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Voted, That Capt. Jedediah Huntington, Christopher Leffigwell, Esq., Doct. Theophilus Rodgers, Capt. William Hubbard, and Capt. Joseph Trumbull, be a standing committee for keeping up a correspondence with the towns of this and the neighboring colonies, and that they transmit a copy of these votes to the committee of correspondence for the town of Boston. Voted very unanimously.

A true copy.

Attest,

BENJAMIN HUNTINGTON, Jr., Town Clerk.

At a town meeting, legally warned and held on Monday, the 13th day of June, 1774, in the town of Preston. Col. Samuel Coit, Moderator.

This meeting, 'taking into consideration the dangerous situation of the British colonies in North America, from the principles lately adopted by the Parliament of Great Britain, by inflicting pains and penalties on the town of Boston, without a legal trial, or even notice of a fault; and likewise another Act is, pending and far advanced for vacating an important part of the

ants, 8 Ensigns, 40 Sergeants, 12 Drummers, 706 Rank and File wounded.

In October several of Paxton Boys, dressed and painted like Indians arrived in Hartford, being a part of a body of 200 volunteers on their way to Gen. Washington's Head-quarters at Cambridge.

On the 10th of October, 1775, an armed schooner of the Connecticut colony, took into New London a large ship, Barron, master, which she met near Stonington; the ship had on board 8000 bushels of wheat, taken in at Baltimore and had cleared from New York, for Falmouth in England; she met with a gale of wind, was overset and lost her main-mast, and was putting into Stonington; she was taken to Norwich with her cargo.

October, 1775, Wm. Goddard, Esq. was appointed surveyor to the General Post Office of the United colonies, a place similar to the one held by the Hon. Hugh Finly of Quebec; Mr. Goddard came to New London from a tour through the southern colonies; next day went eastward.

Massachusetts Charter, without any pretence of its being forfeited, and without trial, &c., and by sending other acts of said Parliament, all which being carried into execution would render the lives, liberties, and estates of all the inhabitants of said colony, precarious and entirely dependent on the arbitrary will and pleasure of a British Minister of State:

Therefore, Voted, That the Royal Charters of the colonies ought to be maintained, as the only sacred and indissoluble bond of union between the Crown of Great Britain and her colonies.

Voted, That we will join with the towns in this and the neighboring colonies in all reasonable measures as shall be thought best by a General Congress, or other general agreement, to assert and maintain all our rights and privileges, and transmit them inviolate to posterity.

Voted, That if it should be thought best by said Congress, &c., to break off all trade with Great Britain, &c., as the best means to attain said end; that (although we are not a sea-port town) yet we will cheerfully deny ourselves of all those advantages that arise to us from said trade.

Voted, That Col. Samuel Coit, William Witter, Esq., Mr. John Avery, Jr., John Tyler, Esq., Capt. William Belcher, Samuel Mott, and Benjamin Coit, Esq'rs., be a committee for keeping up a correspondence with the towns in this and the neighboring colonies.

A true copy.

Attest,

ROGER STERRY, Town Clerk.

At a town meeting legally warned and held in Groton, on Monday the 20th day of June, 1774. William Williams, Esq. Mode

erator.

This town taking into serious consideration the dangerous situation of the British colonies in North America, respecting sundry acts of the British Parliament, particularly those for shutting up the port of Boston, the metropolis of the province of Massachusetts Bay, and abridging their charter rights, &c., which, if carried into execution, not only deprive us of all our privileges, but render life and liberty very precarious. And as we esteem the inhabitants of Boston, now suffering under the tyranny of said acts of Parliament, and in the common cause of America.

Therefore, Voted, That we will join with the other towns of this colony in such reasonable measures as shall be judged best for the general good, and most likely to obtain redress of our grievances.

Voted, That we esteem a General Congress of all the colonies the only probable method to obtain a uniform plan for the preservation of the whole.

Voted, That if it shall be judged best by said Congress to stop all exports to Great Britain and the West India Islands, and imports from thence, we will most cheerfully acquiesce in their determination; esteeming the benefits arising therefrom, mere trifles, compared with the rights and privileges of America.

Voted, That Messrs. William Ledyard, Thomas Mumford, Benadam Gallup, Esq., Amos Prentice, Charles Eldridge, Jr., Deac. John Hurlburt, and Amos Geer, be a committee to correspond with the committees of the several towns in this and the other British colonies.

A copy of record, examined by

WILLIAM AVERY, Town Clerk.

At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Lyme, in New London county, by legal notice, convened and held in said Lyme the 20th of June, 1774. Eleazer Mather, Esq., was chosen Moderator of said meeting.

At the same meeeting it was voted and Resolved, That we sincerely profess ourselves to be true and loyal subjects of his sacred majesty King George the Third.

