The Crisis Builds

    1195. To William Palmer, 9 December 1773

    1196. To William Whately, 9 December 1773

    1197. To Lord Dartmouth, 10 December 1773

    1198. To Lord Dartmouth, 14 December 1773

    1199. To Lord Dartmouth, 15 December 1773

    By 7 December, two more tea ships had tied up at Griffin’s Wharf, intensifying the crisis. Rumors that the Dartmouth would seek to leave the harbor secretly prompted Admiral Montagu to station ships blocking all entrances to the harbor except that directly in front of Castle William. Since the Body had adjourned on 30 November, the direction of the campaign to reship the tea had been taken over by the united committees of correspondence of Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester, Brookline, and Cambridge, meeting by short adjournments in Faneuil Hall. On 14 December, the Body reassembled to demand why the tea had not yet been reshipped and ordered both the owner and master of the Dartmouth to demand clearances for the vessel from the Custom House and Naval Office. Since the duty on the tea had not been paid, the request was duly refused.

    1195. To William Palmer

    Boston 9 Dec 1773

    Doln Scot

    Sir, I am to acknowledge your favours of 26 Aug & 17 Sept.1 A fatality seems to attend the Tea concern. I flattered myself that as there had been no exception to the duty for sevral years past that there would be none [now]2 expecially as it would be cheaper than ever but our sons of liberty would h[ave] the opportunity of raising a new clamor thro’ the Continent, and about 6 weeks [ago?] they began by sending menacing letters requiring the supposed factors to de[clare] their refusal to accept of the consignment & proceeded to beset them by a mob in order to terrify them into it & at length attempted by violence to take them out of their houses & to tarr & feather them all which failing they called a Town me[eting] & appointed Comittees to request (another word for require) that they would re[turn it]3 but they continued firm in their refusal & I then advised my sons to quit the [town] & to come with their families to my house in the Country & refuse to receive any m[essages] whatever which they submitted to tho’ much to the damage of their affairs. The other Gentlemen remaind in town & made some proposals to the Select men to land the Tea & store it without any sale until they could acquaint [the E] India Directors with the opposition against them & receive their answer. I should have observed to you that at this time they were ignorant of the [design?] of the E India Company to make it a Joint consignment but supposed each [sale?] would be distinct or separate & I might further have observed [illegible]4 the Governor & Council for protection [& the Council?] declined giving any advice about it & indeed expressed a desire that the Gentlemen would resign & that the Tea might not be landed while subject to a duty tho they did not think fit to pass such a vote. All other methods failing the heads of the faction proceeded to call a general meeting of Town & Country at Boston the day after Capt Hall on one of the Ships arrived. A great number of people met in the largest House for publick Worship & soon came to a resolution that the Tea should be sent back to England at all events.5 As soon as the Gentlemen heard of this vote they thot it best to withdraw to the Castle where I had some time before given orders for their reception in case of their betaking themselves there for safety tho’ I was not privy to their withdraw being at that time in Council endeavouring without success to persuade them to join in a declaration against these proceedings. The next morning the people assembld again & the Gentlemen at the Castle by the advice of the friends of Mr Clarke & Mr Fanueil thought it best to repeat the offer which those two Gentlemen had before made of storing the Tea for the present but that offer was instantly rejected. The most bitter Speeches were made to inflame the people against the Governor who was said to be the sole cause of the Gentlemens declining a full compliance. I thought it my duty however to send the Sheriff among them with a Proclamation requiring them immediately to disperse which they treated as I expected they would with great contempt. For their other mad votes & proceedings I refer you to the printed vote inclosed. The Gentlemen have been confined ever since the 29 of Nov & tho they have the use of my apartments & are treated in the most polite manner by Colo Leslie the Comander of the Garrison yet a prison & a separation from their families & business distresses them. Indeed their whole Commissions if they should ever be intitled to them would be far from an adequate compensation for what they have already suffered & I am at a loss where it will end. I have not seen them since the advice of the NYork Factors having thrown up all concern with the Teas upon an apparently light application from the people.6 The Vessels are all arrived except Loring but none of the Tea is landed.7 Hall is preparing for the Sea & it is given out that the Tea shall be carried back in the Ship but that cannot be at all events she must be stopped at the Castle.8

    How the Government will look upon this outrage & what measures will be taken in consequence I am not able to say nor can I Judge how far the E India Company will think fit to pursue for damages. I can find no person willing to give any testimony of the proceedings. The names of several persons some of them having large property appear in the votes. I hear that both Cap Hall & Mr Rotch his owner will soon be in London.9 They can give evidence which will be ample. I desire no copies may be given of what I write to you tho it is no more than you will hear from every passenger.

