In the bill of lading for said articles, is also included one thousand bushels of corn, which we have purchased and shipped for the same account, on the strength of a subscription now making by the inhabitants of Annapolis, which a gentleman of their Committee has assured us should be paid to us, when their collections are made. As there was spare room in the vessel, we were glad of an opportunity of furthering to you a part of their benevolent intentions. We flatter ourselves the good people of this Province, who have in general discovered a hearty disposition to sympathy in your grievances, will generously contribute, according to their articles, to maintain and support when a man parts with his money, he is in earnest. Subscription papers are sent out into the country, and I dare say will be filled up to a large amount. Those who cannot give money, can give corn. The people of Boston need not be afraid of being starved to a compliance. If they will only give a short notice, they may make their Town the granary of America. We all hope they will stand to their integrity, and not sully the honor which they have so justly acquired." The Committees appointed by the several Counties of Maryland, met at Annapolis, ninety-two in number, on the 22d of June, and chose Matthew Tilgham chairman. The proceedings of this Convention appear at length in the Essex Gazette of July 19, under the head of, "Resolves of the whole Province of Maryland." The first resolve declares, "that the Town of Boston and Province of Massachusetts are now suffering in the common cause of America." The eighth resolve is as follows: "Resolved, unanimously. That a subscription be opened in the several Counties of this Province, for an immediate collection for the relief of the distressed inhabitants of Boston, now cruelly deprived of the means of procuring subsistence for themselves and families, by the operation of the said Act for blocking up their harbor, and that the same be collected by the Committees of the respective Counties, and shipped by them in such provisions as may be thought most useful." The following letter, taken from Force's Archives, vol. i. p. 594, purports to be "From the Committee of Boston, to the Committee of Baltimore." Boston, July 16, 1774. Gentlemen :-Your important letter of the 27th ultimo, with the inclosures, came safe to hand, and were regarded as "good news from a far country." The part taken by the Province of Maryland, must henceforth stop the mouths of those blasphemers of humanity, who have affected to question the existence of public virtue. So bright an example as you have set, cannot fail to animate and encourage even the lukewarm and indifferent; more especially such honest men as wish to be assured of support before they engage in so weighty an enterprise. The account you give us of the spirit and magnanimity of the people of Virginia, confirms us in the opinion we have ever had of that ancient Colony, of whose disinterested virtue this Province has had ample experience. The noble sacrifice you stand ready to make, of the staple commodity of your Province, so materially affecting the revenue of Great Britain, and your generous interposition in our favor, have our warmest acknowledgments. So much honor, wisdom, public and private virtue; so much readiness in every Colony, to afford every species of aid and assistance that the suffering state requires, must evince every sufferer in your and their common cause. If we can be in the least instrumental in furthering any contributions made in favor of your inhabitants, it will give us the most sincere pleasure, and some opportunity of exercising the grateful sense of many obligations which, as individuals, we are under to many good people of your Province. We are, with the highest respect, Gentlemen, your most humble servants, SAM'L and ROB'T PURVIANCE. Committee of Correspondence in the Town of Boston. [Per the sloop America, Captain P. Allen.] to a venal herd, that notwithstanding they may be utterly unacquainted with the meaning of the word patriotism, it has, however, a substantial existence in North America. With the smiles of an all-governing Providence upon the vigorous efforts of our inestimable brethren at home and abroad, we promise ourselves a final deliverance from the calamities we are now subjected to; and which, for our own, our country, and posterity's political salvation, we resolve, by God's assistance, to sustain with fortitude and patience. We are, Gentlemen, your friends and fellow-countrymen. WILLIAM COOPER, Town Clerk. The Essex Gazette of August 16, has the following article, dated Baltimore, Maryland, July 16. "A vessel, we hear, hath sailed from the eastern shore of this Province, with a cargo of provisions, as a free gift to our besieged brethren at Boston. The inhabitants of all the Counties of Virginia and Maryland, are subscribing with great liberality for the relief of the distressed Towns of Boston and Charlestown. The inhabitants of Alexandria, we hear, in a few hours, subscribed £350, for that noble purpose. Subscriptions are opened in this Town, for the support and animation of the inhabitants of Boston, under their present great conflict for the common freedom of us all, which have already been so successful, that a vessel is now loading with provisions for that place, as a testimony of the affection of this people towards their persecuted brethren, now bravely contending against fraud, power, and the most odious oppression,' which God grant may never rise triumphant over 'right, justice, social happiness and freedom.' 