By an Instruction, the honorable his Majesty's
Council are forbid to meet and transact matters
of publick concern as a council of advice to the
Governor, unless called by the Governor; and
if they should from a zealous regard to the
Interest of the province so meet at any time, the
Governor is ordered to negative them at the next
Election of Councellors. And although by the
Charter of this province the Great and General
Court have full power and authority to impose
Taxes upon the Estates and person of all and
every the proprietors and inhabitants of this
province, yet the Governor has been forbidden
to give his consent to an act imposing a Tax for
the necessary support of government, unless such
persons as were pointed out in the said instruc-
tion, were exempted from paying their just
proportion of said Tax.
His Excellency has also pleaded instructions
for giving up the provincial Fortress,
Caslte
William, into the hands of Troops, over whom
he had declared he had no controul (and that
at a time when they were menacing the
slaughter of the inhabitants of the town, and
our streets were stain'd with the blood which
they had barbarously shed.) Thus our Go-
vernor, appointed and paid from
Great-Britain
with Money forced from us, is made an in-
strument of totally preventing, or at least of
rendering futile, every attempt of the other