The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a letter from a gentleman in Philadelphia, dated October 9, 1773:

"The appointment of commissioners by the East India company for the sale of tea, in America, has taken place. Messrs. Wharton, Ingles and Brown, of this city, are the commissioners appointed for Pennsylvania. How these gentlemen will conduct themselves on this occasion we cannot yet determine, but unless they are dead to the ties of brotherhood, to every sense of virtuous patriotism, which their injured country calls loudly for the most vigorous exertion of, at this alarming crisis; in short, unless they are determined, as far as they can, to forge the horrid shackles of slavery for generations to come, and fix indelibly on themselves and their posterity a stigma, which the progress of time, far from obliterating will increase with aggravated reproach and infamy, they will certainly make an honourable surrender of their factorships.

A sensible piece, signed Scevola, addressed to the commissioners, has this day appeared, setting forth the evil tendency of the East India company's appointment of commissioners for the purpose of selling tea in America; a measure apparently pregnant with every mischief that can endanger the freedom, and disturb the internal tranquility of the colonies. Nothing, indeed, can be plainer than that this step is intended to introduce unconditional parliamentary authority among us, the most eligible means to prevent which will be a steady adherence to those principles which happily and generally influenced us to explode the obnoxious stamp act of inglorious memory, and, I trust, have reason to believe, we shall here, to a man, stand firm in the cause."