Meeting of the Inhabitants of Caroline County, Maryland

v1:425

At a very full Meeting of respectable Inhabitants of Caroline County, at Melvill' s Warehouse, on Saturday, the 18th day of June, 1774, by adjournment from Wednesday, the 8th of the same month.

1st. Resolved, That the inhabitants of this county are by duty and inclination firmly attached to his most sacred Majesty King George the Third, to whom they owe all due obedience and allegiance.

2d. That it is the unanimous opinion of this meeting, that the Boston Port Act is principally grounded on the opposition made by the inhabitants of that town to the Tea Duty; that the said town of Boston is now suffering in the common cause of British America, and that it is the duty of every Colony thereof, to unite in the most effectual means to obtain a repeal of the late Act of Parliament for shutting up the port of Boston.

3d. That it is the unanimous opinion of this meeting, that if the Colonies come into a joint resolution to forbear all importations whatsoever from Great Britain, (except such articles as are absolutely necessary,) until the Acts of Parliament for shutting up the port of Boston, and for levying a duty on America, for the express purpose of raising a revenue, shall be repealed, it will be the means of preserving the liberties of North America.

Resolved, therefore, That the inhabitants of this county are disposed firmly to unite with the inhabitants of this Province and the other Colonies in North America, in an Association and agreement to forbear the importation of all manner of goods and merchandise from Great Britain, during the continuance of the said Acts of Parliament, (except such as may be judged proper to be excepted by a general Association,) and that all orders for importation (except for articles before excepted) ought to cease.

4th. That it is against the opinion of this meeting that the Colonies go into a general non-importation from, or non-exportation to Great Britain, but should both or either of these measures be adopted, they will acquiesce therein.

v1:426

5th. That it is the unanimous opinion of this meeting, that the Courts of Justice be kept open; but should a non-exportation agreement be generally come into, in that case it is the opinion of this meeting that the Courts of Justice be shut up.

6th. That it is the opinion of the inhabitants of this county, that this Province ought to break off all trade and dealings with that Colony, Province, or town, which shall refuse or decline to come into similar resolutions with a majority of the Colonies.

7th. That it is the unanimous opinion of this meeting, that delegates be appointed from this Province to attend a General Congress of Delegates from the other Colonies, at such time and place as shall be agreed on, in order to settle and establish a general plan of conduct for the important purpose aforementioned.

8th. That Thomas White, William Richardson, Isaac Bradly, Nathaniel Potter, Benson Stainton, and Thomas Goldsborough, be a Committee to attend a general meeting at Annapolis. And that the same gentlemen, together with Charles Dickinson, Richard Mason, Joshua Clark, Henry Dickinson, Dr˙ William Molleson, Charles Blair, William Haskins, Philip Fidernan, William Hopper, the Reverend Mr˙ Samuel Keene, the Reverend Mr˙ Philip Walker, Henry Casson, and Benedict Brice, be a Committee of Correspondence to receive and answer all letters, and, on any emergency, to call a general meeting, and that any seven of the number have power to act.

9th. That this paper be considered as an instruction to the Deputies nominated for this county to meet at the City of Annapolis for the purpose of forming a general Association, in which they are not to come into any engagement whatever, but upon condition that the Colonies in general shall come into a similar measure.

10th. That a copy of these proceedings be published in the Maryland Gazette, to evince to the world the sense they entertain of the invasion of their constitutional rights and liberties.

Signed per order,

HENRY DOWNS, Jun˙, Clerk.