The Loyalists of America and Their Times | Page 5

in Council to the complaints made against the Government of the Colony 179
Meetings and proceedings of the Massachusetts Bay Court on the Royal Message; their address of vindication and entreaty to the King; and instead of sending agents, send two large masts, and resolve to send ��1,000 to propitiate the King 180
Loyalists in the Court and among the people, who maintain the Royal authority 182
Complaints a pretext to perpetuate sectarian rule and persecutions 183
Baptists persecuted by fine, imprisonment, &c., as late as 1666 and 1669 (extract of Court proceedings in a note), several years after the King had forbidden such intolerance in Massachusetts 184
Statements of Hutchinson and Neal in regard to such persecutions, and remonstrances by the Rev. Drs. Owen and T. Goodwin, and other Nonconformist ministers in England 185
Efforts by addresses, gifts, and compliance in some matters, to propitiate the King's favour 186
Why the King desists for some years from further action 187
Complaints from neighbouring Colonists and individual citizens, of invasion of rights, and persecutions and proscriptions by the Massachusetts Bay Government, awaken at last the renewed attention of the King's Government to their proceedings; and the King addresses another letter, July, 1679 (copy of the letter in a note) 187
Seven requirements of this letter just and reasonable, and observed by all British Colonies at this day 188
Remarks on the unfair statements and unjust imputations against the British Government of that day, by Mr. Palfrey and other New England historians 190
Nineteen years' evasions and disregard of the conditions on which the King promised to perpetuate the Charter; strong and decisive letter from the King, September, 1680, to the Massachusetts Bay Court, which caused a special meeting of the Court, the sending of agents to England, and the passing of some remedial Acts 193
Examples and proofs of the deceptive character of these Acts, with measures to neutralize or prevent them from being carried intoeffect--such as the Navigation Act, Oath of Allegiance, the Franchise, Liberty of Worship, and Persecution of Baptists and Quakers 195
Recapitulation; manner of extending the territory and jurisdiction, so as to include Maine, part of New Hampshire, &c. (in a note); Mr. Bancroft's statement, confirming the positions of this and preceding chapters as to the pretensions and conduct of the Massachusetts Bay Government 200
CHAPTER VI.
MASSACHUSETTS DURING THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF CHARLES THE SECOND AND THE THREE YEARS' REIGN OF JAMES THE SECOND, FROM 1680 TO 1689; THE IMMEDIATE CAUSES AND MANNER OF CANCELLING THE FIRST CHARTER. 204-220
Crisis approaching; the double game of Massachusetts Bay Court played out; threat of a writ of quo warranto 204
Proceedings of Massachusetts Bay Court; offer a bribe to the King; bribe clerks of the Privy Council 205
The Massachusetts Bay Court refuse the proposed conditions of perpetuating the Charter; refuse submission to the King on any conditions; determine to contest in a Court of Law; agents restricted; the King provoked 206
The Governor and a majority of the assistants or magistrates vote in favour of submitting to the King's decision; the Ministers advise, and a majority of the deputies vote against it 208
A writ of quo warranto issued and sent, June and July, 1683, summoning the Corporation of Massachusetts Bay to defend their acts against the complaints and charges (thirteen in number) made against them, but assuring the inviolableness of private property, and offering to stay legal proceedings against the Corporation in case of their submitting to the decision of the King, on the points heretofore required by his Majesty as conditions of perpetuating the Charter 208
The Colony of Massachusetts Bay divided; origin of parties; the Governor and a majority of the "Upper Branch of the Government" were the moderate or loyalist party; the majority of the "House of Deputies," whose "elections were controlled by the ministers," were the independence party; violent language by Dr. Increase Mather, whose appeal from man to God was decided against him (in a note) 209
Resolutions of the two Houses of the Court on the subject 210
Notice to the Massachusetts Bay Court of the issue of the writ of quo warranto, to answer to the complaints against them, received October, 1683; judgment given July 1685, nearly two years afterwards 211
The questions at issue unfairly put to popular vote in Massachusetts; remarks on Mr. Palfrey's account of the transactions 211
Results of the fall of the Charter; death of Charles the Second; proclamation of the accession of James the Second; appointment of Joseph Dudley as Governor; character of his seven months' government 212
Appointment of Andros as local Governor and Governor-General; popular beginning of his government; his tyranny; seized at Boston and sent prisoner to England; acquitted on account of having obeyed his instructions 215
Toleration first proclaimed in Massachusetts by James the Second; thanked by the Massachusetts Bay Court, and its agent in England, the Rev. Increase Mather, for the proclamation which