On this day 250 years ago the Worcester Committee of Correspondence wrote to the Boston Committee of Correspondence to propose a joint meeting of towns from Worcester, Suffolk and Middlesex Counties in the expectation that other towns in the rest of Massachusetts would join the meeting. Such a meeting would be in open defiance of the prohibition of town meetings in the Massachusetts Government Act. The Worcester Committee explained that

As we think it is highly necessary the counties through the Province should adopt as near as possible one form of procedure, we take the liberty to propose if you think best that you appoint a meeting of your committee…and request the attendance of the committees of Charlestown, Cambridge, and many more neighboring towns in that county…and we will depute one or more committees to attend.

Source: Michael McWeeney, “The Battle for Legitimacy and Sovereignty in Revolutionary Massachusetts: 1774-1775” (Ohio State University 2010) at p. 29 (available at https://kb.osu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/e83e5161-9046-5b37-a566-11082f4e4103/content)

Also on this day 250 years ago, the Town Meeting of Pittsfield, Massachusetts held in defiance of the Massachusetts Government Act approved a petition to the king protesting the “injurious acts” that year against the colonies and demanding the cessation of all local court activities:

That whereas two late acts of the British Parliament for superseding the charter of this Province, and vacating some of the principles and invaluable privileges and franchises therein contained, have passed the royal assent, and have been published in the Boston paper, that our obedience be yielded to them . . . We view it of the greatest importance to the well-being of this Province, that the people of it utterly refuse the least submission to the said acts, and on no consideration to yield obedience to them; or directly or indirectly to countenance the taking place of those acts amongst us, but resist them to the last extremity.

In order in the safest manner to avoid this threatening calamity, it is, in our opinion, highly necessary that no business be transacted in the law, but that the courts of justice immediately cease, and the people of this Province fall into a state of nature until our grievances are fully redressed by a final repeal of these injurious, oppressive, and unconstitutional acts.

Source: https://www.iberkshires.com/story/46902/the-decline-of-loyalist-opposition-in-the-berkshires.html