It is not likely that they had any thing further in View at first, but at Night great Numbers, many of them from the Neighboring Towns got together & resolvd to make a Sacrifice of their Pageantry by burning it on Fort Hill. Unluckily a small Building said to be designd for a Stamp Office, as well as Mr. Or Mansion House fell in their Way-the former of which they demolishd, & to the other they did some Dammage but inconsiderable, in Comparison of what might have been expected. This bore so hard upon Mr Os Mind as to induce him the next Day publickly to declare his Resolution to resign his Office, which gave universal Satisfaction throughout the Country. Such a Spirit in all the Colonys excepting Hallifax & Quebeck has had the same Effect, & there is not a Man who dares to put the Act in Execution. The People in England may perhaps think it difficult for us to justify these Proceedings. I do not now attempt it a[nd] yet I will venture to express my Beleife, that if the whole People of the Nation had thought their essential unalienable Rights had been invaded by an Act of Parliamt, which is really the Opinion which the whole People of America have of the Stamp Act-I say, in such a Case, after taking all legal Steps to obtain redress to no Purpose, the whole People of England would have taken the same Steps & justifyd themselves—to which I make no Application.

There was another Transaction in this Town of a truly mobbish Nature which happend about a fortnight after the other viz on the 26 of August, when the Houses of Mr Story Deputy reg. of the Court of Vice Admiralty, Mr Hallowell Comptroler of the Custom, & the Lieutenant Governors were attackd, to the two former of which some Mischiefe was done, & the other has scarce any thing left but the Walls. The Cause of this Riot is not known publickly-some Persons have suggested their private Thoughts of it. Be it what it will, The Town must appear to every candid Person to have had no Concern in it. An universal Consternation appeard in the faces of every one the next morning, & a meeting of the Inhabitants was in a few hours had, the largest ever known on any Occasion, who unanimously declard their Detestation of it. I voted to assist the Majistrate to their utmost in preventing or suppressing any further Disorder. I need only to say, to prevent any ill Impressions that may be made of the Town in the Minds of sensible Persons, on your Side the Water, that the House of Representatives, afterwards in their Message to the Gov' (who I should you have told was chiefly at the Castle during the Time of these Disturbances) express themselves in the following Terms "We should rather have thought your Excy would have expressd your Satisfaction in presiding over so loyal a People, who in that Part

of the Governmt where the Violences were committed, before there was Time for them to be supported by the Arm of civil Power, & even while the Supreme Majistrate was absent, by their own Motion raised a Spirit, & diffusd it thro' all Ranks, successfully to interpose & put a stop to such dangerous Proceedings.". . .

Samuel Adams, Writings (N. Y., 1904), I. 58-61.

17. Resolutions Against the Stamp
Act (1765)

By THE VIRGINIA ASSEMBLY
(Written by Patrick Henry)

These resolutions embody one of the most famous protests against taxation without representation.

"RESOLVED, That the first adventurers and settlers of this, his majesty's colony and dominion, brought with them, and transmitted to their posterity, and all other his majesty's subjects, since inhabiting in this, his majesty's said colony, all the privileges, franchises, and immunities, that have at any time been held, enjoyed, and possessed, by the people of Great Britain.

Resolved, That by two royal charters, granted by king James the first, the colonists, aforesaid, are declared entitled to all the privileges, liberties, and immunities, of denizens and natural born

subjects, to all intents and purposes, as if they had been abiding ard born within the realm of England.

Resolved, at the taxation of the people by themselves, or by persons chosen by themselves to represent them, who can only know what taxes the people are able to bear, and the easiest mode of raising them, and are equally affected by such taxes themselves, is the distinguishing characteristic of British freedom, and without which the ancient constitution cannot subsist.

Resolved, That his majesty's liege people of this most ancient colony, have uninterruptedly enjoyed the right of being thus governed by their own assembly in the article of their taxes and internal police, and that the same hath never been forfeited, or any other way given up, but hath been constantly recognized by the king and people of Great Britain.

Resolved, therefore, That the general assembly. of this colony have the sole right and power to lay taxes and impositions upon the inhabitants of this colony; and that every attempt to vest such power in any person or persons whatsoever, other than the general assembly aforesaid, has a manifest tendency to destroy British as well as American freedom.”

On the back of the paper containing those resolutions, is the following endorsement, which is also in the handwriting of Mr. Henry himself.

"The within resolutions passed the house of burgesses in May, 1765. They formed the first opposition to the stamp act, and the scheme of taxing America by the British parliament. All the colonies, either through fear, or want of opportunity to form an opposition, or from influence of some kind or other, had remained silent. I had been for the first time elected a burgess, a few days before, was young, inexperienced, unacquainted with the forms of the house, and the members that composed it. Finding the men of weight averse to opposition, and the commencement of the tax at hand, and that no person was likely to step forth, I determined to venture, and alone, unadvised, and unassisted, on a blank leaf of an old law book wrote the within. Upon offering them to the house, violent debates ensued. Many threats were uttered, and much abuse cast on me, by the party for submission. After a long and warm contest, the resolutions passed by a very small majority, perhaps of one or two only. The alarm spread throughout America with astonishing quickness, and the ministerial party were overwhelmed. The great point of resistance to British taxation was universally established in the colonies. This brought on the war, which finally separated the two countries, and gave independence to ours. Whether this will prove a blessing or a curse, will depend upon the use our people make of the blessings