t of Lord Botetourt, His lordship soon became
aware of the erroneous notions with which he had entered upon office.
His semi-royal equipage and state were laid aside. He examined into
public grievances; became a strenuous advocate for the repeal of
taxes; and, authorized by his despatches from the ministry, assured
the public that such repeal would speedily take place. His assurance
was received with implicit faith, and for a while Virginia was
quieted.

[In the month of May the General Court of Massachusetts, hitherto
prorogued met according to charter. A committee immediately waited on
the governor declaring that it was impossible to do business with
dignity and freedom while the town was invested by sea and land, and a
military guard was stationed at the state-house; and they requested
the governor as his] majesty's representative, to have such forces
removed out of the port and gates of the city during the session of
the Assembly. The governor replied that he had no authority over
either the ships or troops. The court persisted in refusing to
transact business while so circumstanced, and the governor was obliged
to transfer the session to Cambridge. There he addressed a message to
that body in July, requiring funds for the payment of the troops, and
quarters for their accommodation. The Assembly, after ample discussion
of past grievances, resolved, that the establishment of a standing
army in the colony in a time of peace was an invasion of natural
rights; that a standing army was not known as a part of the British
constitution, and that the sending an armed force to aid the civil
authority was unprecedented, and highly dangerous to the people.

After waiting some days without receiving an answer to his message,
the governor sent to know whether the Assembly would, or would not,
make provision for the troops. In their reply, they followed the
example of the Legislature of New York, by declining to furnish funds
for the purposes specified, "being incompatible with their own honor
and interest, and their duty to their constituents." They were in
consequence again prorogued, to meet in Boston on the 10th of January.

So stood affairs in Massachusetts. In the meantime, the
non-importation associations, being generally observed throughout the
colonies, produced the effect on British commerce which Washington had
anticipated, and Parliament was incessantly importuned by petitions
from British merchants imploring its in