ToMr. Wm. Palmer,}Boston.Brook Watson,Wm. Greenwood,}South Carolina.Jo.Nutt,Jno.Blackburn,}New York.Wm. Kelly,FredkPigou, Junr.New York & Philadelphia.Geo. Browne,}Philadelphia.SamlWharton,
LETTER TO SUNDRY AMERICAN MERCHANTS.[39]
Sir:
The Commteeof Warehouses desire the favor of an answer under your hand to my letter of yesterday, relative to the exportation of tea toBoston. I am, sir,
Your most obdtservant,
Wm. Settle.
East India House, 21stDecr1773.
Brook Watson, Esqr.Boston.Wm. Greenwood, Esqr.}South Carolina.John Nutt, Esqr.John Blackburn, Esqr.New York.Geo. Browne, Esqr.Philadelphia.
LETTERS FROM SUNDRY AMERICAN MERCHANTS,
With Enclosures Of Advices From The Several Colonies.
BOSTON.
From Mr. Palmer.
Mr. Palmer has received no material advices from Boston since the consignment has taken place, but has letters of as late a date from thence as the 3dof Novemr,one of which mentions there was no tea then to be bought.
East India House, 21st Decr1773
Garlick Hill, 22d Decemr1773.
To the Hon'ble the Committee of Warehouses, East India House.
Gentm:
In compliance with your request, we send you enclosed extracts from the letters which we have lately received from Boston relative to the Comysteas sent there.
We are, gentm
Your most hum. servts
Watson & Rashleigh.
Extract of a Letter dated Boston, 18thOctor.,1773:
"But what difficulties may arise from the disaffection of the merchants and importers of tea to this measure of the India Company, I am not yet able to say. It seems at present to be a matter of much speculation, and if one is to credit the prints, no small opposition will be made thereto. However, I am in hopes it will be otherwise, and taking it for granted that the tea should arrive, and no obstacle happen to prevent its being landed and disposed of, agreeably to the instructions of the Company, then I am to add that you may be assured I shall strictly conform to the instructions which I may jointly receive respecting it, paying all due regard to the contents of your letter.
"I know not how to write more fully hereon until the tea arrives, and what may possibly be the consequences attending it. My friends seem to think it will subside; others are of a contrary opinion."
Extract of a Letter dated Boston, 30 Octr.,1773:
"I omitted a letter to you in particular when I wrote to your house the 10thinst., because I thought it was probable, both from the contents of your letter then received, as well as from the public reports, that the tea you mention as coming from the India Comymight every day be expected to arrive, as you say 4 Augtthey intended shipping 300 chests immediately, but by my letter, this day received by a vessel from London, it is not to be sent.
"I perceive by the prints, that the clamour is still continued against this measure of the India Company, and seems to be pursued with rather more warmth in some of the Southern Colonies than in this. For my own part I am not sufficiently skilled in politicks to see the pernicious consequences which 'tis said must arise therefrom. If they would prevent the Tea Act being enforced, or the payment of the revenue arising therefrom to Government, methinks they should either not import any tea, or rather not consume any, and then the end would be answered at once. But while there is such a vast quantity exported every year by so considerable a number of persons, who all pay the duty thereof on its arrival, I do not see why every importer, nay, every consumer thereof, do not as much contribute to inforce the Tea Act as the India Compythemselves, or the persons to whom they may think proper to consign their tea for sale. Nor can I but be of opinion that the uneasiness is fomented, if not originated, principally by those persons concerned in the Holland trade, and thereby introduce large quantities of tea, which, paying no duty, by that means they can afford to undersell those who do pay it, and this trade, I am informed,is much more practiced in the Southern Governments than this way.
"To what lengths the opposition to this tea's being brought or landed, or disposed of, may be carried, must be left to time to determine."
Extract of a Letter dated Boston, 4 Novr.,1773:
"Thus far I had wrote you with intentions to forward by firstconveyance, when I found there was to be a muster of the people, to demand that the persons who are to be employed as agents for disposing of the tea which may come from the India Company, would resign their commissions & swear (under Liberty Tree) to return the tea by the same or first vessels for London, &c. You will be fully acquainted of their unreasonable proceedings. After the time had elapsed which was fixed upon for the gentlemen to appear and resign, on their not complying with the order, they marched down in a body to Mr. Clarke's store, where we were, and not receiving such an answer as they demanded, they began an attack upon the store and those within, breaking down doors, flinging about mud, &c., for about an hour, when they began to disperse, and a number of gentln,friends of those agents coming to their assistance, they left the store and went upon change, but met with no further insult, tho' there is much threatening. As the tea is not arrived, and it is uncertain when it may, I purpose to write you again speedily.
