These letters being communicated to me, I summoned his Majesty's council, that I might do everything in my power to prevent any such dangerous attempts to disturb the public peace, and interrupt the seizure and landing and storing by the collector. I accordingly, by their advice, gave orders to the sheriff to be ready at the call of the collector, (but not to move without,) with all his officers, to support the collector, in landing it, and to seize and to bring to justice any persons who should dare to interrupt him in the execution of his duty. It being known that some measures were taken, tho' the extent thereof was carefully concealed, the collector, on the 22^d, seized, landed, and stored the teas in stores under the Exchange, without one person's appearing to oppose him. The tea is to remain in store 'till the collector shall receive further orders relative thereto. Various were the opinions of men on the subject; some were for drinking no tea that paid duty, and were confident of a supply of such; others were for putting every dutied article on the same footing, as wine, &c.; but others considered wine as a necessary of life. It is my opinion that if the merchants who viewed this measure of importing tea in a commercial rather than in a political light, had shewn their disapprobation of the intended opposition to land it, by action rather than by a refusal to subscribe to a proposed association, and a contempt of the public meetings on this occasion, and the agents of the East India Company had not been so hasty in their declining to accept their trusts, all might have gone on well, according to the plan of the East India Company, and to our benefit in purchasing that article, now become one of the necessaries of life, at a much cheaper rate than at present. COPY OF A LETTER FROM MR. JOHN MORRIS, _At Charles Town, South Carolina, to his Brother, at London._ Charles Town, 22^d Dec^r., 1773. Dear Brother: