the officers. Hence the tea, and other India goods, which might have been fold in America, remain rotting in the company's warehoufes *; while thofe of foreign ports are known to be cleared by the American demand. Hence, in fome degree, the company's inability to pay their bills; the finking of their ftock, by which millions of property have been annihilated; the lowering of their dividend, whereby fo many must be diftreffed; the lofs to government of the ftipulated 400,000l. a year t, which must make a proportionable reduction in our favings towards the difcharge of our enormous debt: And hence in part the fevere blow fuffered by credit in ge neral, to the ruin of many families; the ftag+ nation of business in Spitalfields and at Manchefter, through want of vent for their goods ;-with other future evils, which, as they cannot, from the numerous and fecret connections in general commerce, eafily be forefeen, can hardly be avoided.

[At this time they contained many millions of pounds of tea, including the ufual flock on hand. Mr. Burke, in his fpeech in 1774, fuppofes that America might have given a vent for ten mil lions of pounds. This feems to have been the greater part of the whole quantity. E.]

t[On account of a temporary compromife of certain disputes with government. E.]

[Seen in certain memorable mercantile failures in the year 1772. E.].

PROCEEDINGS AND EXAMINATION, &c.

To the CLERK of the Council in waiting

SIR,

THE

(Copy.)

Whitehall, Dec. 3, 1773

HE agent for the house of representatives of the province of Maffachufett's Bay, [Dr. Franklin] having delivered to Lord Dartmouth, an address of that house to the King, figned by their speaker; complaining of the conduct of the Governor [Hutchinfon] and Lieutenant Governor [Andrew Oliver] of that province, in respect to certain private

* [Governor Hutchinfon, Lieutenant Governor Andrew Oliver, Charles Paxton, Efq; Nathaniel Rogers, Efq; and Mr. G. Roome, having fent from Bofton certain reprefentations and informations to Thomas Whately, Efq; member of parliament, private Secretary to Mr. George Grenville (the father of the ftamp act) when in office, and afterwards one of the Lords of trade; these letters were, by a particular channel, conveyed back to Bofton. The affembly of the province were fo much exafperated, that they returned home attefted. copies of the letters, accompanied with a petition and remonftrance, for the removal of Governor Hutchinson, and Lieutenant Governor Andrew Oliver, from their pofts. The council of the province,. likewife, on their part, entered into thirteen refolves, in tendency and import fimilar to the petition of the affembly; five of which refolves were unanimous, and only one of them had fo many as three diffentients. In confequence of the affembly's petition, the above. proceedings and examination took place.

Dr. Franklin having naturally a large fhare in thefe tranfactions, made till larger by the impolitic and indecent perfecution of his character, I have exhibited the whole more at length, than I should otherwife have thought proper. E.] U u

letters

letters written by them to their correfpondent in England; and praying that they may be removed. from their pofts in that government: his Lordship hath prefented the faid addrefs to his Majefty; and his Majefty having fignified his pleasure, that the faid addrefs fhould be laid before his Majefty in his privy council, I am directed by Lord Dartmouth to tranfmit the fame accordingly, together with a copy of the agent's letter to his Lordship, accompanying the faid addrefs.

I am, Sir,

Your most obedient humble fervant,

(Signed) J. POWNALL.

To the Right Hon. the Earl of DARTMOUTH.

My LORD,

(Copy.)

London, Aug. 21, 1773.

I HAVE just received from the house of reprefentatives of the Maffachufett's Bay, their addrefs to the King; which I now inclose, and fend to your Lordship; with my humble request in their behalf, that you would be pleased to present it to his Majefty the first convenient opportunity.

3

I have

I have the pleasure of hearing from that province by my late letters, that a fincere difpofition prevails in the people there to be on good terms with the mother-country; that the affembly have declared their defire only to be put into the fituation they were in before the ftamp-act: They aim at no novelties. And it is faid that having lately difcovered, as they think, the authors of their grievances to be fome of their own people; their resentment against Britain is thence much abated.

This good difpofition of theirs (will your Lordship permit me to fay) may be cultivated by a favourable answer to this addrefs, which I therefore hope your goodness will endeavour to obtain.

With the greatest respect,

I have the honour to be, my Lord, &c.

B. FRANKLIN,

Agent for the House of Reprefentatives..

THE

PETITION.

To the KING's moft Excellent Majefty.

Moft gracious SOVEREIGN,

WE your Majesty's loyal fubjects, the reprefentatives of your ancient colony of Maffachufett's U u 2

Bay,

Bay, in general court legally affembled, by virtue of your Majesty's writ under the hand and feal of the Governor; beg leave to lay this our humble petition before Majesty.

Nothing but the fense of duty we owe to our Sovereign, and the obligation we are under to confult the peace and fafety of the province; could induce us to remonftrate to your Majefty [concerning] the mal-conduct of perfons who have heretofore had the confidence and esteem of this people; and whom your Majefty has been pleafed, from the pureft motives of rendering your fubjects happy, to advance to the highest places of truft and authority in the province.

Your Majesty's humble petitioners, with the deepest concern and anxiety, have seen the difcords and animofities which have too long fubfifted between your fubjects of the parent-state and those of the American colonies. And we have trembled with apprehenfions, that the confequences naturally arifing therefrom, would at length prove fatal to both countries.

Permit us humbly to fuggeft to your Majefty, that your fubjects here have been inclined to believe, that the grievances which they have fuffered, and still continue to fuffer; have been occafioned by your Majesty's ministers and principal fervants being, unfortunately for us, mifinformed in certain facts of very interesting importance to us. It is for this reafon that former affemblies have, from time to time, prepared a true state of facts to be laid before your Majefty;

but