    [The] large sum supplied to my son surprized me much. I have wrote to him to return by one of the first ships in the Spring & I can upon no account consent to [his] remaining any longer abroad at my expence unless by a very [sho]rt delay there is a prospect of his obtaining a place which may support [and em]ploy him in solliciting whereof I have by letters to those persons in whom I have any interest assisted him what I could & this so long ago as [last] Aug. since which I have not received any letter from him. I wrote to him a few days ago under cover to the Secretary of State.10

    From an apprehension that it would be necessary either for the Kings service or my own personal concerns that I should go to England the last fall I made application for leave & His Majesty was most graciously pleased to grant it without any delay but a passage of near 3 months of the Vessel which brought it to Rh. Isld brought me into the Winter & besides, the confusion from this business of the Tea were so great that if all other circumstances had [been] favorable that circumstance alone should have stopd me. I cannot determine when nor whether ever I shall avail my self of it.

    Whenever I have a favorable opportunity for it I will not be unmindful of your hint respecting my self. I am [illegible]

    AC (Massachusetts Archives, SC1/series 45X, 27:584–85); at head of letter, “Mr W Palmer.”

    1196. To William Whately1

    Boston 9. Decem 1773

    Sir, Although I wrote to you the 31st of October on the subject of the letters sent by the Lieutenant Governor and by me to your late brother and sent back to New England, yet as the Lieutenant Governor has just now acquainted me with the Contents of a Letter he has received from you I write again, lest my former should miscarry, and repeat what I then said, that Mr Story denies his ever seeing, or knowing any thing about, these Letters. The report of their being procured by Mr. T—— has been current in this town for more than a month, & not one of the party pretends to deny it.2 I will mention to you what I was informed of two days ago by a Gentleman of a fair character, a moderate man, related to one or more of the Junto who have conducted this affair. He had his information from a principal man among them and says that they were sent here last Winter, that Mr. W——s, a nephew to Doctor F——n was the ostensible person in sending them. He is Inspector of the Customs in America and now in London,3 that they were to be shewn to six persons only of which number Mr. B——n father in law to Mr. T—— was the first named and it is certain he conducted the whole business in Council;4 and Mr Adams who conducted it in the House of Representatives was another of the six, the other four, unknown to you, he also named.5 I have never charged Mr. T——. I don’t charge him with want of veracity in denying the fact. I would however sooner suspect the veracity of a man, than I would suspect him of so foul an action. Upon my own account, I am not anxious whether any thing more is ever said upon the subject. The Letters are undoubtedly returned to the person who sent them. Mr Rome a Gentleman of London but resident in Rhode Island, writes to me, in a very pressing manner, to recover the original of his letter if possible, supposing, by some means or other, it might come into your possession again, but I think this is not probable.6 He has been imprisoned by the House of Reps. there, because he would not declare whether he wrote the original letter from which the printed copy was taken, & would quit the Colony rather than have the Original produced there, as I conceive.

    I always supposed Mr. T—— did me ill Offices with your brother, whose letters ceased upon his arrival in England I wrote two or three after that time. I am Sir Your very humble Servant,

    I wish nothing to the damage of Mr W——’s character. I mention what is said above for the sake of the use it may be to you in investigating the truth & for no other purpose.7

    RC (British Library, Eg. 2659, ff. 52–53); at foot of letter, “Mr George Whately”; docketed, “Govr. Hutchinsons Letter dated Boston 9th Decr. 1773.” AC (Massachusetts Archives, SC1/series 45X, 27:584); at head of letter, “Mr George Whately” and “Doln Scot.”

