mittee, reported that they have gone through the matter to them referred, and had come to one more Resolution which he was ready to report whenever the House would please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the Report be made immediately;

Whereupon, Mr. Fisher reported the Resolution of the Committee, as follows:

Resolved, That an humble Petition be presented to his most gracious Majesty, praying a redress of the Grievances under which this and the neighbouring Colonies now labour; to which the House agreed.

Ordered, That Mr. Wetherill, Mr. Fisher, Mr. Ford Mr. Tucker, and Mr. Sheppard, be a Committee to prepare and bring in a Petition accordingly.

Friday, January 27, 1775.

Mr. Tucker, from the Committee appointed for that purpose, brought in a Bill, entitled "An Act for Support of Government of his. Majesty's Colony of New-Jersey," &c., which was read and ordered to a second reading.

Monday, January 30, 1775.

Mr. Wetherill, from the Committee appointed to prepare the draught of an Address to his Excellency, brought in a draught, which was read and ordered a second reading.

Tuesday, January 31, 1775.

A Message from his Excellency, by the Deputy Secretary, which was read, and is as follows:

GENTLEMEN: I send you the Barrack-master's Accounts of Expense incurred for the repair of the Barracks and supply of the King's Troops, including furniture, bedding, &c., from June, 1773, to December, 1774, by which you will see in what manner the money has been expended, winch I was authorized by law to draw out of the Treasury for that service. There is a balance remaining in my hands of about thirty-four Pounds, eight Shillings and six Pence, Proclamation Money.

As the House had some objections last session to the charge in Colonel Robertson's Account for Sheets furnished the King's Troops, I directed the Barrack-master not to pay that article of the Account, and to acquaint the Colonel with the occasion. I now lay before you a letter from the Colonel on that head, which appears to me to contain so many just reasons why the charge ought to be allowed by the Province, that cannot but recommend it to your particular consideration,

WM. FRANKLIN.

January 30, 1775.

The Secretary also laid before the House the Accounts mentioned in the Message.

Ordered, That his Excellency's Message have a second reading.

The draught of an Address to his Excellency was read the second time.

Ordered, That the same be referred to a Committee of the Whole House;

Whereupon, the House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the Address to his Excellency; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair, and Mr. Fisher, Chairman of the Committee, reported that the Committee had gone through the Address to his Excellency, and had made several amendments thereto, which he was ready to report whenever the House would please to receive the, same.

Ordered, That the Report be made immediately.

Whereupon, Mr. Fisher reported the Address with several amendments; and the same being read,

Ordered unanimously, That the said Address be engrossed.

Wednesday, February 1, 1775.

The engrossed Address to his Excellency was read and compared.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do sign the same.

Ordered, That Mr. Kinsey and Mr. Combs do wait on his Excellency, and desire to know when he will please to be waited on by the House with their Address.

Mr. Kinsey reported that Mr. Comb and himself waited on his Excellency with the Message of the House, who was pleased to say the House should hear from him.

Friday, February 3, 1775

A Petition was presented from a number of Inhabitants of Nottingham, in the County of Burlington, praying the House will take some measures to settle the unhappy disputes between Great Britain and the Colonies, which was read and ordered a second reading.

On motion made, it is the opinion of, and this House do advise, that the present Committee of Correspondence may draw any part of the sum of one thousands Pounds, made subject to their order by an Act passed at the last session, not exceeding three hundred Pounds, to pay the expenses of the Delegates appointed by this House to attend the intended Congress, and that this House will allow thereof.

A Message from his Excellency, by Mr. Deputy Secretary Pettit:

MR. SPEAKER: His Excellency is in the Council Chamber, and ready to receive the Address of the House.

Whereupon, Mr. Speaker left the Chair, and with the House went to wait upon his Excellency; and being returned, Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair, and reported that the House had waited on his Excellency with their Address, in these words, viz:

To his Excellency WILLIAM FRANKLIN, Esquire, Captain General, Governour; and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Colony of NEW-JERSEY, and Territories thereon depending, in AMERICA Chancellor and Vice Admiral in the same, &c.

The Humble Address of the Representatives of said Colony, in General Assembly convened:

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY: We his Majesty's loyal and dutiful subjects, the Representatives of the Colony of New-Jersey, in General Assembly convened; have taken into our consideration your Excellency's Speech at the opening of the present session.

We should have been glad that your Excellency's inclinations to have given us as early an opportunity of transacting the publick business, as was consistent with our convenience, had determined in a manner more agreeable to your design, and more favourable to us, than it really has done on the present occasion. If the Petitions which we understand have been presented to you, had been granted, we should have had a meeting more convenient to us than the present, and that meeting, perhaps, would have prevented some of those "alarming transactions" which your Excellency's apprehension of your duty leads you to inform us as having happened in this Colony. We thank you for your intention to oblige us; but that it may not be so entirely frustrated in future, permit us to inform you it would be much the most agreeable to us, that the meeting of the House to do publick business, should not be postponed to a time later than when the Bill for the support of Government expires.

We are sorry to hear that in your Excellency's opinion, there has been of late any "alarming transactions" in this and the neighbouring Colonies, our consent to, or approbation of which, may lead the good people we represent into "anarchy, misery, and all the honours of civil war." It is true you are pleased to tell us that this destructive mode of proceeding has been adopted but "in part" by some of the inhabitants of this Colony. We assure you that we neither have nor do intend to give our approbation to measures destructive to the welfare of our constituents, and in which we shall be equally involved with them; their interests and our we look upon as inseparable. No arguments are necessary to prevail on us to endeavour to prevent such impending calamities; and if we should, at any time, mistake our duty so much, we hope your regard to the people will induce you to exert the prerogative, and thereby give them the choice of other Representatives, Who may act with more prudence. The uncertainty, however, to what "alarming transactions" in particular you refer, renders it sufficient for us to assure you only, that we profess ourselves to be the loyal subjects of the King, from whose goodness we hope to be relieved from the present unhappy situation; that we will do all in our power to preserve that excellent form of Government under which we at resent live; and