here concerning America, I must say that we have among them many friends, and well wishers. The dissenters are all for us, and many of the merchants and manufacturers. There seems to be even among the country gentlemen a general sense of our growing importance, a disapprobation of the harsh measures with which we have been treated, and a wish that some means may be found of perfect reconciliation. A few members of parliament in both houses, and perhaps some in high office have in a degree the same ideas, but none of these seem willing as yet to be active in our favour, lest adversaries should take advantage and charge it upon them as a betraying the interests of this nation. In this state of things no endeavour of mine or our other friends here" to obtain a repeal of the acts so oppressive to the colonists, or the orders of the crown so destructive of the charter rights of our province in particular," can expect a sudden success. By degrees and a judicious improvement of events we may work a change in minds and measures, but otherwise such great alterations are hardly to be looked for.

I am thankful to the House for their kind attention in repeating their grant to me of six hundred pounds. Whether the instruction restraining the Governor's assent is withdrawn or not, or is likely to be, I cannot tell, having never solicited, or even once mentioned it to Lord Dartmouth, being resolved to owe no obligation to the favour of any minister. If from a sense of right, that instruction should be recalled, and the general principle on which it was founded is given up, all will be very well; but you can never think it worth while to employ an agent here if his being paid or not is to depend on the breath of a minister, and I should think it a situation too suspicious

and therefore too dishonourable for me to remain in a single hour. Living frugally I am under no immediate necessity, and if I serve my constituents faithfully, though it should be unsuccessfully, I am confident they will always have it in their inclination, and some time or other in their power to make their grants effectual.

A gentleman of our province Captain Calef is come hither as an agent for some of the eastern townships, to obtain a confirmation of their lands. Sir Francis Bernard seems inclined to make use of this person's application for promoting a separation of that country from your province and making it a distinct government, to which purpose he prepared a draft of a memorial for Calef to present, setting forth not only the hardship of being without security in the property of their improvements, but also of the distress of the people there for want of government; that they were at too great a distance from the seat of government in the Massachusetts to be capable of receiving the benefits of government thence, and expressing their willingness to be separated and formed into a new province, &c. With this draft Sir Francis and Mr. Calef came to me to have my opinion. I read it, and observed to them that though I wished the people quieted in their possessions, and would do any thing I could to assist in obtaining the assurance of their pro perty, yet as I knew the province of Massachusetts had a right to that country, of which they were justly tenacious, I must oppose that part of the memorial, if it should be presented. Sir Francis allowed the right, but proposed that a great tract of land between Merrimack and Connecticut rivers, which had been allotted to New Hampshire, might be restored to our province by order of the crown,

as a compensation.

This he said would be of more

value to us than that eastern country, as being nearer home, &c. I said I would mention it in my letters, but must in the mean time oppose any step taken in the affair before the sentiments of the general court should be known, as to such an exchange, if it were offered. Mr. Calef himself did not seem fond of the draft, and I have not seen him, or heard any thing farther of it since, but I shall watch it.

Be pleased to present my dutiful respects to the house, and believe me with sincere and great esteem, Şir, your most obedient and most humble servant,vt

30 sm To MR. MATHER, BOSTON. ed Stone

The remarks you have added, on the late proceedings against America, are very just and judicious : and I cannot see any impropriety in your making them, though a minister of the Gospel. This kingdom is a good deal indebted for its liberties to the public spirit of its ancient clergy, who joined with the Barons in obtain ing Magna Charta, and joined heartily in forming the curses of excommunication against the infringers of it. There is no doubt but the claim of parliament, of authority to make laws binding on the colonies in all cases whatsoever, includes an authority to change our religious constitution, and establish popery or Mahometanism if they please in its stead; but, as you intimate, power does not infer right; and as the right is nothing and the power

(by our increase) continually diminishing, the one will soon be as insignificant as the other. You seem only to have made a small mistake in supposing they modestly avoided to declare they had a right, the words of the act being “that they have and of right ought to have full power, &c."à,

Your suspicion that sundry others besides Governor Bernard had written hither their opinions and counsels encouraging the late measures to the prejudice of our country, which have been too much heeded and followed," is, I apprehend, but too well founded. You call them "traitorous individuals," whence I collect, that you sup pose them of our own country. There was among the twelve Apostles one traitor who betrayed with a kiss. It should be no wonder therefore, if among so many thousand true patriots as New England contains, there should be found even twelve Judases, ready to betray their coun try for a few paltry pieces of silver. Their ends as well as their views ought to be similar. But all the oppressions evidently work for our good. Providence seems by every means intent on making us a great people. May our virtues public and private grow with us, and be dura ble, that liberty, civil and religious, may be secured to our posterity, and to all from every part of the old world that take refuge among us.

With great esteem and my best wishes for a long continuance of your usefulness, I am, Reverend Sir, your most obedient humble servant,

To DR. COOPER, BOSTON.

Governor Hutchinson.-His Letters, &c.

DEAR SIR,

London, July 7, 1773.

I received your very valuable favors of March 15, and April 23. It rejoices me to find your health so far restored that your friends can again be benefited by your correspondence.

The governor was certainly out in his politics, if he hoped to recommend himself there by entering upon that dispute with the assembly. His imprudence in bringing it at all upon the tapis and his bad management of it, are almost equally censured. The council and assembly on the other hand have by the coolness, clearness and force of their answers gained great reputation.

The unanimity of our towns in their sentiments of liberty gives me great pleasure, as it shows the generally enlightened state of our people's minds and the falsehood of the opinion much cultivated here by the partizans of arbitrary power in America, that only a small faction among us were discontented with the late measures. If that

unanimity can be discovered in all the colonies, it will give much greater weight to our future remonstrances. I heartily wish with you that some line could be drawn, some bill of rights established for America, that might secure peace between the two countries, so necessary for the prosperity of both. But I think little attention is like to be afforded by our ministers to that salutary work till the breach becomes greater and more alarming, and then the difficulty of repairing it will be greater in a tenfold proportion.