Communications on the subject were exchanged by the various colonial assemblies; ami it was decided to hold a general congress of the colonies to discuss the matter and to take steps for united action. This body came together on October 7 in the assembly chamber of the city hall in New York, twenty-eight delegates being in attendance, representing nine of the thirteen colonies.

EVENTS The delegates from New ston, Philip Livingston, Strong resolutions were the house of lords, and

FROM

York were John Cruger, Robert E. LivingWilliam Bayard, and Leonard Lispenard. adopted, as well as petitions to the king, the house of commons, for the repeal of

On October 23 the ship bearing New York's consignment the act. of the stamped paper arrived in the harbor. This was the signal for aggressive popular demonstrations, which wore so formidable and were attended by such significant evidences of the determination of the people to prevent the enforcement of the act and of the general co-operation of the merchants in that purpose, that the government did not dare attempt its execution. Indeed, the first packages of stamped paper were, at the request of the citizens, turned over to the city corporation for " safe keeping," and upon the arrival of a second shipment from England the vessel bringing it was boarded by a deputation of the people and the packages were taken ashore and burned. But the most powerful weapon used by the inhabitants of New

York against the Stamp Act was the celebrated "Non-Importation Agreement." This was adopted on the evening of October 31, 17C>.>, by some two hundred New York merchants, at a meeting held in Burns's coffee house. They pledged themselves to import no goods from England until the Stamp Act should be repealed. The merchants of Philadelphia adopted a like agreement on November 7, and those of Boston on December 1.