    1197. To Lord Dartmouth

    Boston 10 Dec 1773

    Private

    My Lord, The people in Boston & all the neighbouring Towns are raised to the highest degree of enthusiasm in opposition to the duty on Teas. If our advices are to be depended on the spirit is now much lower in several other Colonies. I inclosed to your Lordship in one of my last letters my own minutes of debates in Council, solely for your Lordships private use, not to prejudice you against those Gentlemen in particular but that your Lordship might see with what zeal the principle of opposition was there vindicated.1 It runs much the same thro all other orders. Clergy and Laity agree in this tho they have high contests in other respects. I have no accounts yet from the remote parts of the Province. I have no doubt of an universal spread tho’ not every where with the like violence. At & near Boston the people seem regardless of all Consequences. I may not presume to propose measures.

    To enforce the Act appears beyond all comparison more difficult than I ever before imagined. I doubt whether any Merchant has given orders for any Teas from England next year. Now it is said is the time for Teas from Holland. To concede engenders raising the like Spirit in other cases of Parliamentary authority. It will be happy if any expedient can be found to maintain this authority & at the same time to encourage the consumption of Teas from England to the exclusion of those from Holland.2 I am with the greatest Respect,

    AC (Massachusetts Archives, SC1/series 45X, 27:596); at foot of letter, “Ld Dartmouth.”

    1198. To Lord Dartmouth

    Boston 14. Decemb. 1773

    Private

    My Lord, After the dissolution of the unlawful Assembly of which I have already advised your Lordship,1 what is called the Committee of Correspondence for the Town of Boston held their meetings, and invited the like Committees of the adjacent Towns, Charlestown, Roxbury, Brookline, Dorchester, & Cambridge, to join with them, and more or less of the Committees of these Towns have accordingly joined, and have taken upon them the direction of what relates to the East India Company’s Teas. They have kept a constant military Watch of 25 men every night, generally with their fire arms, to prevent the Tea being privately landed. I sent for the Colonel of the Regiment and acquainted him, that he ought to suffer none of his men to appear in Arms but by authority derived from me. He consulted with the other field Officers, and made return to me that it was not in their power to restrain the men from appearing upon this occasion.2

    The Owner & master of the Ship Dartmouth, who had promised the Ship should sail with the Teas in 20 days, found themselves involved in invincible difficulties.3 After some days, they applied to the Consignees at the Castle to receive the Teas. They made answer that both Master & Owner had engaged the Teas should not be landed, that an armed force was employed to prevent their being landed, and that it was absolutely out of their power to receive them; that, as soon as it should be in their power, they would receive them and pay the freight. Upon an intimation given by the Ship master, to one of the Consignees, that the Ship would be sent to Sea and, it might be, not through the ordinary channel by the Castle, I thought it necessary to acquaint Admiral Montagu with it, and to desire him to take the proper precautions, and he immediately ordered the Active & the Kingfisher, which were laid up for the Winter, to be fixed for the Sea, and to fall down to guard the passages out of the harbour. At the same time, I renewed, in writing to Colonel Leslie, the Orders, which used to be given to the Commanders of the Castle, to suffer no Vessel, coasting Vessels excepted, to pass that Fortress from the Town, without a permit signed by the Governour; and a sufficient number of Guns were loaded upon this special occasion.

    These appearances increased the embarrasments which the Committees were under and, if they ever expected to be able to force the Vessels back, their expectations were lessened, and the prevailing talk of the Town was, that a way might be found to compel the Governour to grant a permit. They then sent for the Owner of the Ship & demanded a performance of his promise. He answered that, when he made the promise, he was in durance & so terrified that he must have promised any thing they required, that this promise could not be obligatory, and that, be the consequence what it would, he could not send the Ship back with the Teas. A leading Merchant replied that if the Ship was his he would certainly send her back. The Owner, to free himself from his trouble, made an offer of his Ship at a low price, but it was not accepted.4

    Yesterday the post from New York brought advice of the determination of the Governor and Council to take the Teas into the protection of the Government when they arrive, and that they should be landed in the Barracks.5 This Intelligence seems to have increased the number of those who declare against compelling the Consignees, or the Owner of the Ship, to send the Teas back as unreasonable & extravagant, the Committees, nevertheless, continue to meet & profess they will not give the point up.

