372 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



were entitled to a place in it. The French laws, and a trial without 

 jury, were also established in civil cases, and the English laws, with 

 atrial by jury, in criminal; and the popish clergy were invested with 

 a legal right to their tithes from all who were of their own religion. 

 No assembly of the people, as in other British colonies, was appoint- 

 ed, it being said in the act, that it was then inexpedient: but the 

 king was to erect such courts of criminal, civil, and ecclesiastical 

 jurisdiction as he should think proper. The boundaries of the pro- 

 vince of Quebec were likewise extended, by the act, thousands of 

 miles at the back of the other colonies, whereby, it was said, a go- 

 vernment little better than despotic was established throughout an 

 extensive country. 



The measures of England respecting America had so universally 

 exasperated the colonists, that provincial or town meetings were held 

 in every part of the continent, in which they avowed their intentions 

 of opposing, in the most vigorous manner, the measures of adminis- 

 tration. Agreements were entered into in the different colonies, 

 whereby the subscribers bound themselves, in the most solemn man- 

 ner, and in the presence of God, to suspend all commercial inter- 

 course with Great Britain from the last day of the month of August, 

 1774, until the Boston port bill, and the other late obnoxious laws, 

 should be repealed, and the colony of Massachusetts Bay fully re- 

 stored to its chartered rights. Other transactions succeeded ; and the 

 flame continued to increase and extend in America, till at length 

 twelve of the colonies, including the whole extent of country which 

 stretches from Nova Scotia to Georgia, appointed deputies to attend 

 a general congress, which was held at Philadelphia, and opened the 

 5th of September, 1774. The number of delegates amounted to fifty- 

 one, who represented the several English colonies; of New-Hamp- 

 shire 2 delegates; Massachusetts Bay 4; Rhode-Island and Provi- 

 dence plantations 2; Connecticut 3; New- York 7; New-Jersey 4; 

 Pennsylvania 7 ; the lower counties of Delaware 3 ; Maryland 4 ; 

 Virginia 7; North -Carolina 3 ; and South-Carolina 5 delegates. Geor- 

 gia afterwards acceded to the confederacy, and sent deputies to the 

 congress. 



They drew up a petition to the king, in which they enumerated 

 their several grievances, and solicited his majesty to grant them 

 peace, liberty, and safety. They likewise published an address to 

 the people of Great Britain, another to the colonies in general, and 

 another to the inhabitants of the province of Quebec. The congress 

 broke up on the 26th of October, having resolved, that another con- 

 gress should be held in the same place on the 10th of May following, 

 unless the grievances of which they complained should be redressed 

 before that time ; and they recommended to all the colonies to choose 

 deputies as soon as possible, for that purpose. 



Shortly after these events, some measures were proposed in the 

 parliament of Great Britain, for putting a stop to the commotions 

 which unhappily subsisted in America. The earl of Chatham, who 

 had been long in an infirm state of health, appeared in the house of 

 lords, and expressed in the strongest terms, his disapprobation of the 

 whole system of American measures. He also made a motion for im- 

 mediately recalling the troops from Boston ; but this motion was re- 

 jected by a large majority, as was also a bill which he brought in soon 

 after, for settling the American troubles. The methods proposed in 



