between the British Ministry and
Parliament and Colonies, the colonists entertained opinions and views
incompatible with subordination to the mother country, and were
preparing the way for separation from it. Such an opinion is utterly
erroneous. Whatever solitary individuals may have thought or wished, the
petitions and resolutions adopted by the complaining colonists during
these ten years of agitation breathe as pure a spirit of loyalty as they
do of liberty; and in no instance did they ask for more, or as much, as
the inhabitants of the provinces of the Canadian Dominion this day
enjoy.

My second reason for thus quoting the very words of the declarations and
petitions of the colonists is to show the injustice with which they were
represented and treated by the British Ministry, Parliament, and press
in England.

It was hoped by the Congress that their address to the people of England
would have a happy influence in favour of the colonies upon the public
mind, and tell favourably on the English elections, which took place the
latter part of the year 1774; but the elections were suddenly ordered
before the proceedings of the Congress could be published in England.
The elections, of course, resulted adversely to the colonies; and the
new Parliament was more subservient to the Ministry against the colonies
than the preceding Parliament.[350]

This new Parliament met the 30th day of November, when the King was
advised to inform them, among other things, "that a most daring spirit
of resistance and disobedience to the laws unhappily prevailed in the
province of Massachusetts, and had broken forth in fresh violences of a
very criminal nature; that these proceedings had been countenanced and
encouraged in his other colonies; that unwarrantable attempts had been
made to obstruct the commerce of his kingdom by unlawful combinations;
and that he had taken such measures and given such orders as he judged
most proper and effectual for carrying into execution the laws which
were passed in the last session of the late Parliament relative to the
province of Massachusetts."[351]

Answers were adopted in both Houses of Parliament re-echoing the
sentiments of the Royal Speech, but not without vehement debates. There
was a considerable minority in both Lords and Commons that sympathised
with the colonies, and condemned the Ministerial policy and the Acts of
the previous Parliament complained of. In the Commons, the Minister was