"In the interim, I am, &c."
SOUTH CAROLINA.
Letter from Mr. Greenwood.
Sir:
In answer to your letter of the 20thinst., I beg you would be pleased to inform the Comteeof Warehouses that I have yet received no advices from South Carolina, relative to the Compy'sexportation of tea. When I do, they may depend I will take the earliest opportunity to communicate the same to them.
I am, sir,
Your most obetservt
Wm. Greenwood
Queen Street, 22dDecr.,1773.Mr. Settle.
From Mr. Nutt.
Gentlemen:
In compliance with your desire, intimated to me by Mr. Settle, respecting any information received from South Carolina, concerning the teas exported by the East I. Comyto that Colony, I have the honor to acquaint you that the vessel in which they were shipped did not sail from England before the 18thOctober, and the latest dates from thence areonly the 1stNovr.,so that we cannot expect for some time to hear of her arrival. I have the honor to be, gentn.,
Your most obedthum. servt.,
John Nutt.
Broad Street, 22ndDecemr,1773.To the Comteeof Warehouses, &c., &c., &c.
NEW YORK.
Letter from Mr. Blackburn.
Sir:
I am honored with your two letters of the 20th& 21st currt,desiring me to inform the Comteeof Warehouses if I have received any advices from New York relative to the Com'sexportation of tea to that Colony.
The vessel wherein the tea was shipped was not arrived when the last letters were dispatched from thence, consequently no precise judgment can be formed whether or not it would be permitted to be landed; but I flatter myself from the disposition of the principal gentlenof New York, who are men of moderation, candour and prudence, and as firmly attached to the Government and laws of this Kingdom as any of his Majesty's subjects; that they will, by their example and influence, be able to suppress every riot and disturbance occasioned by the opposers of this measure.
I expect a ship from New York, which was to depart about the 26thNovemr,by which I shall receive some fresh intelligence relative to this business, and if I should be furnished with any advices that regard the interest of the Company, I shall not fail to wait on the Directors immediately. I have the honor to be, sir,
Your most obedt& hum. sert
John Blackburn.
Scots Yard, 22ndDecr,1773.Mr. Wm. Settle.
Extract of a Letter from a merchant in New York, to Wm. Kelly, of London, dated 5thNovr,1773:
"The introduction of the East India Company's tea is violently opposed here, by a set of men who shamefully live by monopolizing tea in the smuggling way."
Extract of a Letter from Abraham Lott, Esqr.,of New York, to Wm. Kelly,[40]of London, dated New York, 5thNovr.,1773, & received with the above mentioned Extract of Mr. Kelly, 22dDecr.,1773:
"Herewith you will receive several papers relating to the importation of the India Comy'stea. If it comes out free of aduty hereon importation, things I believe may goquiet enough, tho' you will observe much is said against it even on that supposition. But if it should be subject to a duty here, I am much in doubt whether it will be safe, as almost every body in that case speaks against the admission of it, so that, altho' I am well assured that the Governor will not suffer the laws to be trampled on, yet there will be no such thing as selling it, as the people would rather buy so much poison, than the tea with the duty thereon, calculated (they say) to enslave them and their posterity, and therefore are determined not to take what they call the nauseous draft. A little time will determine how matters will terminate, that is, if the tea comes out. If it does, I hope it may come free of duty, as by that means much trouble and anxiety will be saved by the agents. I do assure you they have all been very uneasy, tho' at the same time determined to do their duty, but in the most prudent & quiet manner. It is now two o'clock,p.m.,when I received the paper signed Cassius, in which you will find Mr. L—— R——de handsomely complimented, and yourself severely handled, on a supposition that you should have spoken words to the import, as asserted in the paper. Mr.R——e's name is not mentioned, but there is no doubt but he is the person alluded to, as upon the arrival of the London ships, who refused to bring the tea. It was currently reported that he had wrote his partner nearly in the same words as mentioned in the paper. You are the best judge of the truth of the assertion, but whether true or not, his conduct is ungenerous and mean. If the paper speaks truth, that he was offered part of the consignment of tea, he must be a man of great influence to have so great an offer made him, when so many other people of weight were applying for it and could not obtain it."
