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Foreign News
May 18, 1769
The Virginia Gazette
Williamsburg, Virginia
What is this article about?
On May 17, 1769, the Virginia House of Burgesses ordered the printing of British Parliament resolutions from December 1768 and February 1769 condemning Massachusetts-Bay's actions against Parliamentary authority, declaring them illegal and seditious, and an address to King George III urging punishment of disorder instigators.
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By the HOUSE of BURGESSES.
WEDNESDAY, the 17th of May, 1769. GEORGE III.
ORDERED, That the resolutions of the Lords spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, and also the address of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in Parliament assembled, to his Majesty, transmitted to the Committee of Correspondence by the Agent for this colony, in his letters of the 16th of December, and 18th of February last, be printed in the VIRGINIA GAZETTE.
GEORGE WYTHE, C. H. B.
Resolved, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament assembled,
I. That the votes, resolutions, and other proceedings of the House of Representatives of the province of Massachusetts-Bay, in the months of January and February last, respecting several late acts of Parliament, so far as the said votes, and 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.
II. Resolved, 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 the said House of Representatives, of the province of Massachusetts-Bay, in petitions which do or draw into question the right of Parliament to impose duties and taxes upon his Majesty's subjects in America, and 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 the said province, are proceedings 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.
III. Resolved, 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.
IV. Resolved, That it appears that neither the Council of the said province of Massachusetts Bay, nor the ordinary civil Magistrates, did exert their authority for suppressing the said riots and tumults.
V. Resolved, 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.
VI. Resolved, That the declarations, resolutions, and other proceedings, in the town meetings at Boston, on the 4th of June, and 12th of September last, are unconstitutional and calculated to promote sedition and insurrections in his province of Massachusetts Bay.
VII. Resolved, 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 the said towns and districts, for the election of such deputies, were subversive of his Majesty's government.
VIII. Resolved, That the elections in the 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.
AN ADDRESS TO HIS MAJESTY.
Most Gracious Sovereign,
WE your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, 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, relative to late 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 farther misled by the arts of wicked and designing men, than to proceed in the most speedy and effectual manner, to bring 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 methods for procuring the fullest information that can be obtained, touching all treasons, or misprisions of treason, committed within his government, since the thirtieth day of December, one thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven, 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 enquiring of, hearing, and determining, the said offences, within this realm, pursuant to the provisions of the statute of the thirty-fifth year of the reign of King Henry the Eighth, in case your Majesty shall, upon receiving the said information, see sufficient ground for such a proceeding.
WEDNESDAY, the 17th of May, 1769. GEORGE III.
ORDERED, That the resolutions of the Lords spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, and also the address of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in Parliament assembled, to his Majesty, transmitted to the Committee of Correspondence by the Agent for this colony, in his letters of the 16th of December, and 18th of February last, be printed in the VIRGINIA GAZETTE.
GEORGE WYTHE, C. H. B.
Resolved, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament assembled,
I. That the votes, resolutions, and other proceedings of the House of Representatives of the province of Massachusetts-Bay, in the months of January and February last, respecting several late acts of Parliament, so far as the said votes, and 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.
II. Resolved, 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 the said House of Representatives, of the province of Massachusetts-Bay, in petitions which do or draw into question the right of Parliament to impose duties and taxes upon his Majesty's subjects in America, and 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 the said province, are proceedings 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.
III. Resolved, 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.
IV. Resolved, That it appears that neither the Council of the said province of Massachusetts Bay, nor the ordinary civil Magistrates, did exert their authority for suppressing the said riots and tumults.
V. Resolved, 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.
VI. Resolved, That the declarations, resolutions, and other proceedings, in the town meetings at Boston, on the 4th of June, and 12th of September last, are unconstitutional and calculated to promote sedition and insurrections in his province of Massachusetts Bay.
VII. Resolved, 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 the said towns and districts, for the election of such deputies, were subversive of his Majesty's government.
VIII. Resolved, That the elections in the 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.
AN ADDRESS TO HIS MAJESTY.
Most Gracious Sovereign,
WE your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, 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, relative to late 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 farther misled by the arts of wicked and designing men, than to proceed in the most speedy and effectual manner, to bring 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 methods for procuring the fullest information that can be obtained, touching all treasons, or misprisions of treason, committed within his government, since the thirtieth day of December, one thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven, 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 enquiring of, hearing, and determining, the said offences, within this realm, pursuant to the provisions of the statute of the thirty-fifth year of the reign of King Henry the Eighth, in case your Majesty shall, upon receiving the said information, see sufficient ground for such a proceeding.
What sub-type of article is it?
Colonial Affairs
Political
Rebellion Or Revolt
What keywords are associated?
Massachusetts Bay
British Parliament
Colonial Resolutions
Boston Riots
Town Meetings
Treason Commission
What entities or persons were involved?
George Iii
George Wythe
Where did it happen?
Province Of Massachusetts Bay
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
Province Of Massachusetts Bay
Event Date
17th Of May, 1769
Key Persons
George Iii
George Wythe
Outcome
resolutions declare massachusetts proceedings illegal and seditious; address urges punishment of instigators via special commission for treasons since december 30, 1767.
Event Details
Virginia House of Burgesses orders printing of British Parliament resolutions condemning Massachusetts-Bay House actions in January-February 1769 denying Parliamentary power, letters to other colonies, Boston riots and tumults, failure of magistrates, need for military aid, town meetings on June 4 and September 12, 1768, and convention on September 22 as unconstitutional and subversive; includes address to King supporting measures and requesting information on treasons for prosecution.