George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 6, 10th edition.

[65]

On the thirtieth of March,—two days after news had

Chap XXIX.} 1767. March

arrived, that in one of their messages the Representatives of Massachusetts had given a formal defiance to Parliament, as well as encouraged the resistance of their sister Colony, New-York, to the Billeting Act,—the American papers which Bedford had demanded were taken into consideration by the House of Lords. Camden opened the discussion by declaring New-York to be in a state of delinquency;¹ and receding from his old opinions, he justified his change.² Grafton said well, that ‘the present question was too serious for faction,’ and promised that the Ministers would themselves bring forward a suitable measure. But the Lords wearied themselves all that day and all the next, in scolding at the Colonies with indiscriminate bitterness. They were called, ‘undutiful, ungracious and unthankful;’ and ‘rebels,’ ‘traitors,’ were epithets liberally bestowed. Some wished to make of New-York an example that might terrify all the others; it was more generally proposed by Act of Parliament to remodel the government of them all.³ America had not yet finished the statues which it was raising to Chatham; and Mauduit artfully sent

April

over word, that the plan for reducing America would be sanctioned by his name.⁴

On the tenth of April, Massachusetts was selected for censure; and Bedford,⁵—notwithstanding the sudden