From Mr. FredkPigou, Junr.
Sir:
Please to acquaint the Comteeof Warehouses of the Hon'ble the East India Company, that from the advices I have received fromPhiladelphia, I should be of opinion the tea sent to that place will, if landed, meet with much difficulty in being disposed of.
At New York, I am of opinion it will meet with less opposition, and may possibly be sold in that city. It would have been fortunate if the New York vessel could have arrived as soon or before the Philadelphia ship.
I am, sir, your most hum. servt
Fred'k Pigou, Junr.
Mark Lane, 21st Decr.,1773.To Mr. Settle.
PHILADELPHIA.
Letter from Mr. Geo. Browne.
Sir:
The advice I have from my brother at Philadelphia, relative to the Comy'sconsignment of tea, is, that it was very doubtful how it would be received there, the measure being looked upon in an unfavorable view in general. He had only just received an account (from another hand) of his being nominated one of the agents, and refers me to the public prints for an account of the resolutions entered into by the people in opposition to it. I am, sir,
Your most obeditsert
Geo. Browne.
Mr. Settle.
From Mr. SamlWharton.
Sir:
I understand that Mr. Walpole, of Lincolns Inn Fields, had received some advices from my brother, respecting the teas sent to Philadelphia. I applied to him for them, and he requested that I would send them to you, with what intelligence I had myself received. I am, sir,
Your very hum. servt
Samuel Wharton.
Argyle Street, Decemr23, 1773.Mr. Settle.
Extract of a Letter from Thomas Wharton,[41]Esqr.of Philadelphia, dated Oct. 5, 1773, to SamlWharton, in London:
"I have closely attended to the course of your arguments, and think they are of great weight, but you know it is impossible always to form a true judgment from what real motives an opposition springs, as the smugglers and London importers may both declare that this duty is stamping the Americans with the badge of slavery, and notwithstanding the Directors of the East India Company have a just right to send their teas where they think proper, yet the Americans allege they may and ought to refuse to purchase and use it.
"A little time after the ship's arrival we shall know what is to be done, and I expect we shall before that time have a conference with the agents from New York,which I proposed, that our conduct might be uniform, and as much as possible answer the end ofour appointment."
Extracts of two Letters from Thos.Warton, Esqr.,of Philadelphia, dated Oct. 5 and Oct. 30, 1773, to the Hon'ble Thos.Walpole, of London:
"About a week before the arrival of the September mail, a letter reached this city, informing us that particular persons (tho' not all of them the proper ones) were nominated agents for the East India Directors. This gave the inhabitants a knowledge of the intention of the Directors, and some persons immediately declared, that as the duty was still retained, that, tho' small, yet it as implicitly fixed the power and established the badge of slavery, as if it had been greater. The same sentiments, I am told, are expressed in letters from New York. At present, therefore, it is impossible to say what measures the people will take on this occasion, but I should expect they will not hinder the tea being landed, if they insist on its not being sold, till the duty is taken off by Act of Parliament, or the East India Directors satisfy the Commissioners of the Customs in London. For, notwithstanding, it may justly be urged that the Directors of the East India Compyhave a right to export their teas to North America, yet, as it is said, the inhabitants have also a right of judgment respecting the purchase and consumption. I should expect, that if the opposition takes place, it will rest withtheiradherence to an engagement of this kind.
"I can have no doubt that the India Comywould find their sales lucrative, and that an extension of trade would certainly take place, by comprehending the articles of pepper,spices, and silks in their exports; great quantities of the two first articles have certainly been introduced in the Continent from Holland and thro' the West Indies, and therefore it is that I apprehend the London merchants are mistaken when they say they already ship as much as the Continent can consume, for through them are imported only such quantities of spices, &c., as the merchant here can vend, after the run goods are sold, they being imported cheaper than those from England, are naturally first sold. But if the East India Company should think proper to extend their trade, I cannot doubt it would in a great measure put a stop to the importation from Holland and the Dutch Islands, and large sums would annually pass from America to London for those commodities. But perhaps little more should be said until it is known in what manner our fellow countrymen shall view this scheme of trade."
