Sunday Eveng. Decr: 16th. 1770
Tribunitial,
unsuccessfull,
unrecompensed,
Fellow-Labourer
Pro Rege & Grege!
Agreeable to your Request & my Promise, I sit
down to inform You, that the Proceedings of the past Week
issued as follows.
There being no Court till 4 o'clock Tuesday PM
of Course nothing more was done than to meet &
adjourn;
The next Morning, The Attorney-general being absent
by Reason of Ill health, I offered the Court to conduct
The Trial of Manwarring & al, in
Furtherance of the
Business of the Court, but not as of Council for the
Crown, by Warrant, Desire, or Instruction from the
Town of
Boston. They accepted my Offer, & I
accordingly
imbarked in another Windmill-Adventure,
& came off
as you will readily suppose like poor Quixote in a
like Instance.
You will perhaps be at a Loss to explain
my Meaning in Regard to the Town. Know then, that
upon application to Mason & Inches, They
were both
of Opinion, that their Authority did not extend to
that
at the passing The Vote, and therefore did not desire
me to pursue the Affair as engaged by Them.
The Evidence on the Crown Side was examined,
& it falling short in Every Respect, the Jury gave a
Verdict
of Acquittal without going from their Seats. The French
Boy appeared both from his own Testimony & the Evidence of
Other Witnesses to be guilty of deliberate Perjury, and is
accordingly remanded to have the Matter laid before
the Grand Jury at the next Term.
After This Trial the Business of the Court
by Reason of Sewall's Absence lagged
heavily; We
did some small affairs & the Attorney not
coming,
adjourned without Day on Friday Afternoon.
I must not forget to inform You, that On
Thursday morning there appeared at the Town-
house a Paper stuck up reflecting severely on the
Court, of Which the enclosed is a Copy; It being
communicated to Them, They immediately laid it
before the Govr. who with a general
Council Sitting
that Day by Adjournment issued the Proclamation
Which I presume you have seen in the Papers.
I moved the Court for Judgment on the Motion
for Richardson's New-Trial, but was
answered that They
had not yet determined it, so that Richardson among
Others has a Respite untill another Term.
I am of Opinion it is best for Us to exhibit
our accounts to our Employers while the Matter is
yet warm; of This you will be pleased to advise me,
as it is necessary in some Respects We should be
uniform in the Demand.
This is All I think necessary at present, &
with my Regards to your Fire Side
Your respectful: Friend & Bror.
NB. Mr.
Fleming the Printer has undertaken
to publish The Trial, & will have authentic
Copies of the
Argument from the Council, & the Direction of
the Court to compleat the Whole. He has therefore
desired me to apply to
you for the State of your Argument, which he will not be ready to
insert
This 14'night or 3 Weeks, you will therefore have Time Enough if you
will oblige him in This Respect
Robert Trea [t Pai ]ne Esqr
Saml Quincy Esq
Decr. 16.
1770
To
Robt Treat Paine
Esq
In
Taunton
To see the Sufferings of my Fellow Townsmen & own
myself my a Man,
To See the Court cheat the injured people with a
Shew of Justice which
Yet we near can taste of, drive us like Wrecks down the rough
Tide of
Power while we no hold is left to Save us from
Destruction, All that bear
this are Slaves, & we as such not to rise up as the
great Call of Nature
& free the World from such domestic Tyrants.