proper, if such proposal shall be approved by his majesty and the two Houses of Parliament, and for so long as such provision shall be made accordingly, to forbear, in respect to such colony, to levy any duty, tax, or assessment, except only such duties as it may be expedient to levy or impose for the regulation of commerce; the net proceeds of the duties last mentioned to be carried to the account of such colony respectively." Considerable surprise was excited by this movement on the part of the minister, and it was argued that he was giving up the very point in dispute. This led to his avowing that in reality nothing was meant to be conceded; he only hoped by this measure to divide the colonies and prevent their united opposition. With this explanation, it was adopted, but, as might have been expected, it was productive of none of the wished-for results in favor of the ministerial measures.
The adoption of the conciliatory scheme proposed by Lord North, did not prevent Mr. Burke and Mr. Hartley from presenting to the House their respective plans of reconciliation. That of the former, founded on the principle of expediency, was to permit the colonies to tax themselves in their Assemblies, according to ancient usage, and to repeal all acts of Parliament imposing duties in America. Mr. Hartley proposed, that, at the request of Parliament, the secretary of state should require a contribution from the colonies for the general expense of the empire, leaving the amount and application to the colonial Assemblies. These propositions, though supported by all the eloquence and powerful talents of Mr. Burke, were rejected by the usual ministerial majorities.[1]
The Americans, meanwhile, were .not idle. The provincial Congress of Massachusetts met, on the 1st of February, 1775, at Cambridge, and about the middle of the month, adjourned to Concord. They entered with energy and spirit into measures and plans for resistance. They earnestly begged the militia, in general, and the minute-men, in particular, to be indefatigable in improving themselves in military discipline; they recommended the making of fire-arms and bayonets: and they dissuaded the people from supplying the troops in Boston with any thing necessary for military service. The Committee of Safety resolved to purchase powder, artillery, provisions, and other military: stores, and to deposit them partly at Worcester, and partly at Concord.
General Gage was not an inattentive spectator of these proceedings. Having learned that some military stores of the colonists were deposited at Salem, he thought it his duty to send Colonel Leslie with a detachment of soldiers to seize them. This was on Sunday, the 26th of February. The troops landed at Marblehead, and proceeded to Salem; but not finding any thing there, they advanced along the road to Danvers, whither the stores had been removed,
- ↑ Burke, who was agent for New York, presented towards the close of the session, a very strongly worded petition from the General Assembly of that province. This was quite unlooked for, and disappointed the ministry greatly. Lord North succeeded in preventing its being entertained by the House.
