The Virginia Gazette

BOSTON, February 15.

It is said that the House of Representatives, now sitting in General Assembly, have preferred a humble, dutiful, and loyal petition to the King, imploring his Majesty's gracious protection of their constitutional and charter rights, which are thought to be infringed by several acts imposing duties to be levied on their constituents, without their consent, in Parliament; and that they have forwarded letters to the Right Hon. the Lords Shelburne, Rockingham, Chatham, Camden, and to Mr. Secretary Conway, &c. representing the grievances, and earnestly intreating their aid and patronage. It is moreover added that their committee have reported a letter, which is accepted by the House, directed to the several Houses of Representatives and Burgesses on the continent; communicating, in decent terms, their sentiments and proceedings on this common concern. And to prevent the enemies of the colonies misrepresenting this measure, we are informed the House has ordered a copy of the last mentioned letter to be transmitted to Mr. De Berdt, to be by him produced as necessity may require. It is further said that, for the sake of cultivating, as far as lies in their power, a harmony in the General Assembly, a committee from the House waited on the Governour of the province to acquaint him that the House was ready to lay before his Excellency their whole proceedings in this important affair, if he desired it; which committee was directed humbly to request his Excellency that he would be pleased to favour the House with a copy of a letter from Lord Shelburne, which had been read in the House by the Governour's order, and also copies of his own letters to which it referred. We are assured that while the House have been setting forth the unspeakable grievance of subjects being taxed unrepresented, the greatest care has been taken to show that an equal representation of this province in the British Parliament is utterly impossible.