ol, the landlord lighted a fire to warm
the room, and enable those who might like a mug of flip to heat the
loggerhead in the glowing coals. Upon the table, as usual, were the
punch-bowl, crackers, cheese, tobacco, and pipes. Mr. Adams seated
himself by the table and opened a letter.

"It is from Mr. Benjamin Franklin," he said, "who writes that
Parliament has passed a law levying three pence per pound on tea. It
is not to be collected here, as on other articles, but the merchant
who ships it is to pay the duty. It is a very adroit attempt to
collect revenue. The consignees in the Colonies, of course, will add
the amount in their sales, and so the revenue will be collected
without any agency on the part of the Custom Houses."

"I suppose," said Doctor Warren, "Lord North and the whole British
nation think we are such simpletons, we shall not see the cat in the
meal."

"It is an insidious act," Mr. Adams resumed, "intended to undermine
the political virtue of the people. Two years ago our wives and
daughters exhibited their allegiance to lofty principles by signing an
agreement not to drink tea until the obnoxious laws then existing were
repealed. Lord North laughed at the time, but he has discovered that
the people of the Colonies can be loyal to a great principle. The East
India Company's receipts have fallen off at the rate of five hundred
thousand pounds value per annum. The company has seventeen million
pounds of tea stored in London, intended for the Colonies, and for
which there is no market. It owes the government a vast sum. The
merchants who have grown rich out of their profits in the past are not
receiving any dividends. The shares of the company, which a few months
ago were quoted at high rates, have become unsalable. Parliament has
repealed the obnoxious laws for taxing the Colonies, and passed this
act, doubtless thinking that, so long as we do not pay it directly
into the Custom House, we shall acquiesce and go to drinking tea
again. And there is where the danger lies. We have been so true to our
convictions the revenue received from its sale last year in all the
Colonies was only fifteen hundred pounds. It is very humiliating to
the king and ministry to turn to the other side of the ledger and find
that it has cost several hundred thousand pounds to maintain the
troops sent to the Colonies to aid in enforcing the revenue laws upon
a reluctant people. This new act, by having all the customs machinery
i