"Philadelphia, Oct. 30, 1773.
"I shall endeavor to communicate a more full state of the sentiments of my fellow citizens than I could in my last letter. I could then only conjecture what might be the result of their judgments respecting the Hon'ble the Directors of the East I. Comysending their teas to this Continent. A communication of sentiments, taking place between the New Yorkers & the Philadelphians, soon produced a number of pieces in the public prints and otherwise, most absolutely asserting the rights of the Americans, and denying the power of Parliament respecting the internal taxation of the Colonies, which led into many comparisons, endeavoring to shew thatthe agency of the tea was equally odious & dangerous as the execution of the Stamp Act would have been. I may say with great truth, that I do not believe one man in a hundred was to be met with who approved of the sending the tea, while the duty was to be paid here. Yet a great number of people acknowledged the right of the East India Directors to export their teas to America, and declared that nothing less than a confirmed belief that the admitting this mode of taxation would render the assemblies of the people mere cyphers, could have induced them to proceed in the manner they have done; for when it was mentioned to them that by refusing to admit the tea to be landed, they did as much deprive the India Company of the natural rights of English merchants, as the subjecting us to the payment of duty possibly could affect us, they replyed that the Act of Parliament hindered the tea from being landeduntilthe duty was first paid or secured, and consequently as the Directors knew this, and the opposition heretofore given by the Americans, they must take what followed.
"You will perceive by the resolution formed and entered into on the 18th,into what a situation the agents were driven, there being no possibility of persuading the people to wait till we knew the real state of facts. The meeting at the State House consisted, (it is said) of 6 or 700, and be assured, they were as respectable a body of inhabitants as has been together on any occasion; many of thefirstrank. The whole of their proceedings were conducted with the greatest decency and firmness, and without one dissenting voice. After the resolution had passed, they appointed a Comteeof 12 persons, who, on the 18thinst., about 12 o'clock,called on James and Drinker, and then came down to my house, where they conducted themselves with great decency, read the resolution, and informed me they were appointed by their fellow citizens to demand of Thos.& Isaac Wharton, whether we would execute the trustifthe duty was to be paid here? We told them it involved us in a difficulty which we could not solve,because we had not received the least intimation from the Directors, and therefore it was impossible to know the exact state the tea was to be shipped in, but that we would, on being acquainted with the situation under which it came, openly communicate the same, and that we would do nothing to injure the property of the India Comyor enslave America. This answer they received with great satisfaction, and in the evening they reported to a unanimous body of citizens the answers they had received, who gave Thos.and Isaac Wharton very evident marks of their approbation for the candid answer they gave.
"Should the tea be sent subject to the payment of the duty, I am satisfied it will not be suffered to be landed, and that it must return to London, (unless the India Directors have in such case directed the captain where to proceed with it,) which intimation may be in time to secure the property by insurance should they incline."
Copies of the above advices were, by order of the Comteeof Warehouses, sent to Lord Dartmouth in the manner directed by their minute of the ——
BOSTON.
LETTER FROMMr.JONATHAN CLARKE TO EDWARD WHELER,Esqr.
Boston, New England, 17thNovr.,1773.
Sir:
After a long detention in the English channel, and a pretty long passage, I arrived here this morning from England, and there being a vessel to sail for London within a few hours, gives me an opportunity of writing you a few lines on the subject of the consignment of tea, made to our house by the Hon'ble East India Company, in which I had your friendly assistance, and of which I shall always retain a grateful sense.
I find that this measure is an unpopular one, and before my arrival some measures have been taken to oblige my friends to make a resignation of the trust, which they have not thought fit to comply with. They have wrote to our friend, Mr. Abraham Dupuis, very particularly, respecting the measures that have been adopted, and to that account I must beg leave to refer you, as I have not time to repeat it by this opportunity, but I shall keep the Company fully advised in future.
I fully see that we shall meet with difficulty in executing this trust, but our utmost endeavors shall be exerted to fulfill the orders we may receive from the Company.
I am, very respectfully sir, your most obliged h'ble servt
JonaClarke.
