. in case your Majesty shall, upon receiving the said information, see sufficient ground for such proceeding.
What sub-type of article is it?
Politics
Riot Or Protest
What keywords are associated?
House Of Lords
Massachusetts Bay
Parliament Resolves
Boston Riots
Colonial Sedition
Royal Authority
Where did it happen?
Massachusetts Bay
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Massachusetts Bay
Event Date
March 23
Outcome
resolves declare colonial proceedings illegal; address urges king to pursue punishment of instigators via special commission for treasons since december 30.
Event Details
House of Lords resolves condemn Massachusetts Bay House of Representatives' votes and letters denying Parliament's authority to bind colonies and impose taxes as illegal. Further resolves denounce Boston's proceedings, riots obstructing revenue officers, failure of magistrates to suppress tumults, need for military aid, and illegal town meetings and convention as seditious and subversive. Address thanks King for supporting constitution and beseeches him to direct governor to gather information on treasons for prosecution.