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itants of these Colonies heard of the Stamp Acts being passed
they have expressed the greatest Dissatisiaction thereat, that
popular Men & the Lawyers almost without Exception have
been exclaiming against it in all Companies & the Printers
who expect to be ruined by it continually publishing in their
Gazettes Pieces calculated to raise the Resentment of the
Colonies against the Mother Country for imposing Taxes on
them: When the People were put in a Ferment by such sort
of Proceedings It was no difficult Matter for Designing Men
to turn the Wrath against such as were appointed to distribute
the Stamps in the several Colonies & any other Persons who
had appeared or were suspected to approve of the Measures
which had been pursued by the Mother Country. No sooner
then was it known who were appointed the Distributors than
the populace countenanced as there is too much reason to
think by those of a superiour Rank met together in almost
every Town or place of publick Resort in New England to
express their Indignation & Resentment against those Officers
by carting whipping hanging or burning them in Effigie & in
Boston particularly they not only pulled down the Distribu-
tor's House & insisted on his quitting the Office in order to
save his Life but also destroyed or did great Damage to the
Houses of the Lieut Governor & Comptroller of His Maj-
esty's Customs because they had not exclaimed against the
Act. The same sort of Spirit which incited the People of
New England to such Exploits actuating also the Inhabitants
of this Province, no sooner did Mr Hood (who having gone
from hence last Summer to London to get some Goods for
Sale had made Interest enough there to obtain the Distribu-
tors Office) return hither than his old Acquaintance who were
themselves some of the Populace not only received him cooly
but treated him contemptuously, & he had not been here
many Days before he had the Mortification to hear of his
being hang'd or burn't in Effigie in a Dozen Places & it being
reported that he had hired a House in this Town & was fitting
it up for the Reception of his Goods a Mob of three or four
hundred People who had met near the Town in the Night of
the second Inst came in & destroyed it which alarmed Mr
Hood so much that he by a Letter (for he did not choose to
be seen) desired to know whether in order to preserve him-
self from farther Insults & Injury I would advise him to resign
his Office. As I did not think it became me to give him any
such Advice I signified to his Uncle who brought me the
Letter that I should leave that Matter entirely to his own
Judgment but that if he apprehended himself in Danger &
thought my House would protect him I should be ready to
receive him, & to afford him as an Officer under the Crown all
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Letter Bk. IV
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