SEPTEMBER 20, 1774. The convention met, according to adjournment, and was opened with prayers. Voted, To defer the consideration of the expediency of adjourning to the superior court, for the present. Voted, That the sheriff send out precepts to the towns for the choice of representatives. Voted, That Capt. Joseph Henshaw, Capt. Thomas Denny, Capt. Whitcomb, Mr. Timothy Bigelow, and Capt. Tyler, be a committee, to report in relation to giving instructions to the representatives. Voted, That the same committee take into consideration the choice of field officers. Voted, As the opinion of this convention, that the sheriff adjourn the superior court appointed by law to be held this day, and that he retain such as are, or may be committed as criminals, in his custody, until they have a trial. Voted, That the plan for military organization be recommitted to the same committee who have reported, to make further additions and amend ments. Adjourned till to-morrow morning, at 8 o'clock, A. M. ed with a sense of our duty to our country, paternal affection for our children and unborn millions, as also for our personal rights and liberties, solemnly covenant, agree and engage to and with each other, that from and after the first day of December, 1774, we will not, according to the best of our knowledge, any or either of us, nor any person by our directions, order or approbation, for or under any or either of us, do or perform, any blacksmith's work, or business of any kind whatever, for any person or persons whom we esteem enemies to this country, commonly known by the name of tories, viz. all councillors in this province appointed by mandamus, who have not publicly resigned said office, also every person who addressed Governor Hutchinson on his departure from this province, who has not publicly recanted: also every officer exercising authority by virtue of any commission tending to carry any of the late oppressive acts of parliament into execution in America: and, in particular, we will not do any work for Timothy Ruggles of Hardwick, John Murray of Rutland, and James Putnam of Worcester, Esquires: nor for any person or persons cultivating, tilling, improving, dressing, hiring, or occupying any of their lands or tenements. Also, we agree to refuse our work of every kind, as aforesaid, to all and every person or persons who shall not have signed the non-consumption agreeement, or have entered into a similar contract or engagement, or that shall not strictly conform to the association or covenant agreed upon and signed by the Continental Congress lately convened at Philadelphia. We further agree, that we will not do any work for any mechanic, tradesman, laborer, or others, that shall work for, or in any ways, or by any means whatever, aid, assist, or promote the business, or pecuniary advantage, pleasures or profits of any the said enemies to this country. Resolved, That all lawful ways and means ought to be adopted by the whole body of the people of this province, to discountenance all our inveterate political enemies in manner as aforesaid. Therefore, we earnestly recommend it to all denominations of artificers, that they call meetings of their respective craftsmen in their several counties, as soon as may be, and enter into associations and agreements for said purposes: and that all husbandinen, laborers, &c. do the like: and that whoever shall be guilty of any breach of any or either of the articles or agreements, be held by us in contempt, as enemies to our common rights. TIMOTHY BIGELOW, Clerk. ROSS WYMAN, Chairman. SEPTEMBER 21, 1774. The convention met according to adjournment, and was opened with prayer. A paper was sent by Mr. Samuel Paine, clerk of the inferior court, which is as follows: To the several gentlemen of the committees of correspondence for the county of Worcester, now convened in Worcester. GENTLEMEN-I thought I gave you all the satisfaction, relative to my issuing the warrants, at your last meeting, which could reasonably be expected: still, you have demanded of me more. As I considered myself, in that matter, as acting merely officially, and, as such, had no right to judge of the propriety or impropriety of the act of parliament, and my issuing the warrants gave the people, who were the only judges, an opportunity to determine for themselves whether they should be complied with or not, upon this representation, I hope I shall stand fair in the eye of my countrymen. Should not this be a sufficient excuse for me, you must know, gentlemen, that I was regularly appointed clerk of the peace for this county, by the justices, in September last, and, as the said justices of the court of general sessions of the peace, as well as the inferior court of common pleas for this county, whose servant I am, on the sixth day of September current, did give assurance to the body of the people of this county, then assembled at Worcester, that they would not endeavor to put