f Representatives of the
Massachusetts Bay have communicated their sentiments upon a matter of so
great concern to all the colonies, hath been received by this House with
that candour the spirit and design of your letter merits. And at the
same time that they acknowledge themselves obliged to you for
communicating your sentiments to them, they have directed me to assure
you that they are desirous to keep up a correspondence with you, and to
unite with the colonies, if necessary, in further supplications to his
Majesty to relieve his distressed American subjects."

Answers to the Massachusetts circular from the Houses of Representatives
of Connecticut, of Georgia, and of Maryland, were given to the same
effect. The Maryland House of Representatives, in addition to the answer
to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, presented an address to
Governor Sharpe, of Maryland, in reply to the letter of Lord
Hillsborough. Their address is dated June 23rd, 1768, and contains the
following words:

"In answer to your Excellency's message of the 20th, we must observe,
that if the letter from the Speaker of the House of Representatives of
the colony of Massachusetts Bay, addressed to and communicated by our
Speaker to this House, be the same with the letter, a copy of which you
are pleased to intimate hath been communicated to the King's Ministers,
it is very alarming to find, at a time when the people of America think
themselves aggrieved by the late Acts of Parliament imposing taxes on
them for the sole and express purpose of raising a revenue, and in the
most dutiful manner are seeking redress from the Throne, any endeavours
to unite in laying before their Sovereign what is apprehended to be
their just complaint, should be looked upon 'as a measure of most
dangerous and factious tendency, calculated to inflame the minds of his
Majesty's good subjects in the colonies, and to promote an unwarrantable
combination, to excite and encourage an open opposition to and denial of
the authority of Parliament, and to subvert the true principles of the
constitution.'

"We cannot but view this as an attempt in some of his Majesty's
Ministers to suppress all communication of sentiments between the
colonies, and to prevent the united supplications of America from
reaching the royal ear. We hope the conduct of this House will ever
evince their reverence and respect for the laws, and faithful
attachment to the constitution; but we cannot be