also as well as the placing of the board, was rather unfortunate; for it supplied the Americans with the opportunity of propagating that it was appointed merely to enforce the new duties. By this means the people were inflamed, and the appointment was pronounced unconstitutional and oppressive. The duties were to take place after the twentieth of November; and in the beginning of that month, three of the commissioners, _Henry Hulton_, _William Burch_, and _Charles Paxton_, esqs. arrived at Boston; the other two, _John Temple_ and _John Robinson_, esqs. were in America before. As to the expence of the board of customs, including the whole, it was a thousand pounds less than that of the four surveyors general, and the office connected with them at London. The chancellor had been instrumental in reviving those American animosities which the repeal of the stamp act had quieted; but did not live to see the fatal consequences which have followed, as he died the fourth of September. [Oct. 28.] A few gentlemen at a private club in _Boston_, having suggested a non-importation agreement, the thought was improved upon, till at length the inhabitants, at a town meeting, agreed upon measures to promote industry, œconomy, and manufactures; thereby to prevent the unnecessary importation of _European_ commodities. They also voted, that a subscription paper should be prepared, and a committee appointed to procure subscriptions to it; by which the parties engaged to encourage the use and consumption of all articles manufactured in any of the British American colonies; and after the thirty-first of December following, not to purchase certain enumerated articles imported from abroad. The failure of expected success from these measures, and an apprehension of disagreeable consequences from an ineffectual opposition, were probably the motives that induced Mr. _Otis_ at a subsequent town-meeting [Nov. 20.] to make a long speech on the side of government, wherein he asserted the king’s right to appoint officers of the customs, in which number and by what denomination he pleased; and that as to the new duties, it would be very imprudent in the town to make an opposition to them, when every town in the province, and every other province in America seemed to acquiesce in them and be contented. But the proposed measures were afterward approved of and adopted _Providence_ and _Newport_.