ARTICLES of Impeachment of High Crimes and Misdemeanors against Peter Oliver, Esq; Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Judicature, Court of Assize and General Goal Delivery over this Province, by the House of REPRESENTATIVES, in General Court Assembled, in their own Name, and in the Name of all the Inhabitants of this Province, February 24, 1774.

Whereas their late Majesties King William and Queen Mary of glorious Memory, from their great Regard to the English Constitution, and earnest Desire to establish the same in this his Majesty's Province, did by their Charter made and granted in the third Year of their Reign, establish and ordain, that all and every of the Subjects of Them, their Heirs and Successors, which should come to and inhabit within this Province and Territory, and every of their Children which should happen to be born there, or on the Seas in coming hither or returning from hence, should have and enjoy all Liberties and Immunities of free and natural Subjects within any of the Dominions of them their Heirs and Successors, to all Intents, Constructions and Purposes whatever, as if they and every of them were born within the Realm of England.

And in the said Charter it is further granted and ordained, That the Great and General Court or Assembly of the Province, which is before established in the same Charter, shall forever have full Power and Authority to erect and constitute Judicatories and Courts of Record, or other Courts, for the Hearing, Trying and Determining of all Manner of Crimes, &c.

And the said General Court or Assembly hath by the same Charter, full Power and Authority to impose and levy proportionable and reasonable Assessments, Rates and Taxes, upon the Estates and Persons of all and every the Proprietors and Inhabitants of the Province, for his Majesty's Service in the necessary Defence and Support of his Majesty's Government of the Province, and the Protection and Preservation of the Inhabitants thereof: To the Intent that the Inhabitants of this his Majesty's Province might always have and enjoy that essential Privilege of the English Constitution, of supporting the executive and judicial Officers in the Government of this Province by the free Grants of the People.

And whereas the Great and General Court or Assembly of this Province, in Pursuance of the Power and Authority granted as aforesaid, and of the good Intention thereof, have uninterruptedly and exclusively from the granting the said Charter, made Provision by their own Grants for the Support of his Majesty's said Superior Court: But many evil-minded Persons, not regarding the said Charter nor the good Intentions of the same, have of late Years combined and conspired together, to put divers Constructions on the said Charter, wholly inconsistent with the aforesaid manifest Intent and Purpose of the same, and destructive of English Liberties; and to introduce and establish another Form of Government, and a new Mode of supporting the executive and judicial Officers of the Government. For which Intent they did by false Representations, procure to be made and passed by the Parliament of Great-Britain, an Act for the Establishment of a Revenue to be levied in America, and appropriated among other Things for the defraying of the Charges of the Administration of Justice in such Colonies where his Majesty should judge proper; and also by false Representations and evil Advice, have procured the royal Grant of large Sums of Money, to be paid annually out of the said Revenue, to the Justices of the said Superior Court; by the Establishment of which the said Justices of the said Superior Court would be aliened from any Connection with the People of this Province, for whose Benefit they are and ought to be appointed, and would be indebted to his Majesty for his Grants made to them for their Services; and by Means thereof become subject to the Influence and Direction of his Majesty's Ministers of State, in Matters appertaining to the Distribution of Justice in this Province; whereby a Foundation will be laid of a Union of the Department of the Judicial Powers here, with that of the King's Ministers of State in Great-Britain, than which nothing is more to be dreaded by a free People.

And whereas Peter Oliver, Esq; Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Judicature, Court of Assize and General Goal Delivery over this Province, a Court wholly erected and constituted by the Great and General Court or Assembly by a Power granted to the said General Court by the Clause in said Charter aforementioned, well knowing the Premises but not regarding the same, with Design to subvert the Constitution of this Province as established by the said Royal Charter, and to introduce into the said Court a partial, arbitrary and corrupt Administration of Justice, declining to take and receive any more the Grants of the General Assembly of this Province, did on or 14about the Tenth Day of January, 1774, at Boston, in the County of Suffolk, take and receive, and resolve for the future to take and receive from his Majesty's Ministers and Servants, a Grant or Salary for his Services as Chief Justice of the said Superior Court, against his own Knowledge of the said Charter, and of the Way and Manner prescribed therein for the Support of his Majesty's Government in the Province, and contrary to uninterrupted and approved Usage and Custom since the erecting and constituting of the said Court. And the said Peter Oliver, Esq; continues in his said Resolution so to do, against the Opinion and Conduct of the other Judges of the said Court, each of whom has declared respecting himself his Resolution to the contrary. And whereas the unmeritted Sum of four Hundred Pounds Sterling, granted by his Majesty, and annually to be paid to the said Peter Oliver, Esq; for his Services as Chief Justice of the said Superior Court, together with the Hopes of it's Augmentation, if he is still suffered to continue in his said Office, cannot fail to have the Effect of a continual Bribe in his judicial Proceedings, and expose him to a Violation of his Oath. And by his accepting and receiving the said Sum he hath betrayed the Corruption and Baseness of his Heart, and the sordid Lust of Coveteousness: In Breach of his Engagements to rely solely upon the Grants of the General Assembly, necessarily implied and involved in his accepting said Office.—

