r friends,
left the warehouse, walked up the length of King Street together, and
then went to our respective houses, without any molestation, saving some
insulting behavior from a few despicable persons. The night following, a
menacing letter was thrust under Mr. Faneuil's door, to be communicated
to the other consignees, with a design to intimidate them from executing
their trust, and other methods have since been made use of in the public
papers and otherwise, for the same purpose. The next day, being the 4^th
inst., a notification was sent thro' the town, by order of the
selectmen, for the inhabitants of the town to meet on this affair the
next day, a transcript of which, and the proceedings of the town
thereon, at their meetings on the 5^th and 6^th inst., you have a full
account of in the enclosed newspapers, which, being long, we shall only
copy the message of the town to us, and our answer, which are as
follows:--

"_Voted_, That a Com^tee be immediately chosen to wait on those gentle^n
who, it is reported, are appointed by the East India Com^y to receive
and sell said tea, and request them, from a regard to their own
character, and the good order and peace of the town and province,
immediately to resign their appointments. And the following gent^m,
viz.: the Moderator of the Meeting, Mr. Henderson Inches, Benj^n Austin,
Esq^r., and Mr. John Mason, & the select men of the town, were appointed
a com^tee accordingly."

These gent^m, all except Mr. Mason, came to our house about one o'clock,
P.M., but not having an authenticated copy of the Town's vote, we
desired to be favored with one, which was accordingly sent us, in a
short time, from the moderator, John Hancock, Esq^r., to which we
returned the following answer, viz.:--

"Boston, Nov^r 5, 1773.

Sir:

It is impossible for us to comply with the request of the Town,
signified to us this day by their Com^tee, as we know not on what terms
the tea, if any of it should be sent to our care, will come out, nor
what obligations, either of a moral or pecuniary nature, we may be under
to fulfil the trust that may be devolved on us. When we are acquainted
with these circumstances, we shall be better qualified to give a
definite answer to the request of the Town.

We are, sir, your most humble servants,
RICH^D CLARKE & SONS,