[13.] The house in a message to him declared—“The use of the military power to enforce the execution of the laws, is, in the opinion of this house, inconsistent with the spitit of a free constitution, and the very nature of government. This military force is uncontroulable by any authority in the province: it is then a power without any check here, and therefore it is so far absolute. What privilege! what security then is left to this house!” It was not urged, whatever the case might admit; “The governor is the king’s _locum tenens_, and his office entire. The chief civil and military authority being by the British and our constitution inseparable, the king cannot serve them. An independent military tends to the utter overthrow of the civil power. The operations of the great seal, which is _clavis regni_, cannot be controlled by the privy seal, the king’s signet, sign manuel, or significations of his pleasure by his secretary; in other words, our charter cannot be infringed by any of these.” The house firmly declined doing business surrounded with an armed force, so that the governor the next day adjourned the court to Cambridge. [July 6.] His excellency sent a message to them, with the accounts of the expenditures already incurred by quartering his majesty’s troops, desiring funds to be provided for discharging the same, and required a provision for the further quartering the forces in Boston and Castle-Island, according to act of parliament. [7.] The house of assembly, as though they meant by it to despise the parliamentary resolves, no less than maintain their own privileges, passed a number of resolves, and among them the following: “That a general discontent on account of the revenue acts, an expectation of a sudden arrival of a military power to enfore said acts, an apprehension of the troops being quartered upon the inhabitants, the general court dissolved, the governor refusing to call a new one, and the people almost reduced to a state of despair, rendered it highly expedient and necessary for the people to convene by their committees; to associate, consult, and advise the best means to promote peace and good order; to present their united complaints to the throne, and jointly to pray for the royal interposition in favor of their violated rights. Nor can this procedure possibly be illegal, as they expressly disclaim all governmental acts: “That the establishment of a standing army in this colony, in time of peace, is an invasion of natural rights: “That a standing army is not known as a part of the British constitution: “That sending an armed force into the colony, under pretence of assisting the civil authority, is highly dangerous to the people, unprecedented and unconstitutional.” The last is the same with that of Virginia. [12.] The governor called upon them to answer, whether they would or would not make provision for the troops.