It is not easy to describe the anxiety and suspense of the city in this interval; sundry reports of her arrival were received, which were premature, but on Saturday evening last an express came up from Chester to inform the town that the tea-ship, commanded by Capt. Ayres, with her detested cargo, was arrived there, having followed another ship up the river so far. The committee met early the next morning, and being apprized of the arrival of Mr. Gilbert Barkley, the other consignee, who came passenger in the ship, they immediately went in a body to request his renunciation of the commission. Mr. Barkley politely attended the committee at the first request, and being made acquainted with the sentiments of the city, and the danger to which the public liberties of America were exposed by this measure, he, after expressing the particular hardship of his situation, also resigned the commission in a manner that affected every one present.
The committee then appointed three of their members to go to Chester, and two others to Gloucester Point, in order to have the earliest opportunity of meeting Capt. Ayres, and representing to him the sense of the public respecting his voyage and cargo. The gentlemen who had set out for Chester receiving intelligence that the vessel had weighed anchor about 12 o'clock, and proceeded to town, returned. About 2 o'clock she appeared in sight of Gloucester Point, where a number of the inhabitants from the town had assembled, with the gentlemen from the committee, and as she passed along she was hailed, and the captain requested not to proceed further, but to come on shore. This the captain complied with, and was handed thro' a lane made by the people to the gentlemen appointed to confer with him. They represented to him the general sentiment, together with the danger and difficulties that would attend his refusal to comply with the wishes of the inhabitants, and finally desired him to proceed with them to town, where he would be more fully informed of the temper and resolution of the people. He was accordingly accompanied to town by a number of persons, where he was soon convinced of the truth and propriety of the representations that had been made to him, and agreed that, upon the desire of the inhabitants being publicly expressed, he would conduct himself accordingly. Some small rudeness being offered to the capt. afterwards in the street by some boys, several gentlemen interposed and suppressed it, before he received the least injury. Upon an hour's notice this morning, a public meeting was called, and the State House not being sufficient to hold the numbers assembled, they adjourned into the square. This meeting is allowed by all to be the most respectable, both in number and rank of those who attended, it that has been known in this city. After a short introduction, the following resolutions were not only agreed to, but the public approbation testified in the warmest manner:
Resolved 1st. That the tea on board the ship Polly, Capt. Ayres, shall not be landed.
2d. That Capt. Ayres shall neither enter nor report his vessel at the Custom House.
3d. That Capt. Ayres shall carry back the tea immediately.
4th. That Capt. Ayres shall immediately send a pilot on board his vessel, with orders to take charge of her, and proceed with her to Reedy Island, next high water.
5th. That he shall be allowed to stay in town 'till to-morrow, to provide necessaries for his voyage.
6th. That he shall then be obliged to leave the town and proceed to his vessel, and make the best of his way out of our river and bay.
7th. That Capt. Heysham, Capt. R. White, Mr. Benjamin Loxley and Mr. A. Donaldson be a committee to see these resolutions carried into execution.
The captain was then asked if he would conform himself to these resolutions. He answered that he would.