    I am not sensible, My Lord, of having omitted any one thing in my power to support the authority of Government. By the Charter the Governor, with not less than seven of the Council, are to manage the affairs of Government. If the Council would have joined with me I would, at least, have removed every Officer in the appointment of the Governour & Council who had shewn any countenance to these Outrages. The Selectmen & Town Clerk of Boston and three of the Representatives have been very active, the Speaker, the other Representative, has kept out of sight. They cannot be disqualified for those elective Offices in any other way than by the Legislature, but several of them are in the Commission for the Peace, and the Town Clerk holds a place of profit.6 A publick declaration, & requisition to refrain from the breach of the Laws, & an injunction upon the Civil Magistrate to do his duty was all that the Constitution enables me to do. The limits of my power are well known, and an attempt or pretence to any thing beyond my power would have hurt the cause which I am endeavouring to defend as well as I can.

    I must repeat what I have before observed to your Lordship, that these disorders are very much confined to Boston, and a few Towns round it whose Inhabitants have daily intercourse with those of Boston. When the General Court sits in Boston, many of the Members are influenced by the Inhabitants; the Justices of the Superior Court who by Law must hold the Assizes for Suffolk County in that Town make the same complaint of the Juries. There are inconveniences in holding the General Court thirty or forty miles from the principal Seaport, but I think the conveniences outweigh them at all times and, especially, when such disorders prevail there. If the Justices were at liberty to hold the Assizes in any Town in the County, as I suppose they are in England, it would be much better, but there is no prospect of the Legislature of the Province being free enough from undue influence to effect either of these measures.

    It would be a very good measure if the General Court could be brought to the enacting a Law for disfranchising such Towns as assemble for other purposes than the immediate concerns of the Town. They, really, have no further power as the Province Law now stands. It looks as if the principal Actors in late Town Meetings were afraid of being one time or other called to account by some other authority than any within the Province, for, when any thing very extravagant is to be done, a meeting of the people at large is called, by printed notifications without signing, but Selectmen Town Clerk &ca attend. In the last Assembly, in the largest Meeting house in Town, a Gentleman who spake in behalf of the Consignees called upon the Selectmen; Mr Adams the Representative corrected him, & remarked that they knew no Selectmen at those Meetings.7 Surely, My Lord, it is time this Anarchy was restrained & corrected by some authority or other.

    It has evidently been the full expectation of the present leaders to accomplish their purposes by intimidating without actual violence. They made no doubt that the Votes of a few Towns near Boston, which they passed to their perpetual disgrace, declaring such Miscreants as the Consignees should find no shelter in their Towns, would force them to be active in sending the Teas back to England, though such in those Towns as have property dare not openly be active in it themselves. Sometimes they have raised the spirit so high that they have been afraid of not being able to restrain it, and there certainly is danger of some violent explosion. A few nights ago, they were under great apprehensions that one of the Ships with the Tea on board would have been burnt by the Mob, and it is reported that an attempt was made and that they were restrained by a grave man, who was then, or had been, one of the military watch.8 It will be no strange thing if, upon being called to account for setting up a military guard in the Town, they should pretend it was, in part at least, to prevent the people’s destroying the Tea. In such a state it is very difficult for the Servants of the Crown to know when they are really in danger and are to be justified in taking measures for the Security of their Persons and families.

    These leaders also buoy the people up with an expectation of a War with France or Spain and rejoice upon evry rumor of the probability of it. They are told themselves and upon that authority they tell the people that upon such an event every step will be taken to recover their affections. I rather think a War would be, above all things, the means of bringing the people to their senses. Before the peace, I thought nothing so much to be desired as the cession of Canada. I am now convinced that if it had remained to the French none of this spirit of opposition to the Mother Country would yet, have appeared, and I think the effects of it worse than all we had to fear from French or Indians. I am also well assured that, except a few desperate men, the body of the people in this Province & I believe in every other Colony are sensible they could not subsist without being the Subjects of one or other of the Powers of Europe or, at best, that they would be exposed to their ravages for many years yet to come. When one or two Towns should be destroyed or meerly when the danger was imminent, they would see the easy government under which an English Colonist lived, they would see the advantage they always had received from the Protection of the Mother Country, the necessity of the continuance of it, and the reasonableness of the return required for it. I am with the greatest respect My Lord Your Lordship’s faithful & most obedient humble Servant,

    RC (Staffordshire Record Office, Dartmouth Collection, D(W)1778/I/ii/916); at foot of letter, “Rt Honble. The Earl of Dartmouth”; endorsed, “Govr. Hutchinson 14 Decr. 1773 Private.” AC (Massachusetts Archives, SC1/series 45X, 27:586–88); at head of letter, “Private” and “Glasgo Wilsons Vessel”; partially in TH Jr’s hand. Contemporary printings: New England Chronicle, 29 June 1775; Newport Mercury, 10 July 1775; Massachusetts Spy, 12 July 1775; Norwich Packet, 24 July 1775; Remembrancer for the Year 1776, part 2, p. 62 (all partial excerpt of ninth paragraph only).