6 At a meeting of the Deputies appointed by the several Counties of Maryland, at Annapolis, on the 8th of December, 1774, it was unanimously "Resolved, That contributions from the several Counties of this Province, for supplying the necessities and alleviating the distresses of our brethren at Boston, ought to be continued in such manner, and so long, as their occasions may require; and that it is the duty of the Committees of each County, to collect and transmit the same as soon as possible." And this recommendation was responded to by public meetings in some of the Counties. The inhabitants of Charles County, on the 2d of January, 1775, directed their Committee "to collect the subscriptions already made to the Town of Boston, and also to obtain such additional subscriptions for the relief of the brave sufferers in that distressed Town, as can be got, and that the whole may be made in readiness to be sent as soon as possible."-Ed. ENTLEMEN, LETTER FROM BEVERLY. Beverly, August 8th, 1774. We condole you on this important era, and shudder -hen we think on the savage treatment of our metropolis om the parent State. Our earnest desire is, that you and l the inhabitants of Boston may have that fortitude, resoation, firmness and calmness necessary on this most alarmng crisis, that you may hold on and hold out to the last. We hope you will, from time to time, receive such aids and upports from your Christian brethren on the continent, as ill both enable and encourage you thereto. We think, entlemen, as you are placed in the front rank, if you inch, all will be over. Stand firm, and let your intrepid ourage show the world you are men and Christians, who ontend earnestly for the liberties once granted to this rovince by charter. We rejoice to hear there is such a pirit prevailing in the country in general, in sending such applies for the poor of Boston, which we doubt not will e great consolation to you; and will continue until a dress of all our grievances are obtained. We are waiting patiently for the result of the Congress, which we hope ill have a happy tendency to cement the Colonies as one an, in those ways and means that shall be conducive of eir freedom, and deliverance from worse than Egyptian ondage,—unity being the only means, in our opinion, to otain that happy event. We recommended to our Town e case of the poor of the Town of Boston, and they colcted a small donation, which we have sent. We have is day met, in town meeting, for the purpose of raising oney for defraying the expense of the Congress, which as voted nem. con., and forthwith to be transmitted to e Honorable Tho's Cushing, Esqr., agreeable to the solves of the late House of Representatives. This conact of our Town, we hope, will convince all that we e sincerely engaged in the cause of our Constitutional GENTLEMEN, LETTER FROM BALTIMORE.1 Baltimore, Aug. 4th, 1774. By order of the Committee of Correspondence for this Town, we have shipped on board the sloop America, Perkins Allen, master, three thousand bushels of corn, twenty barrels of rye flour, two barrels of pork, and twenty barrels of bread, for the relief of our brethren, the distressed inhabitants of your Town, being in virtue of a subscription raised by the inhabitants of Baltimore Town, on that account. 66 1 In Maryland, the intelligence of the passage of the Port Bill, excited general indignation. On the 18th of May, at a meeting of "a number of gentlemen" at Talbot Court House, it was resolved to unite with their fellow-subjects in any constitutional way to avert the evils" threatened Boston, by this Act. On the 25th of May, a meeting of "the inhabitants of the city of Annapolis," resolved "it was the unanimous opinion of this meeting, that the Town of Boston is now suffering in the common cause of America." Charles Carroll, William Paca, and Samuel Chase, were of the Committee chosen at this meeting. Public meetings were subsequently held in all the Counties. On the 30th of May, the inhabitants of Queen Anne's County declared "that they look upon the cause of Boston, in its consequences, to be the common cause of America." On the 2d of June, the inhabitants of Kent County, met at Chestertown; chose a large Committee of Correspondence; and directed this Committee to select delegates to meet the delegates from the other Counties, "in one grand Provincial Committee" at Annapolis. The official account of this meeting reads:"The gentlemen of the Committee, being moved with the most tender sympathy for their suffering brethren