Meeting of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County of Morris

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At a Meeting of a respectable body of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County of Morris, in the Province of East New-Jersey, at the Court House in Morristown, in the said County, on Monday, the 27th June, 1774.

1st. Resolved, That George the Third is lawful and rightful King of Great Britain and all other his Dominions and countries, and that as part of his Dominions it is our duty not only to render unto him true faith and obedience, but also with our lives and fortunes to support and maintain the just dependence of these his Colonies upon the Crown of Great Britain.

2d. That it is our wish and desire, and we esteem it our greatest happiness and security to be governed by the laws of Great Britain, and that we will always cheerfully submit to them as far as can be done, consistently with the constitutional liberties and privileges of freeborn Englishmen.

3d. That the late Acts of Parliament for imposing taxes for the purpose of raising a revenue in America, are oppressive and arbitrary, calculated to disturb the minds and alienate the affections of the Colonists from the mother country; are replete with ruin to both, and consequently that the authors and promoters of said Acts, or of such doctrines of the right of taxing America being in the Parliament of Great Britain, are, and should be deemed enemies to our King and happy Constitution.

4th. That it is the opinion of this meeting, that the Act of Parliament, for shutting up the port of Boston, is unconstitutional, injurious in its principles to the general cause of American freedom, particularly oppressive to the inhabitants of that town, and that, therefore, the people of Boston are considered by us as suffering in the general cause of America.

5th. That unanimity and firmness in the Colonies are the most effectual means to relieve our suffering brethren at Boston, to avert the dangers justly to be apprehended from that alarming Act, commonly styled the Boston Port Bill, and to secure the invaded rights and privileges of America.

6th. That it is our opinion, that an agreement between the Colonies not to purchase or use any articles imported from Great Britain or from the East Indies, under such restrictions as may be agreed upon by the general Congress hereafter to be appointed by the Colonies, would be of service in procuring a repeal of those Acts.

7th. That we will most cheerfully join our brethren of the other counties in this Province, in promoting an union of the Colonies, by forming a general Congress of Deputies to be sent from each of the Colonies; and do now declare ourselves ready to send a Committee, to meet with those from the other counties at such time and place as by them may be agreed upon, in order to elect proper persons to represent this Province in the said Congress.

8th. That it is the request of this meeting that the County Committees when met for the purposes aforesaid, do take into their serious consideration the propriety of setting on foot a subscription for the benefit of the sufferers at Boston, under the Boston Port Bill, above mentioned, and the money arising from such subscription to be laid out as the Committees so met shall think will best answer the ends proposed.

9th. That we will faithfully adhere to such regulations and restrictions as shall by the members of said Congress be agreed upon, and judged most expedient for avoiding the calamities, and procuring the benefits, intended in the foregoing resolves.

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10th. It is our request that the Committee hereafter named, do correspond and consult with such other Committees as shall be appointed by the other counties in this Province, and particularly that they meet with the said County Committee, in order to elect and appoint Deputies to represent this Province in a general Congress.

11th. We do hereby desire the following gentlemen to accept of that important trust, and accordingly do appoint them our Committee for the purposes aforesaid: Jacob Ford, William Windes, Abraham Ogden, William De Hart, Samuel Tuthill, Jonathan Stiles, John Carle, Philip V˙ Cortland, and Samuel Ogden, Esquires.