The Assembly promptly went into a Committee of the Whole House, with Colonel Benjamin Seaman, of Richmond-county,

ant-goveriwr Colden to the Earl of Dartmouth, " New York, let March, " 1775,")

1 Bmcvoft's History of thr United States, original edition, vil., 139, 140; the same, centenary edition, iv., 401, 402.

2 In a letter written by Alexander McDougal, the well-known popular leader, addressed to Josiah Quincy, Junior, then in London, and dated " New-Yohk. April 0, 1775," the student of the history of the Revolution, in New York, may find much, relating to the opinions of the revolutionary elements in that Colony, concerning this State, as wellasconce ning other kindred subjects.

a Journal of the House, "Die Martis, 10 ho., A.M., the 7th March, " 1775."

in the Chair ; and proceeded to consider the Report which had thus been presented; and, after having made some amendments in the proposed Resolutions,* the Chairman reported the result of the Committee's deliberations to the House ; and, after some discussion, the House agreed with the Committee, in its Report and Resolutions. 6

The first of these Resolutions, following the general sentiment of the Colonists, acknowledged the Faith and Allegiance to the King which were due to him from " the people of this Colony." The second acknowledged that the Colonists " owe obedience to all " Acts of Parliaments calculated for the general weal " of the whole Empire and the due regulation of the " Trade and Commerce thereof, and not inconsistent " with the essential Rights and Liberties of English- " men, to which they are equally entitled with their " fellow-subjects in Great Britain.'' The third declared " that ic is essential to Freedom and the un- " doubted Right of Englishmen, that no Taxes be " imposed on them but with their consent, given per- " sonally or by their Representatives in General As- " sembly." The fourth maintained "that the Acts of " Parliament, raising a Revenue in America especially "to provide for the support of the Civil Government '" and administration of Justice in the Colonies, ex- " tending the Jurisdiction of the Courts of Admiralty "beyond their ancient limits, authorizing the Judge's " Certificate to indemnify the Prosecutor from Dam- " ages he would otherwise be liable to, giving them a " concurrent Jurisdiction of Causes heretofore cog- " nizable only in the Courts of Common Law, and by " that means depriving the American Subject of his " Trial by a Jury, are destructive to Freedom, and " subversive of the Rights and Liberties of the Colo- " nies." The fifth and last of these Resolutions declared " that a Trial by a Jury of the Vicinage, in all "Capital Cases, is the grand Security of Freedom and " the Birthright of Englishmen ; and, therefore, that " the seizing any Person or Persons, residing in this "Colony, suspected of Treasons, Misprisions of " Treason, or any other Offences, and sending such "Person or Persons out of the same, to be tried, is dan- " gerous to the Lives and Liberties of His Majesty's " American Subjects." 6