Edward Wheler, Esqr.
Received from the Deputy Chairman, 5thJanry,1774.
LETTER TOMr.ABRAHAM DUPUIS.
Sir,
Mr. Wheler, chairman of the East India Company, having received a letter from Jonathan Clarke, Esqr.,dated Boston, 17thNovember last, wherein he begs leave to refer him to you for the measures that have been adopted at Boston, relative to the Company's exportation of tea to that Colony, I am directed by the chairman to desire you would be pleased to communicate to him the advices you have received from Messrs. Clarke & Sons, for the information of the Court of Directors of the East India Company, which will be a favor conferred on him. I am, sir,
Your most obdtservt,
Wm. Settle.
East India House, 5thJany,1774.Abraham Dupuis, Esqr.,Gracechurch Street.
LETTER FROMMessrs.CLARKE & SONS, atBostonTOMr.ABRMDUPUIS,
Referred to in Mr. Clarke's Letter to the chairman, of the 17th Novr,1773.
Boston, Novr.,1773.
Mr. Abraham Dupuis.
Sir:
We now embrace the first leisure we have, to give you an account of the proceedings of some of the inhabitantsof this town, relative to the expected importation of teas into this port from the Hon'ble East India Company. As soon as it was known here that the Company had determined on this measure, and that certain gentlemen of this town were fixed upon as factors, there appeared a dissatisfaction in many persons. But at first there did not appear any resentment against the supposed factors, nor was there, as far as we ever heard, any mention made of a design to bring them under any obligations not to execute their trust, but the general voice among the opposers of the Company's plan was, that the teas must not be landed, or, if landed, not sold. About three or four weeks ago, a printed anonymous address to the Company's factors was brought to this place by the post, either from New York or Philadelphia, but whether it was fabricated at either of those places, or this, we cannot determine. The design of it was, to represent a number of gentlemen, who cannot justly be considered in any other light than commercial factors, as Crown officers, and they, in the said paper, are expressly put on the same footing with the late stamp officers, doubtless with a design to render them odious to the people, and much is said in it to dissuade or intimidate them from executing their expected trust. Soon after this, a second anonymous address, but much more inflammatory, appeared here in one of the newspapers from New York. Both these were printed in one or more of the newspapers of this town, and several other pieces were also published here, to rouse the people to an opposition to the Company's design, and their rage against us and the other gentlemen, factors for the Company in this place. As things were then circumstanced in this place, we judged it might tend to undeceive many persons that were misled,to publish some observations on the Company's plan, to answer the objections that were made against it, and to point out some of the beneficial consequences attending the execution of it. Accordingly we, by the assistance of a friend, got printed in Messrs. Fleet's Evening Post, of the 24thOctober, a piece signed Z[42], in which this affair is canvassed with as much freedom as the temper of the times would bear, and altho' this was penned in haste, and under the restriction of the afore-hinted shackle, we have the satisfaction to find, that in the opinion of the most judicious amongst us here, every objection that has been started against the Company's plan is fully answered, and altho' this publishmentdoes not seem to have had its designed effect as yet, it is to be hoped, when thepeople'stemper is become more cool, that the aforesaid piece, with what has since, and may hereafter be published on this subject, may not entirely fail of the design proposed.
Besides these paper skirmishes, we would inform you that we were told that there were about two or three weeks since, several nightly meetings, held in various parts of the town, of a large number of persons, to consult and conclude on some method to prevent the execution of the Company's plan, but what was fixed at these meetings we could not learn. But we were not lost in this uncertainty long, for in the morning of the 2ndinstant, about one o'clock, we were roused out of our sleep by a violent knocking at the door of our house, and on looking out of the window we saw (for the moon shone very bright) two men in the courtyard. One of them said he had brought us a letter from the country. A servant took the letter of him at the door, the contents of which were as follows:
"Boston, 1st Nov., 1773.
Richard Clarke & Son:
The Freemen of this Province understand, from good authority, that there is a quantity of tea consigned to your house by the East India Company, which is destructive to the happiness of every well-wisher to his country. It is therefore expected that you personally appear at Liberty Tree, on Wednesday next, at twelve o'clock at noon day, to make a public resignation of your commission, agreeable to a notification of this day for that purpose.
