tem for their future commerce formed on a sure and lasting basis.

A motion was made, and the question being proposed, that the say petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom the Petition pf 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 pf 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 Merchants, Traders, and Manufacturers of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, and places adjacent, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth—

That the present stagnation of commerce to the North American Colonies, and the prospect of increasing embarrassments, occasioned by the unhappy differences subsisting between Great Britain and those Colonies, greatly alarm the Petitioners, who are engaged in, and greatly depend on, that trade, for vending various kinds of Goods they manufacture of Iron, Steel, and other metals; and that they view with the deepest concern many Manufacturers already out of employ; and the evils which they before experienced in similar situations daily increasing, which presage the utmost misery to the said Town and its neighbourhood, and, therefore, praying the House will take their trade and distresses under their most serious consideration, and grant them such relief as to the House shall seem meet.

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 Merchants and Tradesmen of the Port of Liverpool, whose names are subscribed, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth—

That an extensive and most important trade has been lope carried on, from the said Town, to the Continent and Islands of America; and that the exports from thence infinitely exceed in value the imports from America, from whence an immense debt arises, and remains due to the British Merchant; and that every article which the Labourer, Manufacturer, or more ingenious Artist, can furnish for use, convenience, or luxury, makes a part in these exports for the consumption of the American; and that those demands, as important in amount as various in quality, have for many seasons been so constant, regular, and diffusive, that they are now become essential to the flourishing state of all their Manufactures, and of consequence to every individual in these Kingdoms; and that the bread of thousands in Great Britain, principally and immediately depends upon this vast branch of commerce, of which a temporary interruption will reduce the hand of industry to idleness and want, and a longer cessation of it would sink the now opulent Trader in indigence and ruin; and that at this particular season of the year, the Petitioners have been accustomed to send out to North America many Ships wholly laden with the products of Britain; but by the unhappy differences at present subsisting, from whatever source they flow, the trade to these parts is entirely at a stand; and that the present loss, though great, is nothing, when compared with the dreadful mischiefs which will certainly ensue, if some effectual remedy is not speedily applied to this spreading malady, which must otherwise involve the West India Islands and the trade to Africa in the complicated ruin; but that the Petitioners can still, with pleasing hopes, look up to the British Parliament, from whom they trust that these unhappy divisions will speedily be healed, mutual confidence and credit restored, and the trade of Britain again flourish with undecaying vigour.

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.

Sir George Savile offered to present a Petition of William Bollan, Benjamin Franklin, and Arthur Lee, Esqs., stating themselves to have been authorized by the persons who signed one of the Papers presented to the House, by the Lord North, upon Thursday last, by his Majesty's command, entituled," Petition of sundry persons, on behalf "of themselves and the inhabitants of several of his Majesty's Colonies in America," to procure the said Paper to be presented to his Majesty, and praying that they may be heard at the Bar of this House in support thereof.*

And the question being put, that the said Petition be brought up,

The House divided—Yeas 68, Noes 218.

So it passed in the Negative.

The Orders of the Day being read,

* Though it was thon late, a Petition was offered from Mr. Bollan, Doctor Franklin, and Mr. Lee, three American Agents, stating, that they were authorized by the American Continental Congress to present a Petition from the Congress to the King, which Petition his Majesty had referred to that House; that they were enabled to throw great light upon the subject, and prayed to be beard at the Ear in support of the said Petition. On this a violent debate arose, partly on the same grounds with the former, partly on different. The Ministry alleged that the Congress was no legal body, and none could be heard in reference to their proceedings, without giving that illegal body some decree of countenance; that they could only hear the Colonies through their legal Assemblies, and their Agents, properly authorized by them, and properly admitted here; that to do otherwise, would lead to inextricable confusion, and destroy the whole order of Colony government.

To these arguments it was answered, that regular Colony government was in effect destroyed already; in some places by Act of Parliament; in others, by dissolution of Assemblies by Governours; in some, by popular violence. The question now was, how to restore order? That this Congress, however illegal to other purposes, was sufficiently legal for presenting a Petition. It was signed by the names of all the persons who composed it, and might be received as from individuals; that it was their business rather to find every plausible reason for receiving Petitions, than to invent pretences for rejecting them; that the rejection of Petitions was one principal cause, if not the most powerful cause of the present troubles; that this mode of constantly rejecting their Petitions, and refusing to hear their Agents, would infallibly end in universal rebellion; and not unnaturally, as those seen to give up the right to Government, who refuse to hear the complaints of the subject. This Petition was rejected upon a division, by a majority of two hundred and eighteen to sixty-eight.—Ann. Regis.