The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

Extract of a Letter from London; dated December 14th. 1765.

"I am much obliged for your Sentiments respecting the Trouble the late Act of parliament, passed for laying Duties and Taxes in your Part of the World, will bring upon the Inhabitants thereof: I am sensible the Merchants here will Severely feel the same, if Ways and Means are not found out to redress their Grievances. 'Tis some Satisfaction to myself that I can say I was not wanting the last Winter in using my best Endeavours jointly with the Rest of the Gentlemen in the Trade, in making proper Application to remove those Evils that I foresaw was coming upon us, and shall continue my Endeavours with the Rest of the Gentlemen of the Committee to restore Peace with you by an Application to Parliament for remedying the Distresses under which the British Commerce to North America now labors. This was the Resolution the Merchants came to at the Meeting mentioned to you in my last when they unanimously voted Mr. Alderman Trecothick in the Chair, and chose about thirty Gentlemen to represent the several Provinces from Canada to Georgia; of the Committee of which six are for the four Provinces of New-England. On Thursday Morning I waited as one of the Deputation from the Merchants with our Chairman, and so others nominated for that Purpose on Mr. Secretary Conway, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Dartmouth, and the Marquis of Rockingham, to request their Countenance, and support us in our intended Application to Parliament, and have the Pleasure to say, that we met with a very genteel Reception, and have their respective Promises to support us in our said Application, in any Point that may be consistent with the Dignity of the Crown and Honour of the Parliament. The late Proceedings at New-York, and the Resolutions of your Several Assemblies in America respecting the Stamp Act, hath put the Nation into the greatest Ferment ever known in the Memory of most People living, and you may be assured there will be very warm Work at the meeting of the House, the late Ministry being resolved to assert the Right of Parliament in Opposition to your respective Charters, as the People of America are to submit to the Payment of internal Taxes unless such as may be directed by the Legislature here for the support of Government; the said Taxes to be levied by the Governor, Council and House of Assembly, conformable to the Right which they say is invested in them by their Charter. This Point must be determined before the Stamp Act in my Opinion, as well as many others will be repealed; and therefore the most that can be expected is a Suspension of the Act that our late valuable Trade to North America may not suffer too much by a Continuance of it, for which good Purpose is the Intent of our present Application to Parliament, as also to pray Relief from the Molasses Act, Sugar Act, Custom-House Deputations, Vice Admiralty Courts, Bonds given for the Exportation of Lumber, and those acquired on the Exportation of India Silks from hence, and do conceive the greatest Hopes that we shall be able to make out to the Satisfaction of Parliament, that the giving Encouragement to the Trade of Great-Britain to North-America, deserves the utmost Countenance they can give to it, instead of its being oppressed in the Manner it hath lately been; and when the Members have given a full and impartial Hearing to our said Petition, they will not only overlook the late unhappy Proceedings of the poor deceived Populace in your Part of the World--but grant at least the greatest Part of the Relief intended to be set forth in our Petition, especially as the same will be backed by most of the maritime Towns and principal Cities in Great-Britain. I cannot conclude this without doing Mr. Alderman Trecothick the Justice to say, that he is indefatigable in the prosecuting this Business and thereby shew himself a true Lover of his Country."