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heartily with all the Colonies in seeking redress of their common grievances.

I am, Gentlemen, your most obliged and very humble servant,

To the Committee of Donations.

PARKER QUINCE.

T

GENTLEMEN,

LETTER FROM MARBLEHEAD.

Marblehead, July 30th, 1774.

The unrighteous conduct of the British Parliament toward the Town of Boston, in the detested Port Bill, merits not only the attention, but the warmest resentment of all America; and it is with the most cordial satisfaction we view the greatest part thereof attending to the deplorable consequences of it, and at the same time unitedly endeavoring to counteract. But, above all, we cannot but express our sincere approbation of the conduct of the Colonies in that beneficence and charity towards the unhappy sufferers sat Boston, (by means of that oppressive act,) which has circulated through the whole. The inhabitants of this Town, whose circumstances are at present greatly impaired by a reduction of the fishery, as well as distresses arising from the small-pox, beg leave, like the widow, to cast in our mite, which, please to favor by a kind and friendly acceptance of the same. The donation consists of 224 quintals of good eating fish, such as our inhabitants all of them use, except those whose circumstances afford them winter fish, the price of this, if you should have occasion to turn into cash, is 13/4 at least at this time, and usually has been at 14/8 per quintal; one and casks of olive oil, one of which we presume you have received ere this can meet you, and thirty-nine pounds, five shillings and threehpence in cash. In justice to the characters of some who signed the address to Mr. Hutchinson, and were probably misled in that matter, we must acquaint you that Messrs. Joseph Lee, Jno. Prince, Robert Ambrose, Robert Hooper, Junr., and Joseph Swasey, were subscribers to the donato I

tions of this Town before mentioned. We truly wish we could say that the other barely refused subscribing to so rational and humane a purpose, but we forbear to pursue so disagreeable a subject, and shall conclude by wishing you that support under a burthen (which our enemies thought at first view intolerable) which shall finally free America from its present bondage.

We are, Gentlemen, your friends and fellow-countrymen. By order and in behalf of the Committee of Correspondence, JOHN GERRY, Clerk.

P. S.-We would also inform you that we find two more of the addressers subscribers to the donations, viz. Messrs. John Webb and John Stimson, and that the carters who bring this donation most generously do it at half price.

We are, as before, Gentlemen, your friends and fellowcountrymen. By order and in behalf of the Committee, J. GERRY, Clerk.

GENTLEMEN,

REPLY TO MARBLEHEAD.1

Boston, August 2d, 1774.

The Committee for Donations yesterday received your kind letter, by the hands of Mr. Gatchel, acquainting them of the very generous present made to the sufferers in this

The Boston Gazette of August 1, 1774, has the following article:-" More than sixty days have expired, since Boston, by a late Edict of the British Parliament, has been besieged by a British fleet and army, and its trade annihilated. The inhabitants now receive that insult and damage, which was never experienced in the hottest wars we have been engaged in with France and Spain, and their allies, the savages of the American woods: The particulars of the siege, and the manœuvres of our enemies, may in future be told by some able historian. Suffice it at present to inform the world, that though wood and provisions have been allowed us by said Port-Act, the introduction of these articles has been attended with such loss of time and unnecessary charges as greatly to raise the price of fuel upon the poor inhabitants: No wood can now be brought from the rivers and bays included in our harbor, upon which we depended for a considerable part of our supply: No goods of any kind are suffered to be waterborne within a circle of sixty miles: No timber, boards, shingles, bricks, lime, sand, &c. &c., are to be transported from one wharf to another; and so even the tradesmen, not immediately dependent upon shipping, are thrown out of business. No barrels of liquors, bread, flour, &c. are suffered to be brought a few rods in our row boats, or across our shortest ferries; and even the

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Town by the unrighteous and cruel Act of the British Parliament, commonly called the Port Bill. They had before received one barrel of olive oil. Mr. Gatchel delivered them £39 1s. 3d. in cash, and this day the fish in eleven carts, and the remainder of the oil came to hand. I am desired by that Committee to express their warmest gratitude to the gentlemen of Marblehead, who have so liberally contributed on this occasion, and to assure them that it will be applied in a manner agreeable to the intention of the charitable donors.

It was in all probability the expectation of Lord North, the sister Colonies would totally disregard the fate of Boston, and that she would be left to suffer and fall alone. Their united resolution, therefore, to support her in the conflict, will, it is hoped, greatly perplex him in the further prosecution of his oppressive measures, and finally reduce him to the necessity of receding from them. While we are thus aided by our brethren, you may depend upon it that we shall not disgrace the common cause of America, by any submissions to the barbarous edict. Our inhabitants still wear cheerful countenances, and they will be supported by the beneficence of our friends, notwithstanding one of your addressers meanly insinuated to a gentleman of South Carolina, at Salem, yesterday, that they would receive no benefit from the large donation of rice received from that place. Such an intimation discovers a degree of depravity of heart which cannot easily be ex

