At a meeting of the freeholders and other inhabitants of the town of Boston, legally assembled at Faneuil-Hall, on Wednesday the 28th of October, 1767.

At a Meeting of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of the Town of Boſton, legally aſſembled at Faneuil-Hall, on Wedneſday the 28th of October, 1767.

THE Town then took into Conſideration the Petition of a Number of Inhabitants, That ſome effectual Meaſures might be agreed upon to promote Induſtry, Oeconomy, and Manufactures; thereby to prevent the unneceſſary Importation of European Commodities, which threaten the Country with Poverty and Ruin: Whereupon in a very large and full Meeting, the following Votes and Reſolutions were paſſed Unanimouſly.

Whereas the exceſſive Uſe of foreign Superfluities is the chief Cauſe of the preſent diſtreſſed State of this Town, as it is thereby drained of its Money; which Misfortune is likely to be increaſed by Means of the late additional Burthens and Impoſitions on the Trade of the Province, which threaten the Country with Poverty and Ruin:

Therefore, VOTED, That this Town will take all prudent and legal Meaſures to encourage the Produce and Manufactures of this Province, and to leſſen the Uſe of Superfluities, & particularly the following enumerated Articles imported from Abroad, viz. Loaf Sugar, Cordage, Anchors, Coaches, Chaiſes and Carriages of all Sorts, Horſe Furniture, Men and Womens Hatts, Mens and Womens Apparel ready made, Houſhold Furniture, Gloves, Mens and Womens Shoes, Sole-Leather, Sheathing and Deck Nails, Gold and Silver and Thread Lace of all Sorts, Gold and Silver Buttons, Wrought Plate of all Sorts, Diamond, Stone and Paſte Ware, Snuff, Muſtard, Clocks and Watches, Silverſmiths and Jewellers Ware, Broad Cloths that coſt above 10s. per Yard, Muffs Furrs and Tippets, and all Sorts of Millenary Ware, Starch, Womens and Childrens Stays, Fire Engines, China Ware, Silk and Cotton Velvets, Gauze, Pewterers hollow Ware, Linſeed Oyl, Glue, Lawns, Cambricks, Silks of all Kinds for Garments, Malt Liquors and Cheeſe.—And that a Subſcription for this End be and hereby is recommended to the ſeveral Inhabitants and Houſholders of the Town; and that John Rowe, Eſq Mr. William Greenleaſe, Melatiah Bourne, Eſq Mr. Samuel Auſtin, Mr. Edward Payne, Mr. Edmund Quincy, Tertius, John Ruddock, Eſq Jonathan Williams, Eſq Joſhua Henſhaw, Eſq Mr. Henderſon Inches, Mr. Solomon Davis, Joſhua Winſlow Eſq and Thomas Cuſhing, Eſq be a Committee to prepare a Form for Subſcription, to report the ſame as ſoon as poſſible; and alſo to procure Subſcriptions to the ſame.

And whereas it is the Opinion of this Town, that divers new Manufactures may be ſet up in America, to its great Advantage, and ſome others carried to a greater Extent, particularly thoſe of Glaſs & Paper

Therefore, Voted, That this Town will by all prudent Ways and Means, encourage the Uſe and Conſumption of Glaſs and Paper, made in any of the Britiſh American Colonies; and more eſpecially in this Province.

[Then the Meeting adjourn'd till 3 o'Clock Afternoon.]

III o'Clock, P. M.

THE Committee appointed in the Forenoon, to prepare a Form for Subſcription, reported as follows.

WHEREAS this Province labours under a heavy Debt, incurred in the Courſe of the late War; and the Inhabitants by this Means muſt be for ſome Time ſubject to very burthenſome Taxes: — And as our Trade has for ſome Years been on the decline, and is now particularly under great Embarraſsments, and burthened with heavy Impoſitions, our Medium very ſcarce, and the Balance of Trade greatly againſt this Country:

WE therefore the Subſcribers, being ſenſible that it is abſolutely neceſſary, in Order to extricate us out of theſe embarraſſed and diſtreſſed Circumſtances, to promote Induſtry, Oeconomy and Manufactures among ourſelves, and by this Means prevent the unneceſſary Importation of European Commodities, the exceſſive Uſe of which threatens the Country with Poverty and Ruin—DO promiſe and engage, to and with each other, that we will encourage the Uſe and Conſumption of all Articles manufactured in any of the Britiſh American Colonies, and more eſpecially in this Province; and that we will not, from and after the 31ſt of December next enſuing, purchaſe any of the following Articles, imported from Abroad, viz. Loaf Sugar, and all the other Articles enumerated above.—

And we further agree ſtrictly to adhere to the late Regulation reſpecting Funerals, and will not uſe any Gloves but what are Manufactured here, nor procure any new Garments upon ſuch an Occaſion, but what ſhall be abſolutely neceſſary.

The above Report having been conſidered, the Queſtion was put, Whether the ſame ſhall be accepted? Voted unanimouſly in the Affirmative. —And that ſaid Committee be deſired to uſe their beſt Endeavours to get the Subſcription Papers filled up as ſoon as may be. Alſo, Voted unanimouſly, That the foregoing Vote and Form of a Subſcription relative to the enumerated Articles, be immediately Publiſhed; and that the Selectmen be directed to diſtribute a proper Number of them among the Freeholders of this Town; and to forward a Copy of the ſame to the Select-Men of every Town in the Province; as alſo to the principal City or Town Officers of the chief Towns in the ſeveral Colonies on the Continent, as they may think proper.

Atteſt, William Cooper, Town-Clerk.

Then the Meeting was Adjourn'd to the 20th Day of November next.