very late at night, to state the tranquil and the loyal state in which I left the colonies, with some other very home facts; and I cannot say I met with that weight of prejudice I apprehended. Lord Temple having come down to attend General Frazer's bill, declared, early in this debate, that he did not intend voting, or giving any opinion on the measure, but that the backwardness of the Ministers to explain their plan appeared an indignity to the House; that they were mistaken if they thought the measure a trifling one; that in his opinion nothing could justify the Ministers hereafter, except the town of Boston proving in an actual state of rebellion; but he feared the Ministry had neither heads nor hearts to conduct either system. During the whole debate the Ministers would never declare whether they would this session repeal the Act or not. In regard to their plan, Lord Dartmouth appeared to stop, after declaring the proposed alteration of the charter; but Lord Suffolk declared very plainly, that other very determined measures should be offered, before the end of the session. The landed property, except some of the most sensible, are, as is natural, I believe, for violent measures. The interest of the commercial part is very decidedly on the other side, and their passions are taking that turn."[1]
These other "very determined measures" soon appeared, although in the interval it had become known that the riots at Boston had mainly been caused by the obstinate refusal of the Governor and Commissioners of Customs to grant a pass and clearance to the tea ships, without landing their cargoes; a course by which all difficulties were avoided at Charleston and Philadelphia. The Port Act was rapidly followed by five other Bills: the first abrogated the clauses of the Massachusetts Charter, giving the election of the council to the House of Representatives, and practically abolished town meetings; it also transferred the power of appointing the Sheriffs to the Executive, and to the Sheriff it entrusted the return of
- ↑ Shelburne to Chatham, April 4th, 1774.