Fail not upon your peril.
O.C."
Two letters of the same tenor were sent in the same manner to the other factors. On going abroad we found a number of printed notifications posted up in various parts of the town, of which the following is a copy:
"To the Freemen of this and the other Towns in the Province.
Gentlemen:
You are desired to meet at Liberty Tree, next Wednesday, at twelve o'clock at noon day, then and there to hear the persons to whom the tea, shipped by the East India Company, is consigned, make a public resignation of their office as consignees, upon oath. And also swear that they will reship any teas that may be consigned to them by the said Company, by the first vessel sailing for London.
Boston, Novr.1st, 1773.
O.C., Secrey."
In this you may observe a delusory design to create a public belief that the factors had consented to resign their trust on Wednesday, the 3dinst., on which day we were summoned by the above-mentioned letter to appear at Liberty Tree, at 11 o'clock,a.m.All the bells of the meeting-houses for public worship were set a-ringing and continued ringing till twelve; the town cryer went thro' the town summoning the people to assemble at Liberty Tree. By these methods, and some more secret ones made use of by the authors of this design, a number of people, supposed by some to be about 500, and by others more, were collected at the time and place mentioned in the printed notification. They consisted chiefly of people of the lowest rank,very few reputable tradesmen, as we are informed, appeared amongst them. There were indeed two merchants, reputed rich, and the selectmen of the town, but these last say they went to prevent disorder. The gentlemen who are supposed the designed factors for the East India Compy,viz: Mr. Thos.Hutchinson, Mr. Faneuil, Mr. Winslow & Messrs. Clarke, met in the forenoon of the 3rdinstant, at the latter's warehouse, the lower end of King Street. Mr. Elisha Hutchinson was not present, owing to a misunderstanding of our intended plan of conduct, but his brother engaged to act in his behalf. You may well judge that none of us ever entertained the least thoughts of obeying the summons sent us to attend at Liberty Tree. After a consultation amongst ourselves and friends, we judged it best to continue together, and to endeavour, with the assistance of a few friends, to oppose the designs of the mob, if they should come to offer us any insult or injury. And on this occasion, we were so happy as to be supported by a number of gentlemen of the first rank. About one o'clock, a large body of people appeared at the head of King Street, and came down to the end, and halted opposite to our warehouse. Nine persons came from them up into our counting-room, viz: Mr. Molineux, Mr. Wm. Dennie, Doctor Warren, Dr. Church, Major Barber, Mr. Henderson, Mr. Gabriel Johonnot, Mr. Proctor, and Mr. Ezekiel Cheever. Mr. Molineux, as speaker of the above Comtee,addressed himself to us, and the other gentlemen present, the supposed factors to the East India Comy,and told us that we had committed an high insult on the people, in refusing to give them that most reasonable satisfaction which had been demanded in the summons or notice which had been sent us, then read apaper proposed by him, to be subscribed by the factors, importing that they solemnly promise that they would not land or pay any duty on any tea that should be sent by the East I. Comy,but that they would send back the tea to England in the same bottom, which extravagant demand being firmly refused, and treated with a proper contempt by all of us, Mr. Molineux then said that since we had refused their most reasonable demands, we must expect to feel, on our first appearance, the utmost weight of the people's resentment, upon which he and the rest of the Comteeleft our counting-room and warehouse, and went to and mixed with the multitude that continued before our warehouse. Soon after this, the mob having made one or two reverse motions to some distance, we perceived them hastening their pace towards the store, on which we ordered our servant to shut the outward door; but this he could not effect, although assisted by some other persons, amongst whom was Nathaniel Hatch,[43]Esqr.,one of the Justices of the inferior Court for this country, and a Justice of the Peace for the county. This genmmade all possible exertions to stem the current