TEA AND AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE. 2"J 



an IDEA! George III. would not profit by the example 

 of Caesar or of Charles, and while North had avowed 

 his willingness to repeal the tax on all other articles, he 

 promised the king that " he would maintain this one tax 

 on Tea to prove to the Colonists his right to tax'.' 



The trade in Tea at this time was a monopoly of the 

 English East India Company, which just then had ac- 

 quired an immense political prestige, but lost heavily 

 by the closing of the American market, the Company's 

 warehouses in London remaining full of it, causing their 

 revenue to decline. North was induced to offer them a 

 measure of relief by releasing from taxation in England 

 the Tea intended for America, but he still persisted in 

 maintaining the duty of threepence to be paid in Ameri- 

 can ports, and on the loth of May this farcical scheme 

 of fiscal readjustment became a law. The Company 

 obtained a license for the free-duty exportation of their 

 Tea to America in disregard of the advice of those who 

 knew that the Colonists would not receive it. Four ships 

 laden with Tea were despatched to the ports of Boston, 

 New York, Philadelphia and Charleston. The Colonists 

 prepared for their expected arrival, public meetings 

 being held in Philadelphia and Boston, at which it was 

 resolved that the Tea should be sent back to England, 

 and so notified the Company's agents at these ports. 

 The Boston consignees refused to comply with the popu- 

 lar demand, all persuasion failing to move them. The 

 matter was then referred to the Committees, who imme- 

 diately resolved to use force where reason was not 

 heeded. When the vessels arrived, a meeting was held 

 in the Old South Church, at which it was resolved, "come 

 what will, the Tea should not be landed or the duty paid" 

 Another appeal was made to the Governor, which was 

 also denied ! Upon this announcement Samuel Adams 