vessels on the stocks, which have for some time past been ready for launching, cannot be put into the water, without their being exposed to a threatened seizure. Neither is the dry'd table fish and oil, the charity of our Marblehead friends, nor rice, the generous present of the Carolinians, nor even house-sand, to be brought us by water, but must be encumbered with the great charge of about thirty miles. We are also cut off from the advantage and profit of supplying as usual an extent of sea-coast on the north and south of more than one hundred leagues, even with British merchandise. And when any of these hardships and distresses are mentioned to those insolents in office, the Commissioners and their understrappers, we are told it was the design of the Act, and that it is not their intent to lessen these difficulties:-This is the treatment meted out by a British minister to a Town and Province, by whose exertions in a late war, the strong fortress of Louisburgh was taken, which purchased the Peace of Europe, and delivered Britons from their terrible apprehensions of an invasion by French flatbottomed boats. What further cruelties we are to suffer we know not; but whether America, or even this single Town, is in this way to be brought to the feet of Lord North, with the full surrender of their inestimable rights and liberties, time only can determine.-Ed.

pressed. I have received a letter from your [Committee?] to our Committee of Correspondence, which I shall lay before them at their meeting this evening.

I am, in behalf of the Committee of Donations, Gentlemen, your friend and fellow-countryman,

SAM. ADAMS.

P. S. Mr. Phillips, a carter, with about fifteen quintals of fish and the remainder of the oil, is not yet come in, but is expected every hour.

The Committee of Correspondence at Marblehead.

GENTLEMEN,

LETTER FROM NEW CASTLE.1

New Castle-on-Delaware, Aug. 2d, 1774.

The Committee of Correspondence chosen by the freeholders and freemen of the County of Newcastle-upon-Delaware, agreeable to a resolution entered into at a general meeting for the said County, have opened a subscription for the relief of the poor inhabitants of the Town of Boston, and met with some success therein; but as some of the

1 The “Gentlemen Freeholders and others,” of the County of New Castle, Delaware, were summoned by a circular, dated June 17, 1774, and signed “A Freeman," to meet at New Castle on the 29th of June, "to consider of the most proper mode of procuring relief for our dear countrymen and brethren of Boston, the redressing the beforementioned grievance, (the legislation of Parliament,) &c." The meeting on the 29th of June, was presided over by Thomas McKean; and by the first resolve it is declared, "We consider our brethren of Boston as suffering in the common cause of America." A Committee of Correspondence of thirteen were chosen, who were instructed as follows: "That the said Committee immediately set on foot a subscription for the relief of such poor inhabitants of the Town of Boston as may be deprived of the means of subsistence by the Act of Parliament, commonly styled the Boston Port Bill; the money arising from such subscription to be laid out as the Committee shall think will best answer the ends proposed." On the 20th of July, the inhabitants of Kent county met at Dover, and adopted the above cited resolve. On the 23d of July, the inhabitants of Sussex county met at Lewistown, and passed resolves, among which is the following: "Resolved, That the Committee hereinafter appointed, are hereby desired to receive the subscriptions of such charitable persons in this county, who shall incline to contribute towards the distressed and suffering inhabitants

inhabitants, as well as the Committee, are apprehensive that more provisions may be sent to you than may be wanted for the purpose intended, and money or raw materials might answer better, we are desirous, before any remittance is made, to know your sentiments hereon. The Committees of Correspondence for the Counties of Kent and Sussex, have adopted the same measures with us, and expect your answer also. If you are pleased to inclose your letters for them to us, we shall take care to forward them.

We shall be greatly obliged to you, to furnish us with an estimate of the number of poor inhabitants in your Town, who may be distressed by means of the humane Boston Port Bill, and what sum might be necessary to relieve them annually.

We are, Gentlemen, with the utmost regard, your fellowsubjects and brethren, the Committee of Correspondence for the County of Newcastle,

And your most obedient, humble servants,

THOMAS MCKEAN.
JOHN EVANS.

JOHN MCKINLY.

JAMES LATIMER.

GEORGE READ.

ALEX'R PORTER.

GEORGE MONRO.

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The Committee of Correspondence for the Town of Boston.

of the Town of Boston; and that the money raised by such subscriptions be disposed of by the said Committee for the use of the said inhabitants, whom we consider as suffering in the common cause of America."

On the 1st of August, the Committees of the three Counties, pursuant to a Circular Letter from the Speaker of the House, met at New Castle, in Convention. Cæsar Rodney was the Chairman. On the 2d of August, the Convention passed a series of resolutions, one of which was the following:-"That it is the indispensable duty of all the Colonies, not only to alleviate the unexampled distresses of our brethren of Massachusetts Bay, who are suffering in the common cause of America, but to assist them, by all lawful means, in removing their grievances, and for re-establishing their constitutional rights, as well as those of all America, on a solid and permanent foundation."

A County Convention, held at New Castle, on the 21st of December, "Resolved, unanimously, That contributions from this County, for supplying the necessities and alleviating the distresses of our brethren in Boston, ought to be continued in such manner and so long as their occasions may require; and that arit is the duty of the Committee of Correspondence of the said County, to collect and transmit the same as soon as possible."-ED.

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