petitioning Parliament; but, notwithstanding his endeavours, a Committee was appointed and a Petition prepared, which, after a few amendments, met with almost universal approbation, and publick notice, by advertisement, was repeatedly given that it lay at the Dolphin, in Birmingham, to be signed. In the interim, the Petition in question was procured by Doctor Roebuck, and carried about from house to house clandestinely, without the least notice, to be signed."

Mr. Rice objected to the motion, because the Petition in question, according to his opinion, contained more good sense and sound policy than all the other Petitions put together.

Mr. Burke, desired to know whether it was sound policy for Merchants to wish to go to war with the people with whom they dealt?

Sir John Wrottesley should agree to the motion, as he was certain it would redound to the Petitioners' honour; at the same time he begged leave to remind the House, that the trade of the neighbourhood of Birmingham was far more extensive than that of Birmingham itself. He asked Mr. Burke, whether he was ready to discuss the Bristol Petition?

Mr. Burke replied, yes.

Mr. Fox observed, that if any gentlemen suggested that the Bristol Petition was surreptitiously obtained, and offered to prove it, the House ought to hear it; but that it came with an ill grace from Ministry, to say that the motives and manner of obtaining Petitions was not to be considered, when their only answer to the Petitions disapproving their conduct, was that they were surreptitiously obtained; that, indeed, there was one difference between the Ministers' imputation and Mr. Burke's charge; theirs was a mere voluntary suggestion of their own; Mr. Burke offered proof of his.

Mr. T. Townshend was for the motion, saying, that if die allegations set forth were true, the persons guilty of procuring such a Petition ought to be looked on as criminals.

Sir Gilbert Elliot contended that the persons who petitioned had not been guilty of the least fraud, for they styled themselves only the inhabitants of the Town and neighbourhood of Birmingham; and certainly no gentleman would deny but the Petitioners were inhabitants, if not traders.

Mr. Burke admitted they might be inhabitants, but contended that the counter-petition delivered on the 27th, of "the principal Merchants, Traders, Manufacturers, and Factors, of Birmingham" ought to have a preference to that of the inhabitants only.

Sir Edward Astley observed, that had there not been a counter-petition, he should have given a negative to the motion; but as the counter-petition, in his opinion, carried so much more importance with it, he should give his hearty affirmative to the motion.

The question being put, the House divided: Yeas, 37; Noes, 85.

So it passed in the Negative.

The other Order of the Day being read,

The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to consider further of the several Papers which were presented to the House by the Lord North, upon Thursday, the 19th day of this instant, January, and this day, by his Majesty's command.

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 made a further progress in the matters to them referred; and that he was directed by the Committee to move that they may have leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this House will, to-morrow morning, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to consider further of the said Papers.

A Petition of the Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, and Assistants of the Borough of Leeds, in the County of York, and of the several other persons whose names are thereunto subscribed, principal Inhabitants, Merchants, Traders, and Manufacturers in the Borough of Leeds aforesaid, and in Wakefield, Halifax, Bradford, and other places, within the West Riding of the said County, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth—

That the Petitioners, convinced that the preservation of the commerce of this country and its Colonies, depends upon a due obedience to the laws of England, are greatly alarmed at the unwarrantable proceedings now carrying on by the inhabitants of Boston, and some other Colonies in North America, in open defiance of the supreme Legislative power of this Kingdom, manifestly obstructing commerce, and subverting all legal Government; and that the Petitioners have great reason to believe attempts are now making to excite groundless fears and apprehensions in the minds of many of his Majesty's faithful subjects in this Kingdom, respecting the present situation of American affairs, and by false representations, and other undue means, to prevail upon them to sign Petitions to the House for a repeal of several Acts of Parliament; and that the Petitioners, on the contrary, apprehend the maintaining the authority of the British Legislature, is the best security for all interested in the trade to America; and, therefore, praying the House to take such measures as may seem to them most expedient for enforcing a due obedience to the British Legislature, and restoring order and good Government in America.

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 further of the several Papers which were presented to the House by the Lord North, upon the 19th and 31st days of January 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 of Leeds, trading to the North American Colonies, or having property there, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth—

That by means of the North American commerce carried on directly from the Town of Leeds, to the North American Colonies, as also by the very great quantities of the Manufactures of the said Town and neighbourhood, passing to the said Colonies, through the hands of the Merchants of London, Bristol, Liverpool, Glasgow, &c, the Petitioners have been enabled greatly to extend the Manufactures of the said Town and County, and given thereby a large employ to a great number of master Manufacturers, and to many thousands of their industrious poor Labourers; and that the North American commerce from the said Town and neighbourhood, taken collectively in its full extent, is an object of great concern to the West Riding of Yorkshire in general, to the Petitioners in particular, and worthy the attention of Parliament; and that, by the unhappy differences lately broke forth between Great Britain and her American Colonies, the Petitioners labour under the present stagnation of that branch of trade which in years past has been too considerable not to be sensibly felt by themselves, and in time will be much more so by the industrious Manufacturers of the said Town and neighbourhood; and that the Petitioners having very considerable property in the hands of the North Americans, they cannot, in the present critical situation of affairs, but be anxious for the safety thereof, although in ever so honest hands the same may be deposited; the Petitioners, therefore, alarmed for themselves and families, at the same time feeling for the distresses of those to whom in times past they have been enabled to give support, confiding in the wisdom, the justice, and the moderation of Parliament, pray such relief as to the House shall seem meet.