any person indicted for murder, or other capital
offence, committed in aiding the magistracy, might be sent by the
governor to some other colony, or to Great Britain, for trial.

Such was the bolt of Parliamentary wrath fulminated against the
devoted town of Boston. Before it fell there was a session in May of
the Virginia House of Burgesses. The social position of Lord Dunmore
had been strengthened in the province by the arrival of his lady, and
a numerous family of sons and daughters. The House of Burgesses was
opened in form, and one of its first measures was an address of
congratulation to the governor on the arrival of his lady. It was
followed up by an agreement among the members to give her ladyship a
splendid ball, on the 27th of the month.

All things were going on smoothly and smilingly, when a letter,
received through the corresponding committee, brought intelligence of
the vindictive measure of Parliament, by which the port of Boston was
to be closed on the approaching 1st of June. The letter was read in
the House of Burgesses, and produced a general burst of indignation.
All other business was thrown aside, and this became the sole subject
of discussion. A protest against this and other recent acts of
Parliament was entered upon the journal of the House, and a resolution
was adopted, on the 24th of May, setting apart the 1st of June as a
day of fasting, prayer, and humiliation. On the following morning the
Burgesses were summoned to attend Lord Dunmore in the council chamber,
where he made them the following laconic speech: "Mr. Speaker, and
Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses: I have in my hand a paper,
published by order of your House, conceived in such terms as reflect
highly upon his majesty, and the Parliament of Great Britain, which
makes it necessary for me to dissolve you, and you are dissolved
accordingly."

As on a former occasion, the Assembly, though dissolved was not
dispersed. The members adjourned to the long room of the old Raleigh
tavern, and passed resolutions denouncing the Boston port bill as a
most dangerous attempt to destroy the constitutional liberty and
rights of all North America; recommending their countrymen to desist
from the use, not merely of tea, but of all kinds of East Indian
commodities; pronouncing an attack on one of the colonies, to enforce
arbitrary taxes, an attack on all; and ordering the committee of
correspondence to communicate with the other corresponding comm