said act in execution, so, gentlemen, I give you the same assurance. Your devoted servant, SAMUEL PAINE. Voted, That the paper sent by Mr. Paine is not satisfactory, and that the same be committed to Mr. Joseph Henshaw, Mr. Bigelow and Mr. Doolittle, who reported, after some time, as follows: The committee to whom the convention referred the consideration of a letter addressed to them, signed Samuel Paine, have had the same before them, and beg leave to report: The letter appears to have been written by a young man, who, by his connections, has lately started into the office of clerk of the sessions and inferior court, through the indulgence of the bench of justices. The letter is affrontive to the convention, and in no respect answers their reasonable requisitions. Considering the person who wrote it, the committee are of opinion, it is of too small importance to be noticed any further by the convention, and therefore recommend, that said letter be dismissed, and the person treated with all neglect. By order of the committee, JOSEPH HENSHAW, Chairman. Voted, To take notice of Mr. Sheriff Chandler, for carrying an address to Governor Gage, and that a committee wait on him, and request his attendance before this body, forthwith. Voted, That Doct. Dunsmore, Mr. Drury, and Mr. Clapp, be a committee to inform the sheriff of this vote of the convention respecting his conduct. Mr. Sheriff came in, and presented the following declaration, which was accepted: Whereas, the convention of committees have expressed their uneasiness to the sheriff of this county, now present before the convention, for presenting, with others, an address to Governor Gage, he frankly declares it was precipitately done by him: that he is sorry for it: and disclaims an intention to do any thing against the minds of the inhabitants of this county: and, had he known it would have given offence, he would not have presented said address. GARDINER CHANDLER. Resolved, That as the ordinary courts of justice will be stayed, in consequence of the late arbitrary and oppressive acts of the British parliament, we would earnestly recommend to every inhabitant of this county, to pay his just debts, as soon as possible, without any dispute or litigation, “and if any disputes concerning debts or trespasses should arise, which cannot be settled by the parties, we recommend it to them to submit all such causes to arbitration; and if the parties, or either of them, shall refuse to do so, they ought to be considered as co-operating with the enemies of the country." The committee on instructions submitted their report, which was accepted, and is as follows: Resolved, That it be recommended to the several towns and districts, that they instruct their representatives, who may be chosen to meet at Salem, in October next, absolutely to refuse to be sworn by any officer or officers, but such as are or may be appointed according to the constitution, or to act as one branch of the legislature in concert with any others, except such as are, or may be appointed, according to the charter of this province: and that they refuse to give their attendance at Boston, while the town is invested with troops and ships of war: and should there be any thing to prevent their acting with such a governor and council as is expressly set forth in the charter, that they immediately repair to the town of Concord, and there join in a provincial congress, with such other members as are or may be chosen for that purpose, to act and determine on such measures as they shall judge to be proper to extricate this colony out of the present unhappy circumstances. Voted, That it be again recommended to the several towns and districts in this county, that they provide themselves immediately with one or more field pieces, mounted and fitted for use, and also, a sufficient quantity of ammunition for the same, and that the officers appoint a suitable number of men, out of their respective companies, to manage said field pieces. Whereas, the people of this county are under solemn obligations not to purchase any goods imported from Great Britain, after the last day of August, 1774, which they determine sacredly to adhere to, until our many grievances be redressed, therefore, Resolved, that it be recommended, and we do earnestly recommend it to the committees of correspondence or selectmen, in the several seaport towns in this province, to appoint, or cause to be appointed, committees to inspect the imports that have been, or shall be made, since the last day of August, aforesaid, and publish all such in the Boston newspapers, with the names of the importers, that so we may carefully avoid all such persons in our dealings for the future. Voted. To choose a standing committee for the county, to correspond with the committees of correspondence for the several counties, and elsewhere, as they shall think proper; also, to prepare matter to lay before this body at their