And the said Peter Oliver, Esq; by his taking and receiving the said Grant out of the Revenue unjustly levied and extorted from the Inhabitants of the American Colonies, hath as far forth as lay in Power, put a Sanction on and established the said Revenue, which is a most destructive Infraction of the Constitution of this Province, and a Violation of the natural and most essential Rights of the People,—the exclusive Right of giving, granting and appropriating their own Property, and of Judging of the Merits of their own Servants. And hath counteracted the reasonable Petitions of the Representatives of the People to his Majesty, and other their Constitutional Endeavours to obtain the Redress of this Grievance.

And the said Peter Oliver, Esq; by his Conduct as aforesaid, in Defiance and Contempt of the known Sense of the Body of this People, expressly and repeatedly declared and published by their Representatives and otherwise, hath Wickedly and Perversely endeavoured to continue and increase the Discontent and Jealousies of this People, and the Grievance aforementioned, at a Time when there is Ground to hope that his Majesty, if not otherwise determined by the said Conduct of the said Peter Oliver, Esq; and the continued 15false Representations of others, will be graciously pleased to Revoke said Grant, and order a full Redress.

And the said Peter Oliver, Esq; did on the Eighth Day of February Instant, direct and cause to be delivered to this House, a Writing under his own Hand, dated Middleborough, February 3, 1774; the Tenor of which Writing is in the Words and Figures following, viz.

In which Writing the said Peter Oliver, Esq; hath ungratefully, falsly and maliciously laboured to lay Imputation and Scandal upon this his Majesty's Government, insolently and contemptously insinuating, that by the Parsimony, Injustice and Ingratitude of the said Government, in with-holding from him an adequate and due Reward for his Services as a Justice of the said Superior Court, he hath been greatly impoverished, and that therefore he was obliged to 17take his Majesty's Grant from a Principle of Justice due to his Family and others. Whereas in Fact, the Rewards granted to him by this Government, were always fully equal to the Merit of his Services as a Justice of the said Court; as it is well known that the said Peter Oliver, Esq: before his Advancement to a Seat in the Superior Court, had been usually employed in the Business of Trade, Husbandry and Manufactures, to which he had applied his Mind; and that he was appointed to said Office without previous Education and regular Study in the Law.

And the said Peter Oliver, Esq; by his Conduct as aforesaid, hath misrepresented and traduced this Government, and endeavoured to alienate the Hearts of his Majesty's Liege People of this Province from his Majesty, and set a Division between them; to introduce into said Court a partial and corrupt Administration of Justice, destroy the present Form of Government in this Province, and establish an arbitrary and tyrannical Government in its Stead.

Wherefore this House of Representatives, in their own Name, and in the Name of all the Inhabitants of this Province, DO IMPEACH the said PETER OLIVER, Esq; of the High Crimes and Misdemeanors aforesaid. And saving to themselves by Protestation the Liberty of exhibiting at any Time hereafter, to the Governor and Council, or to the Council only, any Complaints or Allegations against the said Peter Oliver, Esq; for any Incompetency, Incapacity or Disability for the Execution of his High Office; or any other Accusation or Impeachment against the said Peter Oliver, Esq; for any other Crimes and Misdemeanors by him done and committed: Also of replying to the Answer which the said Peter Oliver, Esq; shall make to the said Articles, or any of them; and of offering Proof of the Premisses, or any of their Impeachments, Accusations and Complaints, that shall be exhibited by them, as the Case shall require, They pray, that the said Peter Oliver, Esq; Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Judicature, Court of Assize and General Goal Delivery over this whole Province, may be put to Answer to all and every of the Premises; and that such Proceedings, Examinations, Trials and Judgments may be had and ordered thereon, as may be agreeable to Law and Justice.