His Excellency, after representing to the Council the disorders prevailing in the town of Boston, recommended to them to proceed on the petition of Rich^d Clarke, and others, relative to those disorders, and required their advice. After a long debate, it was moved to his Excellency that a Com^tee of the Council be appointed to prepare the result of the said debate, to be laid before his Excellency, to which he consented, and James Bowdoin, Sam^l Dexter, and John Winthrop, Esq^rs., were appointed accordingly. Mr. Bowdoin made a report, which was considered and debated by the Council, and it was moved to his Excellency that he would adjourn the Council to a future day for further consideration, and he appointed Monday, the 29^th for that purpose. Novem^r 29^th, 1773. Present in Council: His Excellency Tho^s. Hutchinson, Esq^r., Governor. Samuel Danforth, Esq^r. James Bowdoin, Geo. Leonard, Isaac Royal, James Russell, Artemas Ward, John Erving, James Pitts, John Winthrop, Samuel Dexter, Esq^rs. His Excellency directed that the Council proceed upon the business for which it stands adjourned. After debate upon the report of the Com^tee the question whether it should be accepted was put, which passed unanimously in the affirmative as the advice of the Council to his Excellency, in the words following, viz.: Previous to the consideration of the petition before the Board, they would make a few observations occasioned by the subject of it. The situation of things between Great Britain and the Colonies has been for some years past very unhappy. Parliament, on the one hand, has been taxing the Colonies, and they, on the other hand, have been petitioning and remonstrating against it, apprehending they have constitutionally an exclusive right of taxing themselves, and that without such a right, their condition would be but little better than slavery. Possessed of these sentiments, every new measure of Parliament tending to establish and confirm a tax on them renews and increases their distress, and it is particularly encreased by the Act lately made, empowering the East India Company to ship their tea to America. This Act, in a commercial view, they think introductive of monopolies, and tending to bring on them the extensive evils thence arising. But their great objection to it is from its being manifestly intended (tho' that intention is not expressed therein,) more effectually to secure the payment of the duty on tea, laid by an Act of Parliament passed in the 7^th year of his present Majesty, entitled, "An Act for granting certain duties in the British colonies and plantations in America," which Act in its operation deprives the colonists of the right above mentioned (the exclusive right of taxing themselves), which they hold to be so essential a one that it cannot be taken away or given up, without their being degraded, or degrading themselves below the character of men.