to the British Colonies in North America, from Christmas, 1768, to Christmas, 1769; distinguishing each Colony.

Ordered, That there be laid before this House an Account of the Value of all Goods, Wares, and Merchandise, exported from that part of Great Britain called Scotland, to the British Colonies in North America, from Christmas, 1772, to Christmas, 1774, or as far as the same can be made up; distinguishing each Colony and each year.

WEDNESDAY, January 25, 1775.

A Petition of the Merchants, Manufacturers, and Traders, arid other Inhabitants of the City of Norwich, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth—

That in the said City there hath been, for a long series of years, a very considerable manufacture of various kinds of Worsted Stuffs, wherein the raw material of Wool, (the produce of Great Britain and Ireland) hath been increased to ten times its value; the amount of which Manufactures, at a moderate computation, exceeded lately the yearly value of one million five hundred thousand Pounds, and therein above eighty thousand persons, men, women, and children, as well in the City of Norwich as in the several Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, have been employed and maintained; and that a considerable part of the Goods thus manufactured, were sent as well by the Port of Yarmouth, in Norfolk, as by the Port of London, on the account of North American Merchants and Traders, to the several Provinces of that extensive Continent; but since the unhappy differences which have arisen between Great Britain and the Colonies, a stop hath been put to the exportation of the said Manufactures to North America; and that the inhabitants of the said City liable to the publick taxes, are" already greatly burthened with a numerous poor; and if the demand of Norwich Stuffs to any of the several Ports of Europe, (of late plentifully supplied) should by any means be lessened, the Petitioners are fearful of the consequences which must inevitably happen to the said City from the stoppage of the American Trade; and that, on any further reduction of the Manufactures of the said City, the number of poor Artificers and their families, which will be thrown on the publick expense, will be insupportable; and that the industrious Artificers and labouring men, and their families, will be reduced, by poverty and want of employment, to be without the necessary succours of food and raiment. And therefore, for the revival of the Petitioners' trade and commerce to America, and to prevent the continuance or growth of the above evils, praying the House will take the premises into their immediate and most serious consideration, and grant them such effectual and permanent relief as they shall think proper.

A motion was made, and the question being proposed, that the said Petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee pf the Whole House, to whom the Petition of the Merchants and Traders, and others of the City of London, concerned in the commerce of North America, is referred;

An amendment was proposed to be made to the question, by leaving out from the word "whom" to the end of the question, arid inserting the words, "it is referred to consider of the several Papers which were presented to the House by the Lord North, upon Thursday last, by his Majesty's command," instead thereof,

And the question being put, that the words proposed to be left out stand part of the question ?

The House divided: Yeas, 85; Noes, 11.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Then the main question being put;

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the consideration; of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom the Petition of the Merchants. Traders, and others, of the City of London, concerned in the commerce of North America, is referred.

A Petition of the Merchants and Manufacturers residing in the Town and neighbourhood of Dudley, in the County of Worcester, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth—

That the Petitioners have, for a number of years past, employed a great many thousand hands in manufacturing of Nails and other sorts, of lion Wares, the greatest part of which have been exported to North America; and in consequence of the present stagnation pf their commerce thither, are very much distressed for want of the usual demands; and that in a very short time the many thousands of their hands dependent on the American consumption in those articles, must be out of employ, and thereby totally deprived of the means of subsistence; and that the Petitioners likewise are deeply concerned for the property which some of them, as well as the Merchants and Traders with whom they are connected, have in that country; and therefore praying the House will take the premises into consideration, and adopt such measures as they shall judge most effectual for their relief.

A motion was made, and the question being proposed, that the said Petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom the Petition of the Merchants, Traders, and others, of the City of London, concerned in the commerce of North America, is referred;

An amendment was proposed to be made to the question, by leaving out from the word "whom" to the end of the question, and inserting the words, "it is referred to consider of the several Papers which were presented to the "House by the Lord North, upon Thursday last, by his "Majesty's command," instead thereof,

And the question being put, that the words proposed to be left out stand part of the question ?

It was resolved in the Affirmative.

Then the main question being put,

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom the Petition of the Merchants, Traders, and others, of the City of London, concerned in the commerce of North America, is referred.

A Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town and neighbourhood of Birmingham, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth—

That the Petitioners are apprehensive, that any relaxation in the execution of the laws respecting the Colonies of Great Britain, will ultimately tend to the injury of the commerce of the said Town and neighbourhood; and therefore the Petitioners request that the House will continue to exert their endeavours to support the authority of the laws of this Kingdom over all the Dominions of the Crown.

A motion was made by Lord North, and the question being put, that the said Petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom the Petition of the Merchants, Traders, and others, of the City of London, concerned in the commerce of North America, is referred;

Mr. Burke objected, saying this was not a Petition concerning commerce; it was a warlike, blood-thirsty Petition, and desired to hear the names of the persons who signed it, read; which was complied with.

He then moved as an amendment to the question, to leave out from the word "whom" to the end of the question, and insert the words, "it is referred to consider of the several Papers which were presented to the House by the Lord North, upon Thursday last, by his Majesty's command," instead thereof,

And the question being put, that the words proposed to be left out stand part of the question ?

It was resolved in the Affirmative.

Then the main question being put,

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom the Petition of the Merchants, Traders, and others, of the City of London, concerned in the commerce of North America, is referred.

Sir George Savile rose, and acquainted the House, that not understanding any business except the balloting was meant to come on that day, he had left the House as soon as it was over, but on going home, a Petition of Doctor Franklin, Mr. Lee, and Mr. Bollan, the three gentlemen who had the direction of the Petition from the North American Congress to the King, was put into his hand. He stated the contents, which were: "That the Petitioners could explain and throw great light on the Petition presented from the Congress to the King, which, by his Majesty's command, had been referred to that Honourable House, and therefore praying to be heard on the same."