of the mob, not only by declaring repeatedly, and with a loud voice, that he was a magistrate, and commanded the people, by virtue of his office, and in his Majesty's name, to desist from all riotous proceedings, and to disperse, but also by assisting in person; but the people not only made him a return of insulting & reproachful words, but prevented his endeavors,by force and blows, to get our doors shut, upon which Mr. Hatch, with some other of our friends, retreated to our counting-room. Soon after this, the outward doors of the store were taken off their hinges by the mob, and carried to some distance; immediately a number of the mob rushed into the warehouse, and endeavored to force into the counting-room, but as this was in another story, and the stair-case leading to it narrow, we, with our friends—about twenty in number—by some vigorous efforts, prevented their accomplishing their design. The mob appeared in a short time to be dispersed, and after a few more faint attacks, they contented themselves with blocking us up in the store for the space of about an hour and a half, at which time, perceiving that much the greatest part of them were drawn off, and those that remained not formidable, we, with our friends, left the warehouse, walked up the length of King Street together, and then went to our respective houses, without any molestation, saving some insulting behavior from a few despicable persons. The night following, a menacing letter was thrust under Mr. Faneuil's door, to be communicated to the other consignees, with a design to intimidate them from executing their trust, and other methods have since been made use of in the public papers and otherwise, for the same purpose. The next day, being the 4thinst., a notification was sent thro' the town, by order of the selectmen, for the inhabitants of the town to meet on this affair the next day, a transcript of which, and the proceedings of the town thereon, at their meetings on the 5thand 6thinst., you have a full account of in the enclosed newspapers, which, being long, we shall only copy the message of the town to us, and our answer, which are as follows:—
"Voted, That a Comteebe immediately chosen to wait on those gentlenwho, it is reported, are appointed by the East India Comyto receive and sell said tea, and request them, from a regard to their own character, and the good order and peace of the town and province, immediately to resign their appointments. And the following gentm,viz.: the Moderator of the Meeting, Mr. Henderson Inches, BenjnAustin, Esqr.,and Mr. John Mason, & the select men of the town, were appointed a comteeaccordingly."
These gentm,all except Mr. Mason, came to our house about one o'clock,p.m., but not having an authenticated copy of the Town's vote, we desired to be favored with one, which was accordingly sent us, in a short time, from the moderator, John Hancock, Esqr.,to which we returned the following answer, viz.:—
"Boston, Novr5, 1773.
Sir:
It is impossible for us to comply with the request of the Town, signified to us this day by their Comtee,as we know not on what terms the tea, if any of it should be sent to our care, will come out, nor what obligations, either of a moral or pecuniary nature, we may be under to fulfil the trust that may be devolved on us. When we are acquainted with these circumstances, we shall be better qualified to give a definite answer to the request of the Town.
We are, sir, your most humble servants,
RichdClarke & Sons,BenjnFaneuil, for self &Joshua Winslow, Esqr.
Hon'ble John Hancock, Esqr.,Moderator of a Town Meetingat Faneuil Hall."
Signature, John HancockJohn Hancock's Reply to Washington's Letter to Congress, Recommending the Bombardment of the Town of Boston."It is true, sir, nearly all the property I have in the world is in houses and other real estate in Boston; but if the expulsion of the British army from it and the liberties of our country require their being burnt to ashes, issue the order for the purpose immediately."
John Hancock's Reply to Washington's Letter to Congress, Recommending the Bombardment of the Town of Boston.
"It is true, sir, nearly all the property I have in the world is in houses and other real estate in Boston; but if the expulsion of the British army from it and the liberties of our country require their being burnt to ashes, issue the order for the purpose immediately."
