at two o'clock P. M., and that the Reverend Mr. Edmiston have notice to attend.

A copy of the charge was made out by the Clerk, and enclosed to Mr. Edmiston, with notice to attend.

Tuesday, two o'clock, P. M.

The Committee met according to adjournment; present the same members as were this morning.

The Reverend Mr. Edmiston attended, agreeable to the notice given him, and requesting an indulgence of two hours, to prepare his answer, the same was unanimously granted.

The Reverend Mr. Edmiston appeared, and delivered to the Chairman, his answer in writing, as follows:

"After maturely considering the charges exhibited against me before the Committee, I observe in answer to them, that as mankind frequently differ in sentiment, and as no questions are agitated with greater warmth and intemperate zeal than those in politicks, so expressions are often used, and sentiments hastily adopted, at such times, which in the cool moments of reflection, men would omit or disavow. That I spoke the words mentioned in the charge, is true—that they were spoken in warmth, is equally certain. With respect to that part of the charge containing an accusation of perjury and treason upon those who had taken the oaths to the Government, I would beg leave to explain myself. What I meant had a reference to the political opinions which prevail, and was founded conditionally; that is, they who do not apprehend a departure on the side of Government from fundamental express stipulations, could not, consistently with their oaths, arm or prepare for war: but I did not, and do not mean to charge any person with perjury or treason, who really thinks that his rights are or may be so far invaded as to justify resistance.

"As my political sentiments are different from what most people think at this time, concerning these matters, particularly as they are disagreeable to the gentlemen of the County, and may, contrary to my intention, have the unhappy tendency of spreading confusion among the inhabitants of my Parish, I solemnly promise to avoid giving any just cause of offence, by propagating hereafter any opinion opposite to the decisions of the Continental Congress, or Provincial Convention, and upon the most serious reflection, I disapprove of the Quebec Bill, as it establishes the Roman Catholick Religion in the Province of Quebec, abolishes the equitable system of English Laws, and erects a tyranny there, to the great danger (from so total a dissimilarity of Religion, Law, and Government,) of the neighbouring British Colonies, by the assistance of whose blood and treasure the said country was conquered.

"I tenderly love my country; I wish for her prosperity, and devoutly pray that the present contest may terminate to her advantage, and I sincerely hope that brotherly love will bury in oblivion all animosity between me and my parishioners, with whom to live in harmony and peace is my warmest wish.

WILLIAM EDMISTON.

"January 17, 1775."

The above being read and considered was accepted, and ordered to be published

MEETING OF WEST INDIA MERCHANTS, LONDON

Agreeable to previous invitation, an exceedingly numerous meeting of West India Merchants and Planters, on the 18th of January, 1775, assembled at the London Tavern, "to deliberate on the measures necessary to be pursued on this very important crisis." About one o'clock, Beetson Long, Esquire, took the Chair,

When Mr. Rose Fuller opened the business by calling the attention of the meeting to what he was about to propose. He stated with conciseness, yet with extreme judgment and precision, the alarming situation into which the present plan of measures respecting America was likely to plunge this country; and from a desire of averting those evils which it so materially concerned the West India Merchants and Planters to prevent, he evinced the absolute necessity of "petitioning Parliament as the only probable means of warding off impending ruin."

Having thus pleaded for a Petition as the ground-work of every subsequent proceeding, Mr. Fuller declared, that before he preferred his motion, he would lay open the whole of his intentions, which were, "first, to move for a Petition; and if that motion passed, then to explain to the meeting the objects to which such Petition should be confined, as well as the particular facts it should set forth."

After some trifling altercation, Mr. Fuller's motion, both for a Petition and the articles to which, in his opinion, the framers should confine themselves, were called for and attended to.

The motion for a Petition was conceived nearly in the following words:—

"That it is the opinion of this meeting, a Petition should be presented to Parliament, representing the alarming state of affairs in the West India Islands, and setting forth the apprehensions of the Petitioners, on account of certain Resolutions entered into by the American Congress, held at Philadelphia, on the 5th of September, 1774; and praying interposition."

Mr. Fuller grounded the necessity of a Petition of this kind on the two Resolves of the Congress, whereby they firmly covenant, in behalf of the whole Continent of America, "not to have any commercial dealings, either in the way of Export, or Import, with the West India Islands, unless certain obnoxious Acts, passed by the English Legislature, shall be repealed."

The articles to which Mr. Fuller wished the framers of the Petition to confine themselves were, first,

"That an investment of stock, the property of various Merchants, to a very large amount, was now placed in the West India Islands, and that, by the circuitous operation of events, the returns arising from this stock would be considerably lessened, and the stock itself would be diminished in value, provided that the stoppage of commercial intercourse between the West India Islands and America, threatened by the Resolves of the Congress, should take effect."

A second article, which Mr. Fuller wished the framers of the Petition to state fully, was, "the amount of debt due from the Planters and others in the West India Islands to those Merchants in England with whom they carried on a reciprocal communication."

Mr. Fuller's motion having been seconded by Sir Philip Gibbes, and ably supported by Mr. Walker, Agent for Barbadoes, a very warm and interesting debate ensued. The foremost in opposing it was Mr. Willet, of St. Kitts, who stated his objections to petitioning substantially thus:

Before a Petition for the removal of an evil was agreed on, it should be determined whether the evil actually existed or not; a Petition for redress implies a state of suffering. Had the West India Merchants yet experienced the smallest inconvenience from any Resolves, passed by the Congress? Mr. Willet ventured to answer for them, "that they had not." Were the West India Islands yet in a suffering state? So far from it, that they had now sufficient, and to spare of every article supplied by the North American Colonies; and, if they should hereafter stand in need, they might be easily supplied from Quebec, and various other places willing and able to supply them. As therefore no inconveniences had as yet arisen from the Resolutions of the Congress, the West India Merchants should at least delay their Petition until inconveniences were experienced, which, in the opinion of Mr. Willet, would never be the case, as he did not apprehend that the Resolves of the Congress would be long adhered to.

In support of this conjecture, Mr. Willet begged leave to produce a letter, dated the 7th December, from Mr. Galway, a young man at New-York, a near relation of Sir Ralph Payne, who, Mr. Willet observed, was so closely connected with Mr. De Lancey, that the sentiments contained in the letter might be supposed exactly consonant with those Mr. De Lancey held.

The purport of this letter was, "that the Resolutions of the Congress were never meant to be observed; that the Delegates themselves were so ashamed of them, that they were only studying ways and means to elude them; that the moderate party at New-York laughed at these Resolutions, and the most flaming zealots despised themselves for passing them; that as, on the occasion of the Stamp Act, there had been similar confederacies formed, which a defection soon put an end to, there could be no doubt but that a similar defection would