6th. That it is the duty of every American to oppose this attempt.
7th. That whoever shall, directly or indirectly, countenance this attempt, or in any wise aid or abet in unloading, receiving or vending the tea sent or to be sent out by the East India Company, while it remains subject to the payment of a duty here, is an enemy to America.
8th. That a committee be immediately chosen to wait on those gentlemen, who, it is reported, are appointed by the East India Company to receive and sell said tea, and request them, from a regard to their own characters, and the peace and good order of this Town and Province, immediately to resign their appointments.
And the following gentlemen, viz., the Moderator, Mr. Henderson Inches, Benjamin Austin, Esqr., and the Select men of the Town, were appointed a committee accordingly.
At the same time, the Town passed the following resolves, viz.:
Whereas, the merchants of this Continent, did enter into an agreement to withhold the importation of teas until the duty laid thereon mould be repealed, which agreement, as we are informed, has been punctually observed by the respectable merchants in the Southern Colonies, while, by reason of the peculiar circumstances attending the trade of this place, some quantities, tho' very small in proportion to what had been usual before said agreement, have been imported by some of the merchants here. And whereas, it now appears probable to this Town, that the British Administration have taken encouragement, even from such small importations, to grant licenses to the East India Company, as aforesaid, therefore,—
Resolved, That it is the determination of this Town, by all means in their power, to prevent the sale of teas exported by the East India Company, and as the merchants here have generally opposed this measure, it is the just expectation of the inhabitants of this town that no one of them will, upon any pretence whatever, import any tea that shall be liable to pay the duty from this time, and until the Act imposing the same shall be repealed.
Governor Gage, through Col. Fenton, to Samuel Adams, 1773.