The house voted the usual salaries to the judges of the superior court early in the session. The governor delayed giving his assent to the grants; which produced a message to him, requesting his making known the difficulty that prevented his assenting; to this it was answered, that he had received information, that his majesty had been pleased to order salaries to be allowed to the justices of the superior courts, &c. By this answer the house gained the opportunity of sending a second message, [Feb.] in which they expressed their resentment at the many attempts made, effectually to render null and void those clauses in their charter upon which the freedom of their constitution depends; and said that they were more and more convinced, that it had been the design of administration to introduce an arbitrary government into the province. They declared at the close, their impatience to know, “that the justices will utterly refuse ever to accept of support in a manner so justly obnoxious to the people of the province, it being repugnant to the charter, and utterly inconsistent with the safety of the rights, liberties, and properties of the people.” To add the greater weight to their sentiments, and make them the more regarded by all persons, they come to several resolves [March 3.] respecting the salaries and the judges; among the rest, “that their dependence on the crown, especially while they held their commissions during pleasure, tends to the subversion of justice and equity, and to introduce oppression and despotic power; and that while they hold during pleasure, any who shall accept of and depend upon the pleasure of the crown for his support, independent of the grants of the general court, will discover that he is an enemy to the constitution, and has it in his heart to promote the establishment of an arbitrary government in the province.” The measures pursued on each side the Atlantic are not calculated to promote harmony. LETTER VI. _London, August 7, 1773._ FRIEND G. You will receive from me without further application, regular accounts of what is doing on this side the Atlantic, in relation to the colonies.