ion ▁to ▁conform ▁more ▁closely ▁to ▁English ▁laws . ▁This ▁work ▁was ▁so ▁time - consum ing ▁that ▁And ros ▁issued ▁a ▁pro clam ation ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 6 8 7 ▁stating ▁that ▁pre - ex isting ▁laws ▁would ▁remain ▁in ▁effect ▁until ▁they ▁were ▁re vised . ▁Massachusetts ▁had ▁no ▁pre - ex isting ▁tax ▁laws , ▁so ▁a ▁scheme ▁of ▁tax ation ▁was ▁developed ▁that ▁would ▁apply ▁to ▁the ▁entire ▁domin ion , ▁developed ▁by ▁a ▁committee ▁of ▁land own ers . ▁The ▁first ▁proposal ▁derived ▁its ▁reven ues ▁from ▁import ▁duties , ▁princip ally ▁alco hol . ▁After ▁much ▁debate , ▁a ▁different ▁proposal ▁was ▁ab rupt ly ▁put ▁forward ▁and ▁adopted , ▁in ▁ess ence ▁rev iving ▁previous ▁Massachusetts ▁tax ▁laws . ▁These ▁laws ▁had ▁been ▁un pop ular ▁with ▁far mers ▁who ▁felt ▁that ▁the ▁tax es ▁were ▁too ▁high ▁on ▁liv est ock . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁bring ▁in ▁immediate ▁re venue , ▁And ros ▁also ▁received ▁appro val ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁import ▁duties ▁on ▁alco hol . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁attempts ▁to ▁en force ▁the ▁re venue ▁laws ▁were ▁met ▁by ▁st iff ▁resistance ▁from ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁Massachusetts ▁communities . ▁Several ▁towns ▁refused ▁to ▁choose ▁commission ers ▁to ▁assess ▁the ▁town ▁population ▁and ▁est ates , ▁and ▁officials ▁from ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁consequ ently ▁arrested ▁and ▁brought ▁to ▁Boston . ▁Some ▁were ▁f ined ▁and ▁released , ▁while ▁others ▁were ▁imprison ed ▁until ▁they ▁promised ▁to ▁perform ▁their ▁duties . ▁The ▁leaders