The pity and resentment of the country at large, were excited by observations published on the Boston port-bill. Those of Mr. _Josiah Quincy_, jun. were most generally read and admired. He observed—“The Boston port-bill condemns a whole town unheard, nay, uncited to answer; involves thousands in ruin and misery, without suggestion of any crime by them committed; and is so constituted that enormous pains and penalties must ensue, notwithstanding the most perfect obedience to its injunctions. The destruction of the tea, which took place without any illegal procedure of the town, is the only alledged ground of consigning thousands of its inhabitants to ruin, misery and despair. Those charged with the most aggravated crimes, are not punishable till arraigned before disinterested judges, heard in their own defence, and found guilty of the charge. But here a whole people are accused, prosecuted by they know not whom, tried they know not when, proved guilty they know not how, and sentenced to suffer inevitable ruin. Their hard fate cannot be averted by the most servile submission, the most implicit obedience to this statute. Their first intimation of it was on the tenth of May, and it took place the first of June, thence to continue in full force, till it shall sufficiently appear to his majesty, that full satisfaction hath been made by, or in behalf of the inhabitants of Boston, to the East-India Company, for the damage sustained by the destruction of their tea; and until it shall be certified to his majesty, by the governor or lieutenant governor of the province, that reasonable satisfaction has been made to the officers of the revenue and others, for the riots and insurrection mentioned in it. So short a space is given for staying the torrent of threatened evils, that the subject, though exerting his utmost energy, must be overwhelmed and driven to madness by terms of deliverance which deny relief till his ruin is inevitable.”