zure was made with every circumstance of
violence and insult which could irritate a mob, is proved by the oaths
of thirteen eye-witnesses whose credibility has never been impeached.
Unhappily, the irritation succeeded but too well. The collector and
comptroller who made the seizure in that manner were treated with great
indignity and personal injury by the mob."[306]

Another circumstance, productive of more intense and general excitement,
if possible, and which transpired very shortly after the seizure and
detention of the sloop _Liberty_, was the impressment of some seamen
belonging to the town by the captain of the man-of-war _Romney_. This
was done, as alleged, in violation of an Act of Parliament for the
encouragement of trade to America--6 Anne, chap. xxvii., section
9--which says:

"No mariner or other person who shall serve on board, or be retained to
serve on board, any privateer or trading ship or vessel that shall be
employed in any port of America, nor any mariner or person being on
shore in any port thereof, shall be liable to be impressed or taken
away by any officer or officers belonging to her Majesty's ships of
war." To prevent the tumults which were feared from such a flagrant and
dangerous infraction of the law, a legal town-meeting was called, in
which the inhabitants assembled petitioned the Governor to interpose and
prevent such outrages upon the rights and liberties of the people; but
the Governor declined to interfere--stated that he had no control over
his Majesty's ships of war--that he would, however, use his utmost
endeavours to get the impressing of men for the King's ships of war so
regulated as to avoid all the inconveniences to the town which the
petitioners apprehended.

In the midst of these excitements and discontents, so threatening and
dangerous without some form of expression, many of the peace-loving and
respectable inhabitants of Boston urged the Governor to convene the
Legislature, but he refused without a command from the King. The select
men of Boston then proposed to the several towns and townships of the
colony the election of a Convention, to meet in Boston the 22nd of
September, "to deliberate on constitutional measures to obtain redress
of their grievances." Ninety-six towns and eight districts elected
delegates to the Convention, which sat four days; "disclaimed any
legislative authority, petitioned the Governor, made loyal professions,
expressed their aversion to stan