and establishing an absolute government, and Roman catholick religion, throughout those vast regions that border on the westerly and northerly boundaries of the free protestant English settlements and a fifth, for the better providing suitable quarter for officers and soldiers in his majesty's service in North-America. In the last session of parliament, an act was passed for blocking up the harbour of Boston another empowering the governor of Massachusetts-bay to send persons indicted for murder in that province to another colony, or even to Great-Britain, for trial, whereby such offenders may escape legal punishment a third for altering the.constitution of government in that province and a fourth extending the limits of Quebec.whereby great numbers of British freemen are subjected to. The judges of courts of common law have been made entirely dependent on one part of the legislature for their salaries, as well as for the duration of their commissions.Ĭommerce has been burthened with many useless and oppressive restrictions. The officers of the customs are employed to break open and enter houses without the authority of any civil magistrate, founded on legal information. The judges of the admiralty and vice-admiralty courts are impowered to receive their salaries and fees from the effects condemned by themselves. The charges of usual officers have been greatly increased, and new, expensive, and oppressive officers have been multiplied. The commander in chief of All your majesty's forces in North-America has in time of peace been appointed governor of a colony. The authority of the commander in chief, and, under him, of the brigadier general, has in time of peace been rendered supreme in all the civil governments in America. We your majesty's faithful subjects.to lay our grievances before the throne.Ī standing army has been kept in these colonies, ever since the conclusion of the late war, without the consent of our assemblies and this army, with a considerable naval armament, has been employed to enforce the collection of taxes
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