7. HENRY GARDNER (1730 - 1782) American Revolution politician who helped organize a provincial congress of New England states in 1774 seeking common defense and welfare of the region. D.S., 1p. folio, Boston, Feb 21, 1777, a broadside signed by Gardner as governor at the lower right. An early Massachusetts broadside printed soon after the State's independence, ordering Ebenezer Dean, the tax collector at Taunton, "By Virtue of an Act of the great and General Court: or Assembly of the State of Massachusetts-Bay in New England; Begun and held at Watertown...Twenty ninth Day of May, 1776... 'An Act for apportioning and assessing a Tax of One Hundred and one Thousand eight Hundred and Seventy-one Pounds one Shilling and two Pence half Penny, upon the several Towns and other Places in this State, herein afternamed, for defraying the public Charge; and also for assessing a Tax of Seven Thousand three Hundred and twenty Pounds seventeen Shillings, paid the Representatives for their Travel and Attendance in the General Court in the Year One Thousand seven Hundred and Seventy five. Also for assessing a Tax of Forty Pounds one Shilling on the Town of Hancock, to pay a Committee appointed by the General Court to go to said Town...". Specifically Dean was collect the sum of £178. 9s. Below the amount the broadside continues specifying the manner in which the tax was to be collected and how to deal with noncompliance with the law which included forced sales of personal and/or real property. A scarce broadside. OCLC (64615719) sources no extant copies in institutions. Evans 43295; Bristol, B4516; Shipton & Mooney, 43295; Ford, W.C. Broadsides, 2104. Light toned spots, expected folds, else fine condition.$1,500-2,000