f Bondage, and made
Freemen of this Community, and that this Court would give and grant to
them some part of the unimproved Lands belonging to the Province, for
a settlement, or relieve them in such other Way as shall seem good and
wise upon the Whole." After its reading, a motion prevailed to refer
it to a select committee for consideration, with leave to report at
any time. It was therefore "ordered, that Mr. Hancock, Mr. Greenleaf,
Mr. Adams, Capt. Dix, Mr. Pain, Capt. Heath, and Mr. Pickering
consider this Petition, and report what may be proper to be
done."[404] It was a remarkably strong committee. There were the
patriotic Hancock, the scholarly Greenleaf, the philosophic Pickering,
and the eloquent Samuel Adams. It was natural that the Negro
petitioners should have expected something. Three days after the
committee was appointed, on the 28th of June, they recommended "that
the further Consideration of the Petition be referred till next
session." The report was adopted, and the petition laid over until the
"_next session_."[405]

But the slaves did not lose heart. They found encouragement among a
few noble spirits, and so were ready to urge the Legislature to a
consideration of their petition at the next session, in the winter of
1774. The following letter shows that they were anxious and earnest.

"SAMUEL ADAMS TO JOHN PICKERING, JR.

"BOSTON, Jan'y. 8, 1774.

"_Sir_,--

As the General Assembly will undoubtedly meet on the 26th of
this month, the Negroes whose petition lies on file, and is
referred for consideration, are very solicitous for the
Event of it, and having been informed that you intended to
consider it at your leisure Hours in the Recess of the
Court, they earnestly wish you would compleat a Plan for
their Relief. And in the meantime, if it be not too much
Trouble, they ask it as a favor that you would by a Letter
enable me to communicate to them the general outlines of
your Design. I am, with sincere regard," etc.[406]

It is rather remarkable, that on the afternoon of the first day of the
session,--Jan. 26, 1774,--the "Petition of a number of Negro Men,
which was entered on the Journal of the 25th of June last, and
referred for Consideration to this session," was "read again, together
with a Memorial of the same Petitioners, and _Ordered_, that Mr.
Speaker, Mr. Pickering, Mr. Hancock, Mr. Adams, Mr. Phillips, Mr.
Pain, and Mr.