American Revolution, the Stamp Act, Taxation and related issues

The General Opposition of the Colonies to the payment of the Stamp-Duty; and the consequences of enforcing obedience by military measures...for. T. Payne, 1766 [Adams 66-23]--An examination of the rights of the colonies, upon Principles of Law. By a Gentleman at the Bar. R. Dymott, 1766 [Adams 66-20]--The Late Occurences in North America...for J. Almon, 1766--The Rights of Parliament vindicated, on occasion of the late Stamp-Act. In which is exposed the conduct of the American Colonists...for J. Almon, 1766 [Adams, 66-51]--The Justice and Necessity of Taxing the American Colonies...for J. Almon, 1766 [Adams 66-31]--[Lyttelton, George.] Protest against the Bill to repeal the American Stamp Act... Paris: J.W., 1766 [Adams 66-28b]--[Hopkins, Stephen.] The Grievances of the American Colonies candidly examined. for J. Almon, 1766 [Adams, 65-12b]--Dummer, Jeremiah. A Defence of the New-England Charters. J. Almon, [1765] [Adams 65-7]--The Necessity of repealing the American Stamp-Act demonstrated...for J. Almon, 1766 [i.e. 1765] [Adams 65-17]--Second Protest...against the Bill to repeal the American Stamp Act....Paris: J.W., 1766 [Adams 66-29c]--Lloyd, Charles. The Conduct of the Late Administration Examined...J. Almon, 1767 [Adams 66-36a]--A Free Appeal to the People of Great Britain..since the thirtieth of July, 1766. for J. Almon, 1767--[Pitt, William, Earl of Chatham.] Political Debates. Paris [but actually London]: J.W., 1766 [Adams, 66-14b]--[Dickinson, John.] The Late Regulations respecting the British Colonies on the Continent of America considered: in a letter from a Gentleman in Philadelphia to his Friend in London...Philadelphia printed: London re-printed, for J. Almon, 1765 [?1766], [Adams, 65-5b]--[Knox, William.] The Claim of the Colonies to an exemption from internal taxes. for W. Johnson, 1765, [Adams 65-14a]; and 20 others, some relating to different issues; 8vo, half-titles sometimes present, eighteenth-century quarter calf, marbled boards (spines numbered 182, 184, 190), occasional soiling, bindings worn (3) 

The Forbes Baronetcy was created in 1626 for Sir William Forbes (d. circa 1650) by James VI in the Barontage of Nova Scotia. The majority of the works offered here were acquired by the sixth Baronet, also William (1739-1806), who added Pitsligo to his title in 1781. He was an eminent Scottish banker and benefactor, good friend of James Boswell and Samuel Johnson (see lots 45-46), and finally succeeded in recovering the Pitsligo estates forfeited after the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. His son William, the seventh baronet, beat Sir Walter Scott to the hand of the renowned beauty Williamina Belsches Stuart (1776-1810), and it was with their marriage that the family moved to her family seat, Fettercairn House in Kincardineshire, Aberdeenshire.

One of the sixth baronet’s acquisitions for his library at Pitsligo were numerous highly important miscellanies and tract volumes, many of which were purchased as a set from Edinburgh bookseller Elphinstone Balfour in October 1786. These were subsequently supplemented by further contemporary tracts and other works from the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century. Most of these miscellanies bear a nineteenth century Forbes family bookplate.

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing unless otherwise stated
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

AN IMPORTANT COLLECTION OF KEY PAMPHLETS, including John Dickinson's argument that America should be independent in its trade and William Pitt's highly eloquent speech of January 1766 calling unequivocally for the repeal of the Stamp Act, not, as was expected, on the grounds of expediency but through an outright declaration that the House of Commons did not represent North America, and therefore "had no right to lay an internal tax upon America". Britain, he said, had broken "the original compact" by taxing the colonies. The speaker of the House, Sir Fletcher Norton, immediately accused him of sounding "the trumpet to rebellion..." (see Oxford DNB).

Upon the whole, I beg leave to tell the house what is really my opinion. It is, that the Stamp-Act be repealed absolutely, totally, and immediately. . . . [W]e may bind [the colonies'] trade, confine their manufactures, and exercise every power whatsoever, except that of taking their money out of their pockets without their consent
(Pitt's speech, 14 January 1766)