of Boston, particularly of the laboring poor, who are deprived of the means of supporting themselves and families, by the operation of the Act for blocking up their harbor, opened a subscription for their relief, which in a short time was filled up to a considerable amount, and is left in the hands of the chairman to be collected and shipped to them in such articles of provisions as may be most wanted, whenever it shall be necessary." At a meeting of the inhabitants of Harford County, on the 11th of June, it was "Voted, That we will join in an association of the other Counties, to send relief to the poor and distressed inhabitants of Boston, to enable them firmly to persevere in defence of the common cause." The Essex Gazette of June 27, contains the following extract from a letter written by a member of the Chestertown Committtee, dated 7th June, 1774:"The Inhabitants of this County had a general meeting the second instant, and it gave much pleasure to see how heartily they sympathized with Boston. Twenty-five gentlemen were appointed a Committee of Correspondence, among whom I have the honor to be named. After the business was over, a subscription was proposed to the Committee, which was most cheerfully adopted, and they subscribed, some £20, others £10, and none less than £5, to be laid out in provisions, and forwarded for the use of such poor people as are reduced to necessity by the cruel hand of oppression. My advice was to send off a load of corn, without giving any notice of it, which I concluded would be an agreeable surprise to Boston. Words are said to be cheap, but it is universally allowed, that In the bill of lading for said articles, is also included one thousand bushels of corn, which we have purchased and shipped for the same account, on the strength of a subscription now making by the inhabitants of Annapolis, which a gentleman of their Committee has assured us should be paid to us, when their collections are made. As there was spare room in the vessel, we were glad of an opportunity of furthering to you a part of their benevolent intentions. We flatter ourselves the good people of this Province, who have in general discovered a hearty disposition to sympathy in your grievances, will generously contribute, according to their articles, to maintain and support Those when a man parts with his money, he is in earnest. Subscription papers are sent out into the country, and I dare say will be filled up to a large amount. who cannot give money, can give corn. The people of Boston need not be afraid of being starved to a compliance. If they will only give a short notice, they may make their Town the granary of America. We all hope they will stand to their integrity, and not sully the honor which they have so justly acquired." The Committees appointed by the several Counties of Maryland, met at Annapolis, ninety-two in number, on the 22d of June, and chose Matthew Tilgham chairman. The proceedings of this Convention appear at length in the Essex Gazette of July 19, under the head of, "Resolves of the whole Province of Maryland." The first resolve declares, "that the Town of Boston and Province of Massachusetts are now suffering in the common cause of America." The eighth resolve is as follows: "Resolved, unanimously. That a subscription be opened in the several Counties of this Province, for an immediate collection for the relief of the distressed inhabitants of Boston, now cruelly deprived of the means of procuring subsistence for themselves and families, by the operation of the said Act for blocking up their harbor, and that the same be collected by the Committees of the respective Counties, and shipped by them in such provisions as may be thought most useful." The following letter, taken from Force's Archives, vol. i. p. 594, purports to be "From the Committee of Boston, to the Committee of Baltimore." Boston, July 16, 1774. Gentlemen :-Your important letter of the 27th ultimo, with the inclosures, came safe to hand, and were regarded as "good news from a far country." The part taken by the Province of Maryland, must henceforth stop the mouths of those blasphemers of humanity, who have affected to question the existence of public virtue. So bright an example as you have set, cannot fail to animate and encourage even the lukewarm and indifferent; more especially such honest men as wish to be assured of support before they engage in so weighty an enterprise. The account you give us of the spirit and magnanimity of the people of Virginia, confirms us in the opinion we have ever had of that ancient Colony, of whose disinterested virtue this Province has had ample experience. The noble sacrifice you stand ready to make, of the staple commodity of your Province, so materially affecting the revenue of Great Britain, and your generous interposition in our favor, have our warmest acknowledgments. So much honor, wisdom, public and private virtue; so much readiness in every Colony, to afford every species of aid and assistance that the suffering state requires, must evince |