several meetings; to give the earliest intelligence to the several committees of any new attack upon the liberties of the people, and call a county congressional convention at any time, as occasion may require. Voted, That the committees of correspondence for the towns of Worcester and Leicester, be a committee for the above purpose, and that Messrs. Thomas Denny, Joseph Henshaw, and Joshua Bigelow, be added to the committee. As the several regiments in this county are large and inconvenient, by the increase of its inhabitants since the first settlement of said regiments, therefore, Voted, that the county be divided into seven distinct regiments, in the following manner, to wit: First-Worcester, Leicester, Holden, Spencer, Paxton. Third-Lancaster, Bolton, Harvard, Lunenburg, Leominster, Fitchburg, Ashburnham, Westminster. Fourth-Brookfield, Western, Braintree, Hardwick, Oakham. Fifth-Rutland, Hutchinson, Petersham, Athol, Templeton, Winchendon, Royalston, Hubardston, Princeton. Sixth-Southborough, Westborough, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Grafton. Seventh-Mendon, Uxbridge, Northbridge, Upton, Douglas. Voted, That it be recommended to the several towns in this county, to choose proper military officers, and a sufficient number for each town, and that the captains, lieutenants, and ensigns, who are chosen by the people in each regiment, do convene, on or before the tenth day of October next, at some convenient place in each regiment, and choose their field officers to comman: the militia until they be constitutionally appointed, and that it be recommended to the officers in each town of the county, to enlist one third of the men of their respective towns, between sixteen and sixty years of age, to be ready to act at a minute's warning; and that it be recommended to each town in the county, to choose a sufficient number of men as a committee to supply and support those troops that shall move on any emergency. Voted, That it be recommended to the company officers of the minute men, to meet at Worcester, on the 17th of October next, at ten o'clock of the forenoon, to proportion their own regiments, and choose as many field officers as they shall think necessary. Voted, That it be recommended to the justices of the county, that they liberate any persons confined in jail for debt, who are entitled to such liberation by the laws of the province. Voted, That Capt. Joseph Henshaw, Colonel Thomas Denny, and Capt. Willard Moore, be a committee to present the following remonstrance, in behalf of this convention, to his Excellency General Gage. To his Excellency Thomas Gage, Esq., &c. &c. The people of the county of Worcester, being earnestly solicitous for the peace and welfare of the province in general, cannot view the measures now pursuing by your excellency, but with increasing jealousy, as they apprehend there has not existed, and does not at present exist, any just occasion for the formidable hostile preparations making on the neck leading to our distressed capital. It is a matter of such notoriety, that your excellency must be sensible, there was not the least opposition made to obstruct the introduction of the king's troops at their first landing, nor have the people, since that time, discovered any intention to disturb them, till your excellency was pleased to order the seizure of the powder in the arsenal at Charlestown, in a private manner, which occasioned the report that a skirmish had happened between a party of the king's troops and the people at Cambridge, in which several of the latter fell. This caused the people to form and march from divers parts of the country; but no sooner had the report proved false, than they returned peaceably to their homes. The inhabitants of the province in general, and of the town of Boston, have never given cause for those cruel and arbitrary acts, for blockading their harbor and subverting the charter by altering the civil government of the province, which, however, this people are determined, by the divine favor, never to submit to, but with their lives, notwithstanding they are aggrieved at the king's displeasure against them, through the instigation of traitorous and designing men. This county finds it difficult to comprehend the motives for the present hostile parade, unless it be in consequence of some preconcerted plan to subject the already distressed town of Boston to mean compliances or military contributions. They are equally at a loss to account for your excellency's conduct towards the county of Suffolk, as in your answer to their address, remonstrating against fortifying the only avenue to the town, which, by that means, may, in some future time, be improved to cut off the communication between town and country, and thereby reduce the miserable inhabitants to the greatest straits; your excellency is pleased in answer to observe, that you had not made it easier to effect this, than what nature has |