they please,
for whose malconduct they are not accountable: from whence it may
happen, that officers of the crown may be multiplied to such a degree,
as to become dangerous to the liberties of the people, by virtue of a
commission which doth not appear to this house to derive any such
advantages to trade as many have been led to expect.

These are the sentiments and proceedings of the house, and as they
have too much reason to believe that the enemies of the colonies have
represented them to his majesty's ministers and the parliament as
factious, disloyal, and having a disposition to make themselves
independent of the mother country, they have taken occasion in the
most humble terms, to assure his majesty and his ministers, that, with
regard to the people of this province, and, as they doubt not, of all
the colonies, the charge is unjust.

The house is fully satisfied, that your assembly is too generous and
enlarged in sentiment to believe, that this letter proceeds from an
ambition of taking the lead, or dictating to the other assemblies;
they freely submit their opinion to the judgment of others; and shall
take it kind in your house to point out to them anything further that
may be thought necessary.

This house cannot conclude without expressing their firm confidence in
the king, our common head and father, that the united and dutiful
supplications of his distressed American subjects will meet with his
royal and favourable acceptance.

* * * * *

NOTE--No. VI.--_See Page 410._

_An account of the origin of these committees, and of their mode of
proceeding, is thus given by Mr. Gordon, and is not unworthy of
attention._

"Governor Hutchinson and his adherents having been used to represent
the party in opposition, as only an uneasy factious few in Boston,
while the body of the people were quite contented; Mr. Samuel Adams
was thereby induced to visit Mr. James Warren, of Plymouth. After
conversing upon the subject, the latter proposed to originate and
establish committees of correspondence in the several towns of the
colony, in order to learn the strength of the friends to the rights of
the continent, and to unite and increase their force. Mr. Samuel Adams
returned to Boston, pleased with the proposal, and communicated the
same to his confidents. Some doubted whether the measure would
prosper, and dreaded a disappointment which might injure the cause of
liberty. But it was conc