Then, in the spring of 17(59. the merchants of New York again met and formulated a second Non-Importation Agreement, under which no English goods, with but few exceptions, were to be purchased so long as the duties should remain in force. The mercantile communities of Philadelphia and Boston were somewhat tardy in assenting to this instrument, but by the fall they gave in their adhesion. Again the British ministry, appalled at the falling off in American trade, was forced to yield, and in 1770 all the duties objected to, except that on tea, were annulled. Meantime New York, while observing to the letter the obligations of t h e Non-Importation Agreement, had great cause of complaint against Boston and Philadelphia, where it was secretly violated on a large scale by the merchants. Exasperated at this lack of faith, the New Yorkers, after the abrogation of all the taxes except on tea, retired from the agreement, which thereafter fell to the ground in the other cities as well. It was, however, generally understood that no tea should be imported whilst the tax endured -- an understanding which, despite the greater historic fame in that connection enWILLIAM PITT. joyed by Boston on account of her so-called " Tea Party," was executed with equal determination and success in New York. For some three years practically all the ten bought in America was from England's European commercial rivals. Finally, in 1773, the British cabinet attempted a master stroke. They rescinded the large export duty taxed on tea leaving British ports, retaining, however, the small import duty of three pence per pound on American importations of the article. The Boston Tea Party occurred on the 16th of December, 1773. Up to that date no tea had arrived at New York, but more than a month previously careful arrangements had been made by the Sons of Liberty and others to prevent the landing