decided upon a rigid enforcement of the navigation acts, which had long been disregarded by the colonists and had been almost wholly evaded during the French and Indian War. The Writs of Assistance issued in 1755 were about to expire, and it was decided to issue new ones, which would empower custom house officers to search any house for smuggled goods, though neither the house nor the goods had to be specifically mentioned in the writs. Much opposition was aroused in Massachusetts, the legality of the writs was questioned, and the Superior Court consented to hear argument. Otis held the office of advocate-general at the time, and it was his duty to appear on behalf of the government. He refused, resigned his office, and appeared for the people against the issue of the writs, Gridley appearing on the opposite side. The case was argued in the Old Town House of Boston in February 1761, and the chief speech was made by Otis. His plea was fervid in its eloquence and fearless in its assertion of the rights of the colonists. Going beyond the question at issue, he dealt with the more fundamental question of the relation between the English in America and the home government, and argued that even if authorized by act of parliament such writs were null and void. The young orator was elected in May of the same year a representative from Boston to the Massachusetts General Court. To that position he was re-elected nearly every year of the remaining active years of his life, serving there with his father. In 1766 he was chosen Speaker of the House of Representatives, but the choice was negatived. In September 1762 the younger Otis published A Vindication of the Conduct of the House of Representatives of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, in defence of the action of that body in sending to the governor a message (drafted by Otis) rebuking him for asking the assembly to pay for ships he had (with authorization of the Council and not of the representatives) sent to protect New England fisheries against French privateers; according to this message " it would be of little consequence to the people whether they were subject to George or Louis, the king of Great Britain or the French king, if both were as arbitrary as both would be if both could levy ta.xes without parliament." He also wrote various state papers addressed to the colonies to enlist them in the common cause, or sent to the government in England to uphold the rights or set forth the grievances of the colonists. His influence at home in controlling and directing the movement of events which led to the War of Independence was universally felt and acknowledged; and abroad no American was so frequently quoted, denounced, or applauded in parliament and the English press before 1769 as the recognized head and chief of the rebellious spirit of the New England colonists. In 1765 Massachusetts sent him as one of her representatives to the Stamp Act Congress at New York, which had been called by a Committee of the Massachusetts General Court, of which he was a member; and here he was a conspicuous figure, serving on the committee which prepared the address sent by that body to the British House of Commons. In 1769 he denounced in the Boston Gazette certain customs commissioners who had charged him with treason. Thereupon he became involved in an altercation in a public-house with Robinson, one of the commissioners; the altercation grew into an affray, and Otis received a sword cut on the head, which is considered to have caused his subsequent insanity. Robinson was mulcted in £2000 damages, but in view of his having made a written apology, Otis declined to take this sum from him. From 1769 almost continuously until his death Otis was harmlessly insane, though he had occasional lucid intervals, serving as a volunteer in the battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 and arguing a case in 1778. He was killed by lightning (it is said that he had often expressed a wish that he might die in this way) at Andover, Mass., on the 23rd of May 1783.
Otis’s political writings were chiefly controversial and exercised an enormous influence, his pamphlets being among the most effective presentations of the arguments of the colonists against the arbitrary measures of the British ministry. His more important pamphlets were A Vindication of the Conduct of the House of Representatives of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (1762); The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved (1764); A Vindication of the British Colonies against the Aspersions of the Halifax Gentleman in his Letter to a Rhode Island Friend—a letter known at the time as the “Halifax Libel” (1765); and Considerations on Behalf of the Colonists in a Letter to a Noble Lord (1765).
The best biography is that by William Tudor (Boston, 1823); there is a shorter one by Francis Bowen (Boston, 1847). The best account of Otis’s characteristics and influence as a writer may be found in M. C. Tyler’s Literary History of the American Revolution (New York, 1897). See also the notes on the Writs of Assistance by Horace Gray, Jr., in Quincy’s Massachusetts Reports, 1761–1772 (Boston, 1865). Otis’s speech on the writs, reprinted from rough notes taken by John Adams, appears in Appendix A of vol. ii. of C. F. Adams’s edition of the Works of John Adams (Boston, 1850).
OTLEY, a market town in the Otley parliamentary division
of the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, 13 m. N.W. of Leeds
on the Midland and the North-Eastern railways. Pop. of urban
district (1901) 9230. It is picturesquely situated on the south
bank of the Wharfe, at the foot of the precipitous Chevin Hill,
925 ft. in height. In this neighbourhood excellent building-stone
is quarried, which was used for the foundations of the Houses
of Parliament in London, and is despatched to all parts of
England. The church of All Saints has Norman portions, and
a cross and other remains of pre-Norman date were discovered in
restoring the building. There are interesting monuments of
members of the Fairfax family and others. Worsted spinning
and weaving, tanning and leather-dressing, paper-making and
the making of printing-machines are the principal industries.
The scenery of Wharfedale is very pleasant. In the dale, 7 m.
below Otley, are the fine ruins of Harewood Castle, of the 14th
century. The neighbouring church contains a noteworthy series
of monuments of the 15th century in alabaster.
OTRANTO, a seaport and archiepiscopal see of Apulia, Italy,
in the province of Lecce, from which it is 2912 m. S.E. by rail,
49 ft. above sea-level. Pop. (1901) 2295. It is beautifully situated
on the east coast of the peninsula of the ancient Calabria
(q.v.). The castle was erected by Alphonso of Aragon; the
cathedral, consecrated in 1088, has a rose window and side
portal of 1481. The interior, a basilica with nave and two aisles,
contains columns said to come from a temple of Minerva
and a fine mosaic pavement of 1166, with interesting representations
of the months, Old Testament subjects, &c. It has a crypt
supported by forty-two marble columns. The church of S. Pietro
has Byzantine frescoes. Two submarine cables start
from Otranto, one for Valona, the other for Corfu. The harbour
is small and has little trade.
Otranto occupies the site of the ancient Hydrus or Hydruntum, a town of Greek origin. In Roman times it was less important than Brundusium as a point of embarkation for the East, though the distance to Apollonia was less than from Brundusium. It remained in the hands of the Byzantine emperors until it was taken by Robert Guiscard in 1068. In 1480 it was utterly destroyed by the Turkish fleet, and has never since recovered its importance. About 30 m. S.E. lies the promontory of S. Maria di Leuca (so called since ancient times from its white cliffs), the S.E. extremity of Italy, the ancient Promontorium Iapygium or Sallentinum. The district between this promontory and Otranto is thickly populated, and very fertile. (T. As)
OTTAKAR I. (d. 1230), king of Bohemia, was a younger
son of King Vladislav II. (d. 1174) and a member of the Premyslide
family, hence he is often referred to as Premysl Ottakar I.
His early years were passed amid the anarchy which prevailed
everywhere in his native land; after several struggles, in which
he took part, he was recognized as ruler of Bohemia by the
emperor Henry VI. in 1192. He was, however, soon overthrown,
but renewing the fight in 1196 he forced his brother, King
Vladislav III., to abandon Bohemia to him and to content
himself with Moravia. Although confirmed in the possession of
his kingdom by the German king, Philip, duke of Swabia,
Ottakar soon deserted Philip, who thereupon declared him
deposed. He then joined the rival German king. Otto of
Brunswick, afterwards the emperor Otto IV., being recognized
as king of Bohemia both by Otto and by his ally. Pope Innocent III.
Philip’s consequent invasion of Bohemia was a great
success. Ottakar, having been compelled to pay a fine, again
ranged himself among Philip’s partisans and still later was
