at he would receive no more petitions of the lord mayor and aldermen
but in their corporate capacity. Wilkes converted this into a fresh
wrong; and at the very next meeting of the common-hall another address,
still more violent in its tone, was approved. The king resolved that he
would not receive this petition sitting on the throne, and when this
was reported to the livery they resolved that it was a direct denial of
their rights; that the remonstrance should be printed in the newspapers;
and that the city members should be instructed to move for an
impeachment of the evil counsellors who had planted Popery in America,
and were the advisers of a measure so dangerous to both the king and his
people, as that of refusing to hear petitions. This latter resolution,
however, was not founded in truth--the king had simply said that he
would not receive it sitting on the throne, and the livery had resolved
not to present it under any other circumstances. After all, the
common-council thought proper to agree to a more moderate remonstrance,
which his majesty received, and to which he replied, that, while the
constitutional authority of this kingdom was openly resisted by a
portion of his American subjects, he owed it to the rest of his people
to continue to enforce those measures by which alone their rights and
interests could be asserted and maintained. Irritated by these and other
proceedings, government, on the 23rd of August, issued a proclamation
for suppressing rebellion, preventing seditious correspondence, etc.
Wilkes, as lord mayor, received orders to have this proclamation read in
the usual manner at the Royal Exchange. This order was obeyed;
but the patriot at the same time contrived to hold it up to the public
contempt by causing it to be read by one of the city officers, attended
only by the common-crier, contrary to the common rules of decency and to
all precedent. Soon after this the petition of congress was laid before
the king by Richard Penn and Arthur Lee, to whom the task of presenting
it had been deputed. It was well known to all the world that the
Americans had lifted up the standard of revolt, and were assembled in
hostile array against his majesty's forces. This petition, therefore,
though it contained some loyal expressions, did not express the real
sense of the body it proceeded from--the words of their mouths might be
smoother than butter, but war was manifestly in their hearts. Hence
his majesty very ju