In consequence of a conference with the Committee of Conference for the towns in the vicinity of Boston, November 23, 1773. And with their advice the following letter is addressed

IV.
IN confequencc of a conference nvith the committees of cerrefponaence for the lozvss
in the vicinity o/'Bollon, November .53, 1773. and-swub their advice, the
following letter is a dare fed,
G E N T L EM E N,
H E prefent pofture of affairs, engages the attention of all the friends of the Jirrppv
J, conftituiion- which otir fathers framed andfbrmany yearsfupported with fucii wiuiosn.
and fortitude as rendered them the admiration of the age-in which they lived, and mn(>:
snake their memory glorious in all future times. Our rights have been for feveral years
invadedby cruel and remorfelefs enemies ; fbmetimes they have at^ed with open violence,
at other times they have endeavoured by wicked artifice to undermine our comTumum.
Our fears are now excited by the expe^ation bf the immediate arrival of the Sen fhippet!
for the port of Bgjion, on account of the Eaji India company, the landing and felling of
which nfud be attended with confequences the mod fual to our liberties. We know that
tri- at dependance is placed upon this mafter-piece of policy for accompliflaing the purpofb
of enilaving us, the Eafi-India company have far fome years felt the d if advantages ariiing
from the duty laid on tea as it^has in a great meafure prevented the \mericans from in^
porting that article from England \ they have applied to adminiftation for.tijie repeal of
that acd, and fo great is their influence, that the miniflry found themfelves under a necefli-
ty of contriving feme method of giving them fatisfatflion : that theymight do this, without
repealing their darling adfc impofing a duty upon tea for the purpofe of railing a revenue
in America, they procured an a<5l to be made in the lad feflion of parliament,-whereby the
EatUIndia company are allowed to export tea to America upon their own account. Now gen-'
tie men if the Eafl-India company are prevented from reaping the advantages which they
expe<5ted from trie liberty granted them of fending?^ to America upon their own account;
they rauft Aill be obliged to infl/l upon the total repeal of that unrighteous acfc ; and we are
convinced that adrniniflration inuft comply with the demand, and at leaji lake off one heavy
burthen from us, and we fhall defeat the intention of thofe who are plotting to introduce
in this crafty manner an arbitrary power of taking from the Americans th^ir dearly ac¬
quired pr •per tyT without their con lent. But if we are prevailed upon implicitly‘to ac¬
knowledge a right to tax us, by receiving and confuming teas loaded with a tax impeded
by the Britifh parliament,we may be affured that in a very fliort time, taxes of the like or
a more grievous nature, will be laid on every article exported from Great Britain, which our
necefflty may require, or our fliameful luxury may betray us into the ufe of and when
once they have found the w'ay to rob us, their avarice will never be fatisfied until our own
manufactures, and even our land, purchafed and cultivated by our hard labouring ancef
tors are taxed to fupport the extravagance and vices of wretches, vvhofe vilenefs ought to
banifli them from the fbciety of men. We think therefore gentlemen, that w'e are in duty
bound to ufe our mod ftrenuous endeavours to Ward off the impending evil, and w-c are
fure that upon a fair and cool inquiry into the nature and tendency of this miniflerial
plan ; you will think this/^ now coming tous,niore tobedreaded than plague or peflileiice,
for thefe can only deftroy our mort >1 bodies, but we never knew a country endaved without
the deflruction of their 'virtue, the lots of which every good man mult efleem infinitely
reater than the loft oflifiev And we earneftly requefl, that gfter having carefully corsfi-
Jered this important matter, you would impreftupon themlndsof youx- friends, neighbours
and fellow towftfmen, the neceflity of exerting themfelves in a mod; zealous and determin¬
ed manner, to lave the prefent and future generations from temporal and (we think we
may with ierioufnefs fay) eternal deftruAion.
JEe are Gentlemen, 'with great EJleem, your Friends,
and Humble Servants,
1!
By Order of the Committee of Bo ft on.
till GJrri r'v t
P. S. As the foregoing letter was draughtetTin prefence of a collected body of commit¬
tees from the feveral adjacent towns, lome particulars refpedling the evil Confequences of
admitting the Baft-India company’s^ into this and the other colonies, were not fully treated.
The committee of this town have thought proper to- make fome further obfervations.
When this and the other capital places Upon the continent fullyunderftood the plan upon
which the India company are fending out their teas, they highly refented fo black a defign
upon theirliberties,and refblved. that to fuffer thefe teas to be landed and fold among them
yi illfoaddto’theirchainsand fpreadthe net fo broad, that neither they nor their children will
be able to caftthem off : For it is con fide red that they will notonly colledl 30,000k fterHng
a year at leaft, into the revenue chefl, a pretty fum to divide among oUr tafk-mafters, but
drain the colonies of one millionfis hundred thoufand dollars annually, to pay for the tea,
the India company haying a conftanl demand for filver, and nothing elfe that this country
produces to make their remittances to the Eaft Indies, this will in a fliort time'ib affetft our
currency as to* be fen duly felt by every individual.v Tea is the only article in the Britifli
trade that calls fop«ur cafh, for we can aflure the public that little or no money has been
fe n t to Great Brtfain by private merchants for feveralyearspaft, they having made their remit¬
tances in the produce of the country : the only prefent drain of our cafli that way, is the
cuflom houfe. who frequently fend large quantities of dollars extorted from the trade,
whic h is finally paid by the conlumer to fupport our enemies on this and the other
fide of the water in luxury and debauchery. We alfo forefee that fhould thefe confignees
fully eflablifli themfelves, which Heaven forbid, to the exclufion of all others, we
may depend, upon their railing tea to what ever price they pleafe, prefuming that
this people Will mortgage their very lands rather than go without ^ ; upon thefe confi-
derauons, and thole mentioned in the above letterthis town had a meetingthe inflant,
and by a reipectable committee requefled the confignees to renounce their commiflion,
311 ,70t to iniin their country, but they then declined ; giving for reafbn that they
cou.d not yet tell what conditions the tea would come out oh till further advices from
.Lngland, we then waited until the iKth inflant, when a veffel arrived in a fhort pafTao-e
witn one of the confignecs on board, and the town was again affembled and,renewed their
former requeft, but flill we are refufed, for reafons you will fee in the inclofed proceed-
mgsof the town, which we are direfted to forward to all the towns through the colony
Now brethren we are reduced to this dilemma, either to fit down quiet under this, and
every otner burthen that our enemies fhall fee fit to lav upon us, as good natured flaves,
or rue and refift this and every plan laid for our deftrudlion as becomes wife freemen,
in this extremity we carneftiy requefl your advice, and that you would give us the ear-
heft mtelhgcnce of the fenfe your fcveral towns have, of the preient gloomy fituation of
our public aftatrs J
4r 6
FACSIMILE OF BROADSIDE
IN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF THE
CITY OF BOSTON.
Issued with Bulletin, July, 1893.