Newport ss To the Honorable the General Assembly of the English Colony of Rhode Island to be holden at East Greenwich, on the last Monday in February 1776.
The Memorial, Remonstrance and Petition of the Freemen and Others, Inhabitants of the Town of Newport, in legal Meeting assembled, humbly sheweth,
That, as it is the distinguishing and unalienable Privilege of every English Subject, to Petition those, who are vested with the legislative Authority of Government, for that Protection, which from the Laws and the Constitution, he hath a clear and indisputable Right to expect and demand; We therefore presume, humbly, to exercise that Privilege, and are extremely concerned, that the peculiar Circumstances of Difficulty and Distress, which we, your Memorialists, have had to encounter for Months past, reduce. us to the Necessity of making such frequent Applications to your Honors.
As we wish and mean to make this Application as little tedious as possible, and unimbarrassed with the enumeration of unnecessary Facts, we will lead your Honors Attention no further back, then your last Session, from which Period, notwithstanding your Honors generous Intention towards us, in permitting the Town Council to supply the Ships of War, in this Harbor, with fresh Provisions, for their own Consumption, designing thereby to purchase the Security of this Town, we have perceived, with the deepest Anxiety and Concern, the dark and alarming Train of Calamities to increase, with the gradual Approach of that Ruin, which Nothing but your Honors benign Intervention can ward off.
In every Application that we have made to your Honors, for Liberty to supply the Ships of War in this Harbor with Beef &c, we had not only in View the Preservation of the Town from immediate Destruction, but the additional Advantage of obtaining Permission for the free Passage of the Market, Wood and Ferry Boats, to and from this Town, and which was clearly your Honors Intentions, by the Tenor of your first Vote; but, notwithstanding Capt. Wallace had on his Part granted Passes for that Purpose, we, your Memorialists, were unexpectedly deprived of many and singular Benefits, which we are confident your Honors intended we shou'd enjoy, as we cou'd not obtain Permission for the free passing of the aforesaid Boats, until the Second Day of this Month. But, that your Honors may have a more comprehensive Knowledge of our Negotiations with General [William] West, we beg leave to refer you to the Letters which passed between him and the Town upon that Subject, and make no doubt, your Honors will pay them that Attention which their Importance demands.
Your Honors, in Order the more effectually to Guard against Supplies not warranted by Law, and to prevent Intelligence being carried to the Ships of War &c, detrimental to the Common Cause of America, passed an Act, and punished the Offence with Death: This we perfectly acquiesced in, and used every Precaution in our Power to prevent a violation of the Act. We knew the Ground we stood upon, and the Tenure by which we held our Lives: But the Hopes of Safety and Peace, however flattering then, were but of short Duration, for General West in his Letter of the 23d, of last Month expressly declared "that if any Vessel or Boat shou'd pass so near the Ships, as to be hailed, they shou'd be immediately taken up and dealt with as Persons giving Intelligence to the "Ministerial Fleet" ー A few Days after this, we saw, with Concern, the Master of a small Boat, from North Kingstown, arrested by a File of Soldiers, carried to Middletown, and there detained for a Night by Military Force, without the Aid or Countenance of the Civil Authority: This unfortunate Man had conformed to the Law, and conscious of the Rectitude of his Intentions, he thought himself justifiable, in transporting the Necessaries of Life to this Town; but, unhappily, he violated Orders, which were never published, and found himself involved in a supposed Crime. ー Since this, we have also seen Proceedings of a similar Nature, which, if not discountenanced by your Honors, must prove Fatal to the Inhabitants; because, if those Persons, who supply this Town with the common Necessaries of Life, are subject to military Prosecutions, upon a mere Suspicion of their having departed from their Duty, it must effectually discourage all Intercourse with this Town from the Continent, which, from our being situated on an Island, hath already produced such a Scarcity of many of the most essential Articles that tend to render Life comfortable, especially Fuel, that Numbers of your Memorialists daily experience the most distressing Necessity. But with still