Also Voted, &c., That we are heartily concerned for the dif ficulties attending the town of Boston, in consequence of the late extraordinary measures taken with them by the British Parliament, that affairs appear to us with a threatening aspect on the liberties of all British America.

Also Voted, &c., That we will to the utmost of our abilities, assert and defend the liberties and immunities of British America, and that we will co-operate with our brethren in this and the other colonies, in such reasonable measures as shall in General Congress, or otherwise, be judged most proper to relieve us and our brethren in Boston, from the burdens now felt, and secure us

from the evils we fear will follow from the principles adopted by the British Parliament respecting the town of Boston.

Also Voted, That Eleazer Mather, Esq., Mr. John McCurdy, John Lay, 2d, William Noyes, Esq'rs., and Mr. Samuel Mather, Jr., be a standing committee for the purpose of keeping up a correspondence with the towns of this and the neighboring colonies; and that they transmit a copy of these votes to the committee of correspondence for the town of Boston.

A true copy of record, examined by

JOHN LAY, 2d, Reg'r.

At a town meeting held in New London, Monday, the 27th day of June, A. D. 1774. Richard Law, Esq. chosen Mod

erator.

This town taking into serious consideration the alarming situation of the North American colonies, with regard to divers acts of the British Parliament, for raising a revenue on the subjects of said colonies without their consent, and also a late act of Parliament for blocking up the port of Boston, the metropolis of the province of Massachusetts Bay, a province that has ever afforded its utmost aid to Great Britain and her American dominions and being advised that divers other acts of Parliament are probably passed since the last mentioned act, whereby their charter privileges will be utterly destroyed, and the inhabitants of said province reduced to a state of abject vassallage, unless relief can be had in the case.

We consider the province of Massachusetts Bay as destined to be the first victim of ministerial tyranny, and after her, the other colonies will share the same fate. It is manifest to us that the design of the British ministry is to reduce North America to slavery, with as much rapidity as possible; and then exert their utmost efforts against the liberties of Great Britain, and thereby reduce the British empire under the nod of an absolute monarch-whereby property and liberty-civil and religious, will be annihilated, and the life of the subject be at the will of a despot. Therefore we hold it an indispensable duty, both to ourselves and posterity, to exert the powers heaven has endowed us with, to contribute every thing in our power, in a constitutional manner, to avert the calamity hanging over this continent.

And therefore we declare and resolve:

In the First place, we most expressly declare, recognize, and acknowledge His Majesty King George the Third, to be the lawful and rightful King of Great Britain, and all other of his dominions and countries; and that it is our indispensable duty, as being part of His Majesty's Dominions, always to bear faithful and true allegiance to His Majesty, and him to defend to the utmost of our power, against all attempts upon his person, crown, and dignity.

NOTE FOR PRESERVATION.-Soon after the ratification of the treaty of Paris, by which Great Britain acquired Nova Scotia, Canada, the Isle of Cape Breton, and other islands in the gulf and river St. Lawrence, the ministry announced their intention of quartering troops in America, at the expense of the colonies. They also avowed their determination of raising the revenue, necessary for that purpose, by a duty on foreign sugar, molasses, and stamped paper.

The act of Parliament, imposing the duty on the two first mentioned articles, was passed in 1764, and, though it caused general uneasiness and suspicion, yet the people peaceably submitted; but the act laying a duty on stamped paper, and making it essential to the validity of all legal and mercantile transactions, passed in the early part of the year 1765, was considered a violation of the British constitution, and an encroachment on British liberty. The right, claimed by Parliament, to tax the colonies without their consent, or even representation, more than the amount demanded, called forth a spontaneous burst of popular indignation. Several of the colonial legislatures animadverted with great severity upon the acts of Parliament, and passed spirited resolutions, asserting th rights of the colonies, and denying the constitutional power of Parliament to tax them without their consent.

The legislature of Massachusetts proposed a Congress of deputies from each colony to deliberate upon the subject, and adopt the proper measures to procure the repeal of the act. On the first Tuesday in October, 1765, twenty-eight deputies from the colonies of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the counties of Delaware, Maryland, and South Carolina, met in the city of New York. The legislatures of Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia, were prevented from sending deputies by their governors. This Congress, after recapitulating the grievances complained of, resolved to petition the King and Parliament for their redress. They also recommended to the several colonies to appoint special agents for the same purpose.

In the mean time combinations were formed in several of the colonies for resisting the execution of the law, by compelling the officers, appointed by the crown for the sale of stamped paper, to resign their offices. In the month of August, the effigy of Andrew Oliver, Esq., who had been appointed stampmaster for the colony of Massachusetts, was found hanging on a tree, ever since known by the name of "liberty tree," standing on one of the principal streets in Boston. The following night, a small building, which Mr. Oliver had erected for an office, was pulled down; the windows of his dwelling house

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