but lament that such proceedings should have been countenanced and encouraged in any other of your Majesty's Colonies; and that any of your subjects should have been so far deluded and misled as to make rash and unwarrantable attempts to obstruct the commerce of your Majesty's Kingdoms by unlawful combinations.

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

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

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 we entertain a Well-grounded hope that your Majesty's constant endeavours to prevent the breaking out of fresh disturbances will be attended with success; as your Majesty continues to receive the strongest assurances from other Powers of their being equally disposed to preserve the peace.

We assure your Majesty that we will, with the utmost cheerfulness, grant to your Majesty every necessary supply; and that we consider ourselves bound by gratitude, as well as duly, to give every proof of our 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.

The said Address being read a second time,

Resolved, That this House doth agree with the Committee in the said Address to be presented to his Majesty.

Resolved, That the said Address be presented to his Majesty by the whole House.

Ordered, That such Members of this House as are of his Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, do humbly know his Majesty's pleasure, when he will be attended by this House,

WEDNESDAY, December 7, 1774.

Mr. Treasurer of the Household reported to the House, that his Majesty having been waited upon, pursuant to the order of yesterday, humbly to know his Majesty's pleasure, when he would be pleased to be attended by this House, had been pleased to appoint to be attended this day, at half an hour after two of the clock, at his Palace of St. James.

THURSDAY, December 8, 1774.

Mr. Speaker reported to the House, that the House attended his Majesty yesterday, with their Address, to which his Majesty was pleased to give this most gracious answer:

GENTLEMEN: I return you my particular thanks for this very loyal and dutiful Address. I receive with the highest satisfaction and approbation, your assurances of assistance and support, in maintaining the supreme authority of the Legislature over all the Dominions of my Crown. It shall be my care to justify, by my conduct, the confidence you so affectionately express, and to show that I have no interests separate from my people,

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

TUESDAY, December 6, 1774.

Ordered, That his Majesty's most gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament, be taken into consideration to-morrow morning.

WEDNESDAY, December 7, 1774.

The Order of the Day being read;

The House proceeded to take into consideration his Majesty's most gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament.

And the same being again read by Mr. Speaker,

And a motion being made that a Supply be granted to his Majesty,

Resolved, That this House will, to-morrow morning, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to consider of that motion,

WEDNESDAY, December 8, 1774.

The Order of the Day being read, for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to consider of the motion made yesterday, that a Supply be granted to his Majesty;

Ordered, That his Majesty's most gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament be referred to the said Committee.

Then the House resolved itself into the said Committee,

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Sir Charles. Whitworth took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Sir Charles Whitworth reported from the Committee, that they had come to a Resolution, which they had directed him to report, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the Report be received to-morrow morning.

FRIDAY, December 9, 1774.

Sir Charles Whitworth, according to order, reported from the Committees of the Whole House, to whom it was referred to consider of the motion made upon Wednesday last, that a Supply be granted to his Majesty; the Resolution which the Committee had directed him to report to the House, which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was read, and is as followeth, viz:

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that a Supply be granted to his Majesty.

The said Resolution being read a second time;

Resolved, nemine contradicente, That this House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution, that a Supply be granted to his Majesty.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to consider of the Supply granted to his Majesty.

MONDAY, December 12, 1774.

The Order of the Day being read,

The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to consider of the Supply granted to his Majesty.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair,

Sir Charles Whitworth took the Chair of the Committee.

Mr. Buller moved that sixteen thousand men be employed for the Sea Service, for the year 1775, including four thousand two hundred and eighty-four Marines. He prefaced his motion with setting forth, that Admiral Harland was daily expected from the East Indies with three Sail of the Line, and by that means sixteen thousand would be sufficient, which was four thousand less than last year.

Mr. T. Townshend desired to know why twenty thousand were necessary last year, and sixteen thousand would do this; and what quantity were necessary to be sent to America, and what proportion left to guard us at home.

Mr. Buller attempted to solve these questions, but could not; he therefore read an extract of a letter from Admiral Amherst, Commander at Plymouth, informing, that they had several supernumerary Seamen, and that their guard-ships were full; that the number of Ships in America were