greater Concern & Anxiety, we, your Memorialists have beheld a large Body of armed Men, march into this Town enter the Dwellings of some of the Inhabitants, contrary to the Rights of the Subject, as Established by Law, seize the Proprietors, and hold them during Pleasure, under military Duresse, out of the Body of the County: These Proceedings, may it please your Honors, are so destrucLlve to our Civil Liberties, that we consider it, as our bounden Duty, publicly to remonstrate against them; For, shou'd we supinely bear, such alarming Encroachments, upon our sacred and invaluable Rights, we must inevitably forfiet that Character we are solicitous to sustain. ー In this opinion we think ourselves fully supported by the Proceedings of the Honorable Continental Congress, who with a Dignity and Integrity that will procure them immortal Honor, have expressly declared, "That the Second great Right of the Subject is, that of Trial of Jury, which provides, that neither Life, Liberty nor Property can be taken from the Possessor, until Twelve of his unexceptionable Countrymen, and Ours, of his Vicinage, who from that Neighborhood may reasonably be supposed to be acquainted with his Character, and the Characters of the Witnesses upon a fair Trial, and in full Inquiry Face to Face, in open Court, before as many of the People as chuse to attend shall pass their Sentence upon Oath against him ["]. We entertain the highest Regard and Veneration for the Laws and Liberties of our Country, and therfore to your Honors, as our Guardians and Protectors, we make this solemn Appeal, humbling beseeching your Honors at this Time of Danger and Difficulty to give such Orders to the Commanding Officers of the Troops stationed here, as may free us, your Memorialists, from the Apprehensions of Martial Law.
We, your Memorialists, do not wish for any particular Benefits, which may prove injurious to the common Interest of America; but as the Destruction of this Town, in our Opinion, must give a Wound, to the united Efforts of the Colonies, for the Preservation of their inestimable Rights, we beg leave to suggest, that if the Army is permitted to enter the Town, it will bring on its immediate Ruin, without their having it in their Power to annoy the Ships of War, as we are accessible at every Part; A Calamity we sincerely deprecate, and which, we flatter ourselves, your Honors will give the necessary Instructions to prevent.
We cannot sufficiently express our Gratitude for the Attention your Honors have manifested towards this Town, and had we have realized those Benefits and Advantages which your Honors undoubtedly intended we shou'd have enjoyed from the Truce with Capt Wallace, such Ruin and Devastation in Buildings and Fences wou'd not have taken Place, thro' the Want of Fuel, but unhappily, many of the Inhabitants have been compelled, thro' extreme Necessity to commit such Waste, as in any Situation, not so distressing, wou'd have been highly Criminal.
As Poverty and Distress, are the first Objects that present themselves in passing thro' the Streets of this once flourishing Metropolis; And as the very Being and Existence of the Town depends, principally, upon supplying the Ships Stationed in this Harbor with fresh Beef &c, Your Honors cannot but mingle your Anxiety with ours, and we trust, will go as far in relieving us as may appear consistent with the General Safety; We therefore, in behalf of ourselves, the.Common Cause, and that of Humanity and Benevolence, most humbly Pray your Honors, that you wou'd be pleased to take the Premises into your serious Consideration, and Order, that this Town, for its immediate Preservation, be permitted to supply the Ships stationed here with fresh Beef &c, for their own immediate Consumption, under the Cognizance and Direction of the Town Council: And that the Commanding Officers of the Troops in this Colony, be Instructed, to permit the Ferry and Market Boats, with Provisions and Fuel for this Town, to pass and repass, without being subjected to unnecessary Restrictions and Conditions: And, as it may become highly Necessary in this Time of Difficulty and Danger, to have some Persons appointed to go onboard the Ships of War, that may from Time to Time be in this Harbor, your Memorialists also Pray, that your Honors would be pleased to authorize such Persons, Inhabitants of this Town, as in your Wisdom you may think suitable, to go onboard such Ships, upon any important urgent Occasion under the Direction of the Town-Council; And we, your Memorialists, as in Duty bound, shall ever Pray &c.ー
Signed by Order and in Behalf of the Town Meeting this 23d Day of February 1776.
