[20] _Ibid._, _1728-9_, ch. 16; _1738-9_, ch. 27.

[21] For petitions of towns, cf. Felt, _Annals of Salem_
(1849), II. 416; _Boston Town Records, 1758-69_, p. 183. Cf.
also Otis's anti-slavery speech in 1761; John Adams, _Works_,
X. 315. For proceedings, see _House Journal_, 1767, pp. 353,
358, 387, 390, 393, 408, 409-10, 411, 420. Cf. Samuel Dexter's
answer to Dr. Belknap's inquiry, Feb. 23, 1795, in Deane
(_Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll._, 5th Ser., III. 385). A committee on
slave importation was appointed in 1764. Cf. _House Journal_,
1763-64, p. 170.

[22] _House Journal_, 1771, pp. 211, 215, 219, 228, 234, 236,
240, 242-3; Moore, _Slavery in Massachusetts_, pp. 131-2.

[23] Felt, _Annals of Salem_ (1849), II. 416-7; Swan,
_Dissuasion to Great Britain_, etc. (1773), p. x; Washburn,
_Historical Sketches of Leicester, Mass._, pp. 442-3; Freeman,
_History of Cape Cod_, II. 114; Deane, in _Mass. Hist. Soc.
Coll._, 5th Ser., III. 432; Moore, _Slavery in Massachusetts_,
pp. 135-40; Williams, _History of the Negro Race in America_,
I. 234-6; _House Journal_, March, 1774, pp. 224, 226, 237,
etc.; June, 1774, pp. 27, 41, etc. For a copy of the bill, see
Moore.

[24] _Mass. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, 1855-58_, p. 196; Force,
_American Archives_, 5th Ser., II. 769; _House Journal_, 1776,
pp. 105-9; _General Court Records_, March 13, 1776, etc., pp.
581-9; Moore, _Slavery in Massachusetts_, pp. 149-54. Cf.