express the complaints and wishes of all
the provinces, their meeting was declared unlawful, and their petition
to the King a collection of fictitious statements and rebellious
sentiments, though more loyal sentiments to the King, and more full
recognition of his constitutional prerogatives were never expressed in
any document presented to his Majesty. When that petition of the
Continental congregation was presented to the Earl of Dartmouth, the
head of the Colonial Department, he said it was a decent and proper
document, and he would have pleasure in laying it before the King, who
referred it to the House of Commons; yet Lord North himself and a
majority of his colleagues, backed by a majority of the House of
Commons, rejected that petition, refused to consider its statements and
prayers, but instead thereof proposed an address which declared one of
the colonies in a state of rebellion, abetted by many in other colonies,
advised military force against the colonies, and assured the King that
they would stand by his Majesty "at the hazard of their lives and
properties, against all rebellious attempts" to maintain the assumed
rights of his Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament over the
colonies. Yet not one of them ever afterwards risked a hair of his head
in the war which they advised to maintain such rights. 3. It was also as
insulting and provoking to the colonists as it was unjust, impolitic,
and untrue, to assert that a rebellion "existed in one province of
America, and was encouraged by many persons in other colonies;" when not
an act of rebellion existed in any colony, but dissatisfaction, meetings
to express sentiments and adopt petitions founded upon their declining
and agreeing not to buy or drink tea, or buy or wear clothes of English
manufacture, until English justice should be done to them--all which
they had a right as British subjects to do, and for doing which those
were responsible who compelled them to such self-denying acts in the
maintenance of constitutional rights which are now recognised as such,
at this day, throughout all the colonies of the British empire.

It is not surprising that Lord North's motion and statements were
severely canvassed in the House of Commons. Mr. Dunning, in reply to
Lord North, "insisted that America was not in rebellion, and that every
appearance of riot, disorder, tumult, and sedition the noble lord had so
carefully recounted arose not from disobedience, treason, or r