This answer, you'll see by the enclosed news paper, was unanimously voted to be not satisfactory to the Town, and the next day, on Mr. Hutchinson's sending into the Town Meeting an answer of the same purport, both his and ours were voted to be daringly affrontive to the Town, but upon what reasons this vote was founded they have not been pleased to declare. You may observe that the Town has resolved that they will, by all means in their power, prevent the sale of the teas exported by the East India Company, and in the preamble to this vote it is asserted that the quantities of teas imported into this place since a certain agreement, which we presume they designed should be understood to commence in the fall of 1770, at which time the non-importation agreement ceased, had been very small in proportion to what had been usual before said agreement, and that by a few persons only. In order to set those facts in a clear light, we obtained from the custom house an account of teas imported into this place from the beginning of the year 1768, at which time the first teas that paid the American duty arrived to this time, and got the same printed in the enclosed news paper, by which it appears that the fact has been grossly misrepresented, especially considering that this year's importation would probably be encreased at the end of the year two or three hundred chests, if the expected exportation on account of the East India Company had not prevented it. Besides the public transactions relative to this affair, before recited, we have repeated accounts of the continual nocturnal meetings of the leaders of the mob, and we are informed that they are determined to make the utmost efforts to prevent the sale of the teas; that their present scheme, or part of it, is to endeavor, by all methods, eventhe most brutal, to force the consignees to give up their trust, and if they should fail in this, it is by some persons publickly asserted that the tea shall not be landed, or if it should be, that it shall be burnt.[44]
In our present unexpected and difficult situation, we have only to desire you to assure the gentlemen, who may have consigned any part of the Company's teas to our house, whom we cannot at present write to, as we have not been advised who the gentlemen are, that we shall make use of the best advice, and exert our utmost endeavors to carry into execution the Company's design, which, as far as we are acquainted with it, we judge to be beneficial to the Colonies, and to this Town and Province especially, but whether it will finally be in our power to accomplish our design, we are not at present certain. We beg the favor of you, sir, to communicate the foregoing to the gentlemen who may have had the direction of this affair. We are, with the greatest esteem and highest sense of our obligations to them and you, sir,
Your most obedient & most humble servants,
Richard Clarke & Sons.
P.S.—Mr. Faneuil writes to his friend, Mr. Brook Watson, by this opportunity, advising him of the transactions relating to this affair. In case of miscarriage of his letter, we desire you to communicate this letter to Mr. Watson.
EXTRACT OF Mr. FANEUIL'S LETTER TO BROOK WATSON, Esqr.
Mentioned in Mr. Clarke's Postscript.
Mr. Faneuil, after giving an account of the proceedings of the inhabitants of the 3rdinstant, entirely agreeing in substance with Mr. Clarke's relation, goes on—
"By comparing this account with what Mr. Clarke writes his friend, Mr. Dupuis, of London, you will come at the exact state of the affair. The Governor has given my Lord Dartmouth an account of the conduct of his Council. I will only say that next day they voted that the Attorney-General be ordered to prosecute the persons concerned in this riot. The consequence, I suppose, will be, the grand jury will not find a bill against them, and there the affair will end."
On Thursday, a letter, of which the following is a copy, was found in my entry:
"Gentlemen: It is currently reported that you are in the extremest anxiety respecting your standing with the good people of this Town and Province, as commissioners of the sale of the monopolized and dutied tea. We do not wonder in the least that your apprehensions are terrible, when the most enlightened humane & conscientious community on the earth view you in the light of tigers or mad dogs, whom the public safety obliges them to destroy. Long have this people been irreconcilable to the idea of spilling human blood, on almost any occasion whatever; but they have lately seen a penitential thief suffer death for pilfering a fewpounds from scattering individuals. You boldly avow a resolution to bear a principal part in the robbery of every inhabitant of this country, in the present and future ages, of every thing dear and interesting to them. Are there no laws in the Book of God and nature that enjoin such miscreants to be cut off from among the people, as troublers of the whole congregation. Yea, verily, there are laws and officers to put them into execution, which you can neither corrupt, intimidate, nor escape, and whose resolution to bring you to condign punishment you can only avoid by a speedy imitation of your brethren in Philadelphia. This people are still averse to precipitate your fate, but in case of much longer delay in complying with their indispensable demands, you will not fail to meet the just rewards of your avarice & insolence. Remember, gentn,this is the last warning you are ever to expect from the insulted, abused, and most indignant vindicators of violated liberty in the Town of Boston.
Thursday evening, 9 o'clock.Nov. 4, 1773.
O.C., Secy,pr order.[45]
To Messrs. the Tea Commissioners.Directed to B—— F—— Esqr."
On Friday we had a Town Meeting. What was done there, together with our answers and their resolves, you'llsee in the enclosed news paper. Just before the meeting broke up, several gentn,on my telling the purport of our answer, advised me to leave the town for that night; but I have not yet slept out of my own house, nor do I propose to do it, till I find it absolutely necessary. I thought it best, however, to conceal myself for two or three hours. But nothing took place more that evening than is usual on the 5thNovr.On Friday, we received an information, which was repeated yesterday, that a number of picked men are determined to break into our house one night this week. I can hardly believe it, but these continued alarms are very disagreeable. I am, gentlemen,
Your most obedtservt,
BenjnFaneuil, Junr.[46]