112 



NEW ENGLAND FISHERIES 



of other kinds of small fish enough more to make the total 

 value of the fisheries not far from $1,800,000. 



This decade marks, also, the critical period of colonial 

 administration of the northern colonies. Oppressive acts 

 on the part of the mother country were met with protests, 

 more or less vigorous, on the part of colonial legislatures, 

 or by open acts of violence against the English attempts 

 to execute unpopular laws. Acts of Parliament compelling 

 submission and obedience to the mandates of that body 

 were offset, on the part of the colonists, by the formation 

 of associations whose members agreed to use such goods 

 only as were of American growth and manufacture. The 

 English government found it was necessary that radi- 

 cal measures be employed not only for asserting the su- 

 preme legislative authority and executive power of 

 Great Britain, but also to compel the Americans to cease 

 boycotting goods of British growth and manufacture. Ac- 

 cordingly, in February, 1775, Lorth North moved for leave 

 to bring in a bill "to restrain the trade and commerce of 

 the province of Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire, 



