Die Veneris, 10 ho., A. M., the 24th March, 1775.

The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House, upon the draught of a Petition to the King. After some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair, and Colonel Seaman reported that he was directed by the Committee to make the following Report to the House, to wit:

That after reading the said Draught through in the Committee, and upon reading it again, paragraph by paragraph, when he came to the fifth paragraph, a motion was made by Colonel Schuyler, in the words following, viz:

Mr. Chairman: I move that the following words be struck out of the fifth paragraph, beginning after the word "her," to wit: "We acknowledge there are appearances which may be construed to our disadvantage, and that several of the measures pursued by the Colonies, are by no means justifiable; yet, while we disapprove and condemn them, we entreat you, as the indulgent father of your people, to view them in the most favourable light, and to consider them as the honest, though disorderly struggles of liberty, not the licentious efforts of independence;" and that the following words be substituted, to wit: "And as we have too much reason to suspect that pains have been taken to induce your Majesty to think us impatient of constitutional Government, we entreat you, royal sir, to believe that our commotions are honest struggles for maintaining our constitutional liberties, and not dictated by a desire of independence. Could your princely virtues, as easily as your powers, have been delegated to your servants, we had not at this time been reduced to the disagreeable necessity of disturbing your repose, on an occasion which we sincerely lament."

Upon which debates arose, and the question having been put thereon, it passed in the negative, in manner following, viz:

For the Negative.		For the Affirmative.
Mr. Brush,	Mr. Jauncey,	Mr. Do Witt,
Mr. Billopp,	Mr. De Lancey,	Colonel Schuyler,
Colonel Wells,	Mr. Rapalje,	Mr. Clinton,
Mr. Nicoll,	Mr. Ten Eyck,	Mr. Boerum,
Mr. Kissam,	Mr. Speaker,	Captain Seaman,
Mr. Gale, "	Mr. Wilkins,	Colonel Woodhull,
Mr. Coe,	Colonel Philips.	Mr. Thomas,
Mr. Van Kleeck,	Mr. Van Cortlandt

That on reading the sixth paragraph, a second motion was made by Colonel Schuyler, in the words following, viz:

Mr. Chairman: I move that the following words be struckout of the sixth paragraph, to wit: "Your Majesty's American subjects have hitherto been in a state of infancy, and till lately have submitted implicitly, and without repining, to the authority of the parent state; they have now reached the period of maturity, and think themselves entitled to their birth-right—an equal participation of freedom with their fellow-subjects in Britain;" and the words following be substituted, to wit: "Although your Majesty's American subjects have, in some instances, submitted to the power exercised by the parent state, they nevertheless conceive themselves entitled to an equal participation of freedom with their fellow-subjects in Britain."

On which debates arose, and the question having been put thereon, it was carried in the negative, in manner following, viz:

That a third motion was then made by Colonel Schuyler, on reading the said sixth paragraph, in the words following, viz:

Mr. Chairman: I move that the following words be struck out of the sixth paragraph, after the word "Parliament," to wit: "On the contrary, we cheerfully acknowledge our subordination to it as the grand Legislature of the Empire; we wish only to enjoy the rights of Englishmen, and to have that share of liberty, and those privileges secured to us which we are entitled to, upon the principles of our free and happy Constitution, Permit us, "therefore," and the following words substituted, to wit: "Conscious of the incompetency of the Colony Legislatures to regulate the trade of the Empire, we cheerfully acknowledge such a power in that august body, as is founded in expediency, and confined to the regulation of our external commerce, with a view to the general weal of all your Majesty's subjects, and in such a manner as will leave to us, unimpaired, those rights which we hold by the immutable laws of nature and the principles of the English Constitution; but the exercise of powers in compatible with those rights, not justified by expediency, and destructive of English liberty, induces us"

And debates arose on the said motion, and the question having been put thereon, it was carried in the negative, in manner following, viz:

That on reading the seventh paragraph, a motion was made by Colonel Woodhull, in the words following, viz:

Mr. Chairman: I move that the following words be struck out of the seventh paragraph, after the word "Representative," to wit: "This right we do not at present enjoy, inasmuch as the British Parliament, in which we have no "representation, have claimed and exercised a right of making laws binding upon us in all cases whatsoever;" and the following words substituted, to wit: "This invaluable right the British Parliament, in which we neither are nor can be represented, have declared an intention to infringe, by asserting an authority to bind us by their Acts in all cases whatsoever."

Upon which debates arose, and the question having been put thereon, it was carried in the negative, in manner following, viz:

That on reading the thirteenth paragraph, a motion was made by Colonel Schuyler, in the words following, viz:

Mr. Chairman: I move that the following words be inserted in the said thirteenth paragraph, between the word "thereof" and the word "and," to wit: "An abridgment of your Majesty's prerogative, in the preservation of which we are deeply interested, and a violation of our legislative rights." On the question, it passed in the affirmative.

That on reading the fourteenth paragraph, a motion was made by Mr. De Witt, in the words following, viz:

Mr. Chairman: I move that the following words be struck out of the fourteenth paragraph, to wit: "The Act for the regulation of the Government of Quebec, we must beg leave to mention also to your Majesty, as the extension of that Province, and the indulgence granted by it to Roman Catholicks, have given great uneasiness to the minds of many of your Majesty's American subjects;" and the following words substituted, to wit: "We beg leave to hold up to your Majesty, as a most alarming grievance, the change wrought by your Parliament in the Government of Quebec; a change by which your Majesty's Royal Proclamation, conferring the privileges of English men on the inhabitants of that conquered country, is abrogated; the rights of your Majesty's natural born subjects, who have settled there in confidence thereof, wholly defeated; its future population by emigrants who know the of British liberty, most effectually discouraged; Popery highly encouraged, if not established; and a of Government unknown in the British Constitution, erected in that very extensive Dominion, to the great grief and danger of your Majesty's ancient, loyal, free, and Protestant Colonies on this Continent." On the ques-