Question

  He  is  at  this  time  transporting  large  Armies  of  foreign  Mercenaries  to  complete  the   works  of  death,  desolation  and  tyranny,  already  begun  with  circumstances  of   Cruelty  &  perfidy  scarcely  paralleled  in  the  most  barbarous  ages,  and  totally   unworthy  the  Head  of  a  civilized  nation.      What  is  the  complaint  about  and  why  would  it  be  a  problem?  

Answer 1

Toward the close of 1775, Lord North introduced a bill in Parliament, which provided for prohibiting all intercourse with the colonies, until they should submit, and for placing the whole country under martial law. This bill included a clause for appointing resident commissioners in America, who should have discretionary powers to grant pardons and effect indemnities, in case the Americans should come to terms. Having thus determined to place the country under martial law, and to procure the submission of the colonies by force of arms, the next important consideration. was to procure the requisite force. The estimated number of men sufficient to carry out successfully the designs of the ministry, was twenty-eight thousand seamen, and a land force of fifty-five thousand men.