    1199. To Lord Dartmouth

    Boston 15 December 1773

    (No 35)

    My Lord, In my letter No 34 I acquainted your Lordship with the progress of the disorders in the Town of Boston as far as the 2d of this month. After the dissolution of the Assembly of the people held in that Town, what is called the Committee of Correspondence have met from time to time, called in Committees of other Towns or other persons to join with them, have kept up a military watch or guard every night to prevent the landing of any Teas, and appear to be the executioners of the Resolves and Orders passed at the aforesaid Assembly. I foresaw the dangerous tendency of these Committees and have repeatedly mentioned them to the General Assembly as innovations & illegal. I have reason to think that one half the Towns and Districts in the Province have appointed them notwithstanding, but I do not find that more than four or five of those Comittees have as yet joined with the Committee of Boston in their unwarrantable proceedings.

    The Consignees of the Tea being confined to the Castle, the Owner of the first Ship which arrived has been the principal person applied to, and he has been sent for repeatedly by their Committees, and required to comply with his promise to send his Ship with the Teas back to England. He has plead that his promise was made in durance and that he had promised more than was in his power to perform, as he could not obtain a clearance at the Custom-house nor a pass for the Castle, and that, if he should be able to get his Ship out of the Harbour, both Ship and Goods would be forfeited in every part of the King’s dominions. This was not satisfactory, and yesterday morning notifications were again posted up in the Town for another Assembly of the People to meet in the afternoon, when they chose a person Moderator who was formerly an Inhabitant of Boston but for some time past, has been resident in a Country town 10 or 15 miles distant.1 At this meeting it was determined that Mr Rotch the Owner of the Ship should demand at the Custom house a Clearance of the Teas for England which I am informed was done this day in the presence of a Committee of 12 persons appointed to see it done. The Collector & Comptroller refused to grant it and report is to be made to the Meeting which stands adjourned until to morrow to determine what is further to be done.

    It is notorious that the Ship cannot pass the Castle without a permit from the Governor, for which a fee has been granted by a Province Law in force more than 70 years, and Admiral Montagu upon information of a design to carry the Ship out of the Harbour through some other Channel, has placed the Vessels under his command in such manner as to prevent it.

    If I could discover a disposition in any of the Members of the Council to give me any other advice than what they gave the first day of the Meeting of this unlawful Assembly I would most willingly call them together. To cause them to be convened and to obtain no other advice than they gave before, would tend to strengthen & confirm the people in their extravagances. I have the honour to be My Lord Your Lordship’s most humble and most obedient Servant,

    RC (National Archives UK, CO 5/763, ff. 25–26); at foot of letter, “Rt. Honorable the Earl of Dartmouth &ca.”; docketed, “Boston 15th. Decembr. 1773 Governor Hutchinson (No. 35) Rx 2d. February 1774.” AC (Massachusetts Archives, SC1/series 45X, 27:595); at head of letter, “Glasgo.” SC (National Archives UK, CO 5/769, ff. 37–40); docketed, “Boston 15th December 1773 Governor Hutchinson (No. 35.) Rx 2d. Feby. 1774.” SC (Staffordshire Record Office, Dartmouth Collection, D(W)1778/I/ii/917); at head of letter, “(Copy)”; docketed, “Copy of a Letter from Governor Hutchinson to the Earl of Dartmouth dated Boston 15 Decr: 1773 Rx 2d. Feby: 1774. (No. 15).” SC (Clements Library, Wedderburn Papers); docketed, “Copy of a Letter from Gov: Hutchinson to the Earl of Dartmouth dated Boston 15. Decr. 1773. No. 15.” SC (British Library, Add. MS 38,207, ff. 344–45); at head of letter, “Copy”; docketed, “Copy of a Letter from Govr. Hutchinson to the Earl of Dartmouth dated Boston 15th. Decr. 1773 No. 15.”