WEDNESDAY, November 30, 1774.

The House being met, and Mr. Speaker elect having taken the Chair;

A Message was brought from his Majesty, by Sir Francis Molyneux, Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod:

Mr. Speaker:

The King commands this Honourable House to attend his Majesty immediately in the House of Peers.

Accordingly, Mr. Speaker elect, with the House, went up to attend his Majesty in the House of Peers, where Mr. Speaker elect was presented to his Majesty for his royal approbation; and

Then the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, after receiving directions from his Majesty, signified his Majesty's approbation of Mr. Speaker elect.

The House being returned;

Mr. Speaker reported, that the House had been in the House of Peers, where his Majesty had been pleased to approve of the choice the House had made of him to be their Speaker; and that he had, in their name, and on their behalf, by humble petition to his Majesty, laid claim to all their ancient rights and privileges, particularly that their persons, their estates, and servants, might be free from arrests and all molestations; that they may enjoy liberty of speech in all their debates, may have access to his Majesty's royal person, whenever occasion shall require, and that all their proceedings may receive from his Majesty the most favourable construction; which, he said, his Majesty had confirmed to them in as full and ample manner as they have been heretofore granted or allowed by his Majesty, or any of his royal predecessors.

And then Mr. Speaker repeated his most respectful acknowledgments to the House for the honour they had done him.

Mr. Speaker then put the House in mind, that the first thing to be done was to take the oaths, and make and subscribe the Declaration, and to take and subscribe the oaths of Abjuration and Qualification, by law required.

And thereupon, Mr. Speaker first alone, standing upon the upper step of the chair, took the said first mentioned oaths, and made and subscribed the said oath of Abjuration; and also delivered in to the Clerk of the House an account of his qualification, and took and subscribed the oath of Qualification.

And after him, several other Members took the said first mentioned oaths, and made and subscribed the said Declaration, and took and subscribed the oath of Abjuration; and such of the said Members as are by law required to deliver in to the Clerk of this House an account of their qualification, and to take and subscribe the oath of Qualification, delivered in such account, and took and subscribed the said oath accordingly.

And then the House adjourned till to-morrow morning, ten of the clock.

MONDAY, December 5, 1774.

The Speaker reported to the House, that when the House did attend his Majesty, upon Wednesday last, in the House of Peers, his Majesty was pleased to make a most gracious Speech from the throne to both Houses of Parliament; of which Mr. Speaker said he had, to prevent mistakes, obtained a copy; which he read to the House.—[See folio 1465.]

Lord Beauchamp, after animadverting on the spirit of the Colonies, their Resolves, their Meetings, and in particular their intended Non-Importation Agreement, moved,

"That an humble Address be presented to his Majesty, to return his Majesty the thanks of this House for his most gracious Speech from the throne."

"To assure his Majesty, that we receive with the highest sense of his Majesty's goodness, the early information which he has been pleased to give us of the state of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay.

That we feel the most sincere concern, that a spirit of disobedience and resistance to the law should still unhappily prevail in that Province, and that it has broke forth in fresh violences, of a most criminal nature; and that we cannot but lament that such proceedings should have been countenanced, and encouraged in any other of his Majesty's Colonies, and that any of his subjects should have been so far deluded and misled as to make rash and unwarrantable attempts to obstruct the commerce of his Majesty's Kingdoms, by unlawful combinations.

To present our most dutiful thanks to his Majesty for having taken such measures as he judged most proper and effectual for carrying into execution the laws which were passed in the last session of the late Parliament for the protection and security of the commerce of his Majesty's subjects; and for restoring and preserving peace, order, and good government in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay.

"That, animated by his Majesty's gracious assurances, his faithful Commons will use every means in their power to assist his Majesty in maintaining, entire and inviolate, the supreme authority of this Legislature over all the dominions of his crown; being truly sensible that we should betray the trust reposed in us, and be wanting in every duty which we owe to his Majesty and to our fellow-subjects, if we fail to give our most zealous support to those great constitutional principles which govern his Majesty's conduct in this important business, and which are so essential to the dignity, safety, and welfare of the British Empire.

That we learn, with great satisfaction, that a treaty of peace is concluded between Russia and the Porte, and that by this happy event the general tranquillity is rendered complete; and that we entertain a well-grounded hope that his Majesty's constant endeavours to prevent the breaking out of fresh disturbances will be attended with success, as his Majesty continues to receive the strongest assurances from other Powers of their being equally disposed to preserve the peace.

To assure his Majesty that his faithful Commons will, with the utmost cheerfulness, grant to his Majesty every necessary supply; and that they consider themselves bound by gratitude, as well as duty, to give every proof of their most affectionate attachment to a Prince who during the whole course of his reign, has made the happiness of his people the object of all his views, and the rule of all his actions."

Mr. Thomas De Gray, Junior, seconded the motion.

Lord John Cavendish, after condemning the conduct of Administration respecting the Colonists, moved the following amendment to the question, by inserting after the word "throne," at the end of the first paragraph, these words: "And to assure his Majesty that, animated with the warmest zeal for his service, and for the glory and prosperity of his reign, we shall enter into the consideration of the present situation of his Colonies in America with that care and attention which the delicacy and importance of the object require.

And humbly to represent that our inviolable duty and respect to his Majesty, as well as our situation in an immediate delegated trust from his people, will not permit us to form any opinion upon a matter which may not only sensibly and deeply affect the landed and commercial interests of our constituents, but lead to consequences of a still more alarming nature, without the fullest and most satisfactory information; and to that end, most humbly to request that his Majesty would be graciously pleased to give orders that all the accounts received from America may be laid before tin's House with all convenient despatch.

And that when, by such information, we shall be enabled to form a proper judgment, we will humbly offer our advice on this delicate situation of affairs, and endeavour to find the means effectually to support the honour of his Majesty's crown, and the true dignity of Parliament, which shall be best adapted to connect both with the permanent peace, concord, and prosperity of all his Majesty's Dominions."

The friends of the Address, as moved by Lord Beau-champ, argued that an Address was no more than a general compliment—a measure of course at the beginning of every session; that particular measures were not now the objects of consideration; and that the judgment of the House upon the affairs of America would be taken on a future day.

The friends of the Administration argued that though no particular measures were at this instant under consideration, yet, the Address being drawn up in such very general terms, it implied, and even contained a general approba-