egard to their own characters, and
the peace and good of the town and province, immediately to resign their
appointment.

At this meeting, a Tory handbill, called the "Tradesmen's Protest,"
against the proceedings of the merchants on the subject of tea
importation, was introduced. After the reading, without comment, the
tradesmen present were desired to collect themselves at the south side
of the hall, where the question was put whether they acknowledged the
"Tradesmen's Protest," and the whole, amounting to at least four
hundred, voted in the negative. The paper, its printer, and those who
circulated it, were denounced as base, false and scandalous. This gave a
finishing blow to the "Protest," of which nothing more was heard.

After voting that it was the just expectation of the town that no one of
its merchants should, under any pretext whatever, import any tea liable
to duty, the meeting adjourned until three o'clock.

[Illustration: Signature, Joseph Warren]

At that hour there was again a full assembly. The committee reported
that they had communicated the resolves of the town to the Messrs.
Clarke and Mr. Faneuil, who informed them that they must consult Thomas
and Elisha Hutchinson, the other consignees, who were at Milton, and
could not give an answer until the following Monday. Samuel Adams,
Joseph Warren, and Molineux were then desired to acquaint Messrs. Clarke
and Faneuil, that the town expected an immediate answer from them. This
was very soon received, and pronounced unsatisfactory, by a unanimous
vote. John Hancock, John Pitts, Samuel Adams, Samuel Abbott, Joseph
Warren, William Powell, and Nathaniel Appleton,[8] were chosen a
committee to wait on the Hutchinsons, and request an immediate
resignation, and the meeting adjourned until the next day.

On Saturday, Faneuil Hall was again crowded. The committee reported that
it could not find Elisha Hutchinson, either at Milton or Boston. Thomas
Hutchinson, Jr., informed them, in a letter, that when he and his
brother were appointed factors, and the tea arrived, they would be
sufficiently informed to answer the request of the inhabitants.

This reply stirred up some of the hot blood in the assembly, and a cry
of "to arms! to arms!" was received with applause and clapping of hands.
Discretion, as usual, prevailed, and the meeting voted that the replies
were "daringly affrontive" to the town, and then dissolved. The governor
tried to collect evidence of the