CHAPTER VI.
FEDERAL DELEGATION.
It becomes a public spirited people not only
to be acquainted with the measures, but to
cherish the memory of the most deserving of
her citizens and statesmen. With this view,
the names of the representatives of this state,
in the first councils of the nation, so far as our
present materials furnish them, are recorded.
The FIRST AMERICAN CONGRESS met at N.
York, in October 1765, in consequence of a cir-
cular letter addressed to the speakers of the le-
gislatures of the ether provinces, by the speak-
er of the house of representatives of Massachu-
setts. The number of delegates assembled was
twenty-eight. Virginia, Georgia, and North
Carolina were prevented by their governors,
from sending deputies New Hampshire de-
clined sending. Maryland was represented by
WILLIAM MURDOCH, MATHEW TILGHMAN,
and THOMAS RINGGOLD, Esqrs.
This congress was familiarly called the stamp
act congress, and was convened for the pur-
pose of systematising the opposition of the
colonies to that and other arbitrary measures
of the British government. Besides a spirit-
ed remonstrance to the crown, A DECLARA-
TION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE COLONIES, was
drawn up, adopted and published by this con-
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