s name was
mentioned everywhere with enthusiasm, and before their dissolution the
assembly resolved to continue him their agent in England, although the
governor refused to ratify the appointment, or to sanction their act for
paying him his salary.

Among the ministerial arrangements was the substitution of General Gage
in the room of Hutchinson as governor. General Gage landed on the wharf
on the 13th of May, with part of his family and suite, and was warmly
welcomed by the council, magistrates, and others, and afterwards
entertained at a public dinner. On the other hand, the mob spent their
impotent rage on Hutchinson by burning him in effigy. The reception
which Gage met with on landing seemed to augur well for his
administration, and his prospect seemed the more cheering because he was
united to an American lady, and from long residence in the colony, had
made many friends. But there was a strong under-current at work which
threatened to sweep away all the authority which any governor might
possess however popular he might be as a man. And this was made more
impetuous at this time by the intelligence which arrived concerning
the Boston Port Bill. This intelligence was received a few days before
General Gage arrived, and although the Bostonians gave him a hearty
welcome, they soon displayed what feelings they possessed upon the
subject. On the very next day after they had given him this welcome, a
numerous town meeting took the bill into consideration, and resolved,
"That it is the opinion of this town, that, if the other colonies come
into a joint resolution to stop all importation from, and exportation
to Great Britain, and every part of the West Indies, till the act be
repealed, the same will prove the salvation of North America and her
liberties; and that the impolicy, injustice, inhumanity, and cruelty of
the act exceed all our powers of expression: we, therefore, leave it to
the just censure of others, and appeal to God and the world." In order
to spread disaffection, the act was printed and widely circulated
throughout the colonies. Nor were the presses of Boston alone engaged
in this work. Other colonies had thousands of copies struck off, and in
some the copy of the act was accompanied with comments, and with a
black border, while the vendors cried it about under the title of "A
barbarous, cruel, bloody, and inhuman murder." In some places it
was burned with great solemnity; in others, as at Philadelphia,
s