at their peril.
Being read, a general hiss followed, and then a question whether they
would surcease further proceedings, as the Governor required, which was
determined in the negative, _nemine contradicente_."

It may be asked upon what legal or even reasonable ground had Governor
Hutchinson the right to denounce a popular meeting which happened at the
same time that he was holding a council, or because such meeting might
entertain and express views differing from or in defiance of those
which he was proposing to his Council?

Or, what authority had Governor Hutchinson to issue a proclamation and
send a Sheriff to forbid a public meeting which the Charter and laws
authorized to be called and held, as much as the Governor was authorized
to call and hold his Council, or as any town or township council or
meeting may be called and held in any province of the Dominion of
Canada? It is not surprising that a public meeting "hissed" a command
which was as lawless as it was powerless. The King himself would not
have ventured to do what Governor Hutchinson did, in like circumstances;
and British subjects in Massachusetts had equal civil rights with
British subjects in England.

Governor Hutchinson admits that the public meeting was not only
numerous, but composed of all classes of inhabitants, and was held in
legal form; and his objection to the legality of the meeting merely
because persons from other towns were allowed to be present, while he
confesses that the inhabitants of Boston at the meeting were unanimous
in their votes, is the most trivial that can be conceived. He says:

"A more determined spirit was conspicuous in this body than in any
former assemblies of the people. It was composed of the lowest, as well,
and probably in as great proportion, as of the superior ranks and
orders, and all had an equal voice. No eccentric or irregular motions,
however, were suffered to take place--all seemed to have been the plan
of but a few--it may be, of a single person. The 'form' of town meeting
was assumed, the Select Men of Boston, town clerks, etc., taking their
usual places; but the inhabitants of any other town being admitted, it
could not assume the name of a 'legal meeting of any town.'" (A trivial
technical objection.)

Referring to another meeting--the last held before the day on which the
tea was thrown into the sea--Governor Hutchinson states:

"The people came into Boston from the adjacent towns within twenty
m