OP LANCASTER COUNTY. 213 



sources of dissensions to the Mother Country and these Colonies, unless 

 some expedients can be adopted to render her secure of receiving from us 

 every emolument, that can in justice and reason be expected and us secure 

 in our lives, liberties, properties, and an equitable share of commerce. 



Mournfully revolving in our minds the calamities, that, arising from 

 these dissensions, will most probably fall on us or our children, we will 

 now lay before you the particular points we request of you to procure, 

 if possible, to be finally decided : and the measures that appear to us 

 most likely to produce such a desirable period of our distresses and 

 dangers. We therefore desire of you — 



First — that the Deputies you may appoint, may be instructed by you 

 strenuously to exert themselves, at the ensuing Congress, to obtain a re- 

 nunciation on the part of Great Britain^ of all powers under the statute 

 of the 35 Henry the 8th, chapter the 2d. Of all powers of internal legis- 

 lation — of imposing taxes or duties internal or external — and of regu- 

 lating trade, except with respect to any new articles of commerce, which 

 the Colonies may hereafter raise, as silk, wine, &c., reserving a right to 

 carry these from one colony to another — a repeal of all statutes for quar- 

 tering troops in the Colonies, or subjecting them to any expense on ac- 

 count of such troops — of all statutes imposing duties to be paid in the 

 Colonies, that were passed at the accession of his present Majesty, or 

 before this time ; which ever period shall be judged most advisable — 

 of the statutes giving the Courts of Admiralty in the Colonies greater 

 power than Courts of Admiralty have in England — of the statutes of 

 the 5th of George the 2d, chapter the 22d, and of the 23d of George the 

 2d, chapter the 29th — of the statute for shutting up the port of Boston 

 — and of every other statute particularly affecting the province of Mas- 

 sachusetts Bay^ passed in the last session of Parliament. 



In case of obtaining these terms, it is our opinion, that it will be rea- 

 sonable for the colonies to engage their obedience to the acts of Parlia- 

 ment declared to have force, at this time, in these Colonies, other than 

 those above-mentioned, and to confirm such statutes by acts of the 

 several assemblies. It is also our opinion, that taking example from 

 our Mother Country, in abolishing the "Courts of Wards and Liveries, 

 Tenures in capite, and by Knights service and purveyance," it will be 

 reasonable for the Colonies, in case of obtaining the terms before men- 

 tioned, to settle a certain annual revenue on his Majesty, his heirs and 

 successors, subject to the control of Parliament, and to satisfy all dama- 

 ges done to the East-India Company. 



This our idea of settling a revenue, arises from a sense of duty to our 

 Sovereign, and of esteem for our Mother Country. We know and have 

 felt the benefits of a subordinate connexion with her. We neither are 

 so stupid as to be ignorant of them, nor so unjust as to deny them. We 



