statute made in the thirty-fifth year of the reign of King Henry
VIII., colonists may be transported to England and tried there upon
accusations for treasons, and misprisions and concealments of treasons
committed in the colonies, and by a late statute such trials have been
directed in cases therein mentioned:

"And whereas, in the last session of Parliament, three statutes were
made--one entitled, 'An Act to discontinue, in such manner and for such
time as are therein mentioned, the landing and discharging, lading or
shipping of goods, wares, and merchandise, at the town, and within the
harbour of Boston, in the province of Massachusetts Bay, in North
America;' another entitled, 'An Act for the better regulating the
Government of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, in New England;' and
another Act entitled, 'An Act for the impartial administration of
justice, in the cases of persons questioned for any act done by them in
the execution of the law, or for the suppression of riots and tumults,
in the province of the Massachusetts Bay, in New England;' and another
statute was then made, 'for making more effectual provision for the
government of the province of Quebec,' etc.--all which statutes are
impolitic, unjust, and cruel, as well as unconstitutional, and most
dangerous and destructive of American rights:

"And whereas assemblies have been frequently dissolved, contrary to the
rights of the people, when they attempted to deliberate on grievances;
and their dutiful, humble, loyal, and reasonable petitions to the Crown
for redress have been repeatedly treated with contempt by his Majesty's
Ministers of State; the good people of the several colonies of New
Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Castle, Kent and
Sussex on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South
Carolina, justly alarmed at the arbitrary proceedings of Parliament and
Administration, have severally elected, constituted, and appointed
deputies to meet and sit in General Congress, in the city of
Philadelphia, in order to obtain such establishment as that their
religion, laws, and liberties may not be subverted; whereupon the
deputies so appointed being now assembled, in a full and free
representation of these colonies, taking into their most serious
consideration the best means of attaining the ends aforesaid, do in the
first place, as Englishmen, what their anc