Volume 1 — DESTRUCTION OF TEA (CARGOES) AT BOSTON (DECEMBER, 1773). Source.—Calendar of Home Office Papers (1773-1775). Pp. 175 et seq.

Lords of the Admiralty to the Earl of Dartmouth.

27 Jan.—Enclosing a copy of another letter from Rear-Admiral Montague, dated at Boston, the 17th Dec. last, give an account of a mob having assembled and destroyed the tea exported from England by the East India Company.—Admiralty Office.

The enclosure. On the evening of 16 Dec., between 6 and 7 o’clock, a large mob assembled with axes, &c., encouraged by Mr. John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and others, and marched in a body to where the ships lay, and there destroyed the whole by starting it into the sea. During the whole of this transaction neither the Governor, Magistrates, owners, nor Revenue officers ever called for the Admiral’s assistance. If they had, he could easily have prevented the execution of the plan, but must have endangered the lives of many innocent people by firing on the town.

Lord Viscount Barrington to the Earl of Dartmouth.

28 Jan.—Enclosing copies of two letters from Lieut.-Col. Leslie, commanding the 64th Regiment at Castle William, Boston.—War Office.

The enclosures, dated respectively the 6th and 17th Dec., 1773. In the first Col. Leslie says that the four Commissioners of the Custom-house and the five tea agents had taken refuge with him that day week, and were likely to continue some time. The Governor had not mentioned any desire of marching the regiment to town. Only two of the tea ships had then arrived, and Mr. Hancock, “the Governor’s Captain of his Cadet Company,” was mounting guard on board them, to prevent the landing of that part of the cargo, “a most daring insult to his Excellency.” In the second letter he states that the Sons of Liberty had destroyed 340 chests of tea that lay altogether at one of the wharfs. The fourth vessel was stranded near to Cape Cod; but the tea was got safe on shore, and it was expected it had shared the same fate as the last. The regiment was ready, had it been called upon. The Council would not agree to the troops going to town. “However, it must end in that. Lenity won’t do now with the people here.” The gentlemen who had taken refuge in Castle William still continued there.

Chairman of the East India Company to Lord Dartmouth.

? 29 Jan.—Transmitting copies of several papers lately received relative to the tea affair in America.—East India House, Saturday night.

The enclosures; viz., (b) Petition from the Company’s agents in Boston (Richard Clarke and Sons, Benjamin Faneuil, jun., and Thos. and Elisha Hutchinson) to the Governor and Council; and minutes of the meetings of the Council held thereupon.

(c) Letters from the agents to the Directors of the East India Company, dated Castle William, near Boston, respectively the 2nd and 9th Dec. 1773.

(d) Letters from the Company’s agents (Roger Smith and Leger and Greenwood) at Charlestown, South Carolina, dated respectively 4 and 18 Dec. 1773.

(e) Letter from the Boston agents to the Directors, dated Castle William, 17 Dec. 1773.

The Boston agents petitioned the Governor and Council to take charge of the tea on its arrival. The meetings of the Council when this petition was taken into consideration were several times adjourned between 19 and 29 Nov. Finally, on the latter date a committee of Council, consisting of James Bowdoin, Samuel Dexter, and John Winthrop, Esq., having been previously appointed to draw up a report of the debate, to be presented to the Governor, their report was discussed and accepted. It described the origin of the disturbances to be the Act laying a duty upon tea in America, and, in regard to the petition, referred the petitioners for personal protection to the justices of the peace, and declared they had no authority to take the tea, or any other merchandise, out of the agent’s care, while, if they advised the landing of it, the duty would have to be paid or secured, and they would therefore be advising a measure inconsistent with the declared sentiments of both Houses in the last winter session of the General Court, advice which they considered to be altogether inexpedient and improper. They said they had seen with regret some late disturbances, and had advised the prosecution of their authors. The letters of the agents give an account of the people’s proceedings, and that they themselves had been obliged to take refuge in Castle William. The letter of 17 Dec. announces the destruction of the tea.

In Charlestown, after several meetings of the townspeople, it was decided that the teas should not be allowed to be landed, whilst six months was allowed to consume the teas then on hand, after which time no teas were to be used on any pretence whilst the duty payable in America continued.