thy family, and government, than in the provinces of America, and amongst all religious denominations. We prefume not to justify the exceffes committed, nor to enquire into the caufes which may have produced them, but influenced by the principles of that religion which proclaims 6 peace on earth and good will to men,' we humbly befeech thee to stay the fword; that means may be tried to effect without bloodshed, and all the evils of inteftine war, a firm and lafting union with our fellow fubjects in America. Great and arduous as the task may appear, we trust men may be found in this country, and in America, who, properly authorized, would, with a zeal and ardour becoming an object fo important, endeavour to compofe the prefent differences, and establish a happy and permanent reconciliation, on that firm foundation, the reciprocal intereft of each part of the British empire. That the Almighty, by whom kings reign, and princes decree justice, may make thee the happy inftrument of perpe tuating harmony and concord through the feveral parts of thy extenfive dominions; that thy clemency and magnanimity may be admired in future generations, and a long fucceffion of thy defcendants fill, with honour to themselves, and happiness to a grateful people, the throne of their ancestors, is the fervent prayer of thy faithful subjects. The Addrefs, remonftrance and petition of the city of London, to the King, April 10, 1775. To the King's most excellent Majefty. The humble address, remonstrance, and petition of the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and livery of the city of London, in common-ball affembled. We your Majefty's dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and livery of the city of London, beg leave to approach the throne, and to declare our abhorrence of the measures which have been purfued, and are now purfuing, to the oppreffion of our fellow fubjects in America. Thefe meafures are big with all the confequences which can alarm a free and commercial people. A deep and perhaps fatal wound to commerce; the ruin of manufactures; the diminution of the revenue, and confequent increase of taxes; the alienation of the colonies; and the blood of your Majesty's fubjects. But your petitioners look with lefs horror at the confequences, than at the purpose of those measures. Not deceived by the fpecious artifice of calling defpotifm, dignity, they plainly perceive, that the real purpofe is, to establish arbitrary power over all America, Your Your petitioners conceive the liberties of the whole to be inevitably connected with those of every part of an empire founded on the common rights of mankind. They cannot therefore obferve, without the greateft concern and alarm, the conftitution fundamentally violated in any part of your Majefty's dominions. They esteem it an effential, unalterable principle of liberty, the fource and fecurity of all conftitutional rights-that no part of the dominion can be taxed without being reprefented. Upon this great leading principle, they moft ardently wish to fee their fellow fubjects in America fecured in what their humble petition to your Majefty prays for, peace, liberty, and fafety. Subordination in commerce, under which the colonies have always chearfully acquiefced, is, they conceive, all that this country ought in juftice to require. From this fubordination fuch advantages flow, by all the profits of their commerce centering here, as fully compensate this nation for the expence incurred, to which they also contribute in men and money for their defence and protection during a general war; and in their provincial wars they have manifefted their readiness and refolution to defend themselves. To require more of them would, for this reafon, derogate from the juftice and magnanimity which have been hitherto the pride and character of this country. It is therefore with the deepest concern, that we have seen the facred fecurity of reprefentation in their affemblies wrefted from them, the trial by jury abolished, and the odious powers of excise extended to all cafes of revenue; the fanctuary of their houses laid open to violation at the will and pleasure of every officer and fervant in the customs; the dispensation of juftice corrupted, by rendering their judges dependent for their feats and falaries on the will of the crown; liberty and life rendered precarious by subjecting them to be dragged over the ocean, and tried for treason or felony here; where the diftance, making it impoffible for the moft guiltlefs to maintain his innocence, must deliver him up a victim to ministerial vengeance; foldiers and others in America have been inftigated to fhed the blood of the people, by establishing a mode of trial which holds out impunity for fuch murder. The capital of New England has been punished with unexampled rigour, untried and unheard, involving the innocent and the fuspected in one common and inhuman calamity; chartered rights have been taken away, without any forfeiture proved, in order to deprive the people of every legal exertion against the tyranny of their rulers-the habeas corpus act, and trial by jury, have been fuppreffed; and French defpotic government, with the Roman Catholic religion, have been eftablished by law, over an extenfive part of your MaA a 2 jesty's jefty's dominions in America; dutiful petitions for redrefs of those grievances, from all your Majefty's American subjects have been fruitless, To fill up the measures of these opreffiions, an army has been fent to enforce them. Superadded to this, measures are now planned upon the moft merciless policy of ftarving our fellow fubjects into a total furrender of their liberties, and an unlimited fubmiffion to arbitrary government. These grievances have driven your Majesty's faithful fubjects to defpair, and compelled them to have recourfe to that refiftance which is juftified by the great principles of the conftitution, actuated by which, at the glorious period of the revolution, our ancestors transferred the imperial crown of these realms from the Popish and tyrannic race of the Stuarts, to the illuftrious and Proteftant House of Brunswick. Your petitioners are perfuaded, that these measures originate in the fecret advice of men who are enemies equally to your Majefty's title and to the liberties of your people. That your Majefty's minifters carry them into execution by the fame fatal corruption which has enabled them to wound the peace and violate the conftitution of this country-thus they poifon the fountain of public fecurity, and render that body which fhould be the guardian of liberty, a formidable inftrument of arbitrary power. Your petitioners do therefore moft earnestly befeech your Majefty to difmifs immediately, and for ever, from your councils, thofe minifters and advifers, as the first step towards a full redrefs of thofe grievances which alarm and afflict your whole people. So fhall peace and commerce be reftored, and the confidence and affection of all your Majefty's fubjects be the folid fupporters of your throne. The King's answer. It is with the utmost aftonishment that I find any of my fubjects capable of encouraging the rebellious difpofition which unhappily exifts in fome of my colonies in North America. Having entire confidence in the wifdom of my Parliament, the great council of the nation, I will steadily purfue those measures which they have recommended for the fupport of the conftitutional rights of Great Britain, and the protection of the commercial interefts of my kingdoms. Of the most material ACTS paffed in this Seffion. N act to allow the importation of Indian corn. for duty on malt, cyder, &c. -land tax 3s. for regulation of marines on fhore. -to repeal an act preventing the exportation of wool cards. to punish mutiny and defertion. -for the importation of Irifh provifions and potatoes. -for pay and cloathing the militia. to reftrain the trade and commerce of the provinces of Maffachufet's Bay and New Hampshire, and colonies of Connecticut and Rhode Island, and Providence Plantation in North America, to Great Britain, Ireland, and the British islands in the West Indies; and to prohibit fuch provinces and colonies from carrying on any fishery on the banks of Newfoundland, or other places therein mentioned, under certain conditions and limitations. -to enable the commiffioners to charge further taxes for draining Bedford Level. -for the relief and employment of the poor in Norfolk. to explain an act for preventing combinations and -to punish mutiny and defertion in America. -for building offices in Lincolns Inn. -for building a county gaol at Hertford. for admeafuring waggons ufed in loading coals An An act for reviving an act relative to the Mac Gregours of Scotland. --for giving fees to an officer to ftamp weights for -to repeal an act against erecting cottages. --for fettling Buckingham Houfe with the appur -for the importation of goat skins. --not to iffue a new writ of election for Shaf- -to charge imported painted earthen ware with a to raise a fum of money by exchequer bills. -for granting a fum of money out of the finking -to continue an act obliging the Eaft India com- --for cloathing the troops in Ireland and granting -ale duty in Scotland. -to reftrain promiffary notes of fmall fums. for the univerfities of England, Scotland, and INDEX |