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late act of parliament, entituled, “ An act for grant ing certain duties in the British colonies and plantations in America," &c. the property of the colonists.

9. THAT trial by jury is the inherent and invaluable right of every freeman in these colonies.

10. THAT the late act of parliament passed in the fifth year of his majesty's reign, entituled, " An "act for granting and applying certain stamp du"ties and other duties, in the British colonies "and plantations in America," and by imposing taxes on the inhabitants of these colonies, and by extending the jurisdiction of the courts of admi. ralty, is subversive of their most sacred rights and liberties.

11. That the duties imposed by the said first mentioned act, will be, from the peculiar circumstances of these colonies, extremely grievous and burthensome.

12. That the restrictions imposed by several late acts of parliament on the trade of these colonies, must of necessity be attended by consequences very detrimental to the interests of Great-Britain and America.

13. That the prosperity of these colonies depends on the reservation of their rights and liberties, and an intercourse with Great-Britain mutually affectionate and advantageous.

14. That it is the indispensible duty of these colonies to the best of sovereigns, to the mother country, and to themselves, to endeavour by legal and dutiful addresses to his majesty, and both houses of parliament, to procure the repeal of the act for granting and applying certain stamp "duties," of all clauses whereby the jurisdiction of the admiralty is extended as aforesaid, and of the other late acts for the restriction of American commerce.

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15. That it is the right of the British subjects on this continent to petition the king, and lords and commons in parliament assembled, whenever they judge their liberties and interests to be so far affected, as to render such applications necessary."

A N

ADDRESS

TO THE

COMMITTEE OF CORRESPONDENCE

IN

BARBADOES.

OCCASIONED BY A LATE LETTER FROM THEM

то

THEIR AGENT IN LONDON.

BY A NORTH-AMERICAN.

THIS WORD, REBELLION, HATH FROZE THEM UP
LIKE FISH IN A POND.

SHAKESPEARE.

PRINTED AT PHILADELPHIA, IN THE YEAR 1766.

VOL. I.

N

PREFACE.

HAD the charge of REBELLION been made by a private person against the colonies on this continent, for their opposition to the Stamp Act, 1 should not have thought it worth answering.

But when it was made by men vested with a public character, by a committee of correspondence, representing two branches of legislature in a considerable government, and the charge was not only approved, as it is said, by those branches, but was actually published to the world in news-papers, it seemed to me to deserve notice. I waited some time, in hopes of seeing the cause espoused by an abler advocate; but being disappointed, I resolved, "favente Deo," to snatch a little time from the burry of business, and to place, if I could, the letter of those gentlemen to their agent, in a proper light.

It is very evident from the generality of their accusation against their " fellow-subjects on the "northern continent;" of the expressions they use in the latter part of their letter, when they speak of the "violent spirit raised in the North-Ameri"can colonies," and from what follows, that they do not apply the opprobrious term they use, only to those few of the lower rank, who disturbed us with

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