137 



These representations were followed by a letter of Mr, Oliver, secre- 

 tary of Massachusetts, to Mr. Jackson, the colonial agent, written in 

 June, 1765j by., order of the general court, which, as showing that the 

 evils apprehended were not imaginary, I insert entire : " By several of 

 the papers directed to be delivered to you by Mr. Mauduit, the late 

 agent," says the secretary, " you will observe the opinion oi the two 

 houses with regard to some of the probable ill effects of the last year's 

 acts of Parhament for granting certain duties in the colonies, and some 

 of them, with respect to trade, have been abeady verified, as will ap- 

 pear by the petitions and statements of Messrs. Patrick Tracy, Thomas 

 Boylston, and Fortesque Vernon, merchants within this province. In 

 consequence of said act, three vessels, belonging to them severally, 

 have been seized and condemned;* with respect to which matter, they, in 

 their petuions in general, declare that their vessels sailed hence before 

 said act took place, viz : before September last ; that no bond was re- 

 quired of them at the respective custom-houses at which theii- vessels 

 were cleared out, and that said act did not require any bond ; that 

 said vessels proceeded to the French islands and loaded with molasses ; 

 ^hat, on return, they were forced, by stress of weather, two of them 

 into New Pi'oyidence, and the other into Bermuda ; that these Azyere 

 the first English ports which Tracy and Boylston's had put in at after 

 sailing hence ; that William Vernon's vessel had only touched at Bar- 

 badoes, and sailed again before the 29th of September; that at Provi- 

 dence and Bermuda said vessels were seized and, with their cargoes, 

 by the "court of admiralty, finally adjudged and condemned — ibrf'eited 

 for a Want of certificates; that bonds had been given, pursuant to said 

 acts ; that the vessels and cargoes were appraised at a rate much be- 

 low their value, with a view (they say) that, in case they should be 

 able to reverse the decree, they should, notwithstiftiding, recover a 

 small part of the value of their vessels and cargoes. This is a brief 

 representation they make, as you will see by their petitions. If their 

 representation be just, their case is really hard, and merits the notice of 

 those who have the power to relieve them." 



A detailed account of the seizures of French and Spanish molasses, 

 which, contrary to the acts of Parliament, was continually imported — 

 or, to speak the exact truth, smvggled — would occupy too much space ; 

 yet, as the " molasses excitement" was one of the earliest in the revo- 

 lutionary controversy, some fiirther notice of the course of events can- 

 not well be omitted. The merchants, determined to maintain inter- 

 course with the interdicted islands, devised a plan, fina,lly, which for 

 a time enabled them to accomplish their purpose, and stiU avoid the 

 penalties of the law. This plan was simply to lade their vessels with 

 molasses at the French islands, as usual, but to purchase clearances, 

 " signed with the name, if not the handwriting, of the governor of An- 

 guilla, who acted also as collector." This island was so small as not 

 to afford a cargo for a single vessel, as was well known to the collect- 

 ors of the customs in New England ; yet they permitted vessels fur'- 



* The act which imposed a duty of sixpence the gallon iipon all foreign molasses imported 

 into the colomes gave one-third part of the proceeds of forfeitures to the crown, for the use of 

 the colony where the forfeiture occurred, one-third to the governor of that colony, and ono- 

 third to the informer. " The act," says Hutchinson, " was always deemed a grievance." 



