HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY, February 27, 1775.

The Orders of the Day being read;

Resolved, That this House will, upon Wednesday morning next, resolve 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 the 19th and 31st days of January last, and the 1st, 15th, and 24th days of this instant, February, by his Majesty's command.

WEDNESDAY, March 1, 1775.

The Order of the Day being read, for the House to resolve 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 the 19th and 31st days of January last, and the 1st, 15th, and 24th days of February last, by his Majesty's command;

Resolved, That this House will, upon Friday morning next, resolve itself into the said Committee.

FRIDAY, March 3, 1775.

The Lord North presented to the House, by his Majesty's command,

No. 1. Copy of a Letter from Lieutenant Governour Colden to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated New-York, 1st February, 1775, enclosing,

No. 2. Copy of the Lieutenant Governour's Speech

to the General Assembly.

No. 3. Copy of Address of the Council.

No. 4. Copy of Address of the Assembly.

No, 5. Extract of a Letter from Governour Franklin to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated New-Jersey, 1st February, 1775, enclosing,

No. 6 Copy of the. Governour's Speech to the General Assembly.

No. 7. Copy of Address of the Council, and of the Governour's Answer.

No. 8. Copy of the Resolves of the Assembly, and their Address,

No. 9. Extract of a Letter from Deputy Governour Penn to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated Philadelphia, 30th January, 1775, enclosing,

No.10. Copy of Proceedings of a Provincial Convention held at Philadelphia.

No. 11. Copy of the Testimony of the people called Quakers.

Together with a List of the said Papers.

And the said List was read.

Ordered, That the said Papers be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom 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, and the 1st, 15th, and 24th days of February last, by his Majesty's command.

Copy of the extract of a Letter from Governour Franklin to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated Perth Amboy, February, 1, 1715.

"The General Assembly of this Province are now sitting, bein convened on the 11th of last month, in order to transact the publick business.

"At the opening of the session, I had some hopes of prevailing on the House of Representatives: not to approve of the proceedings of the General Congress held at Philadelphia, for which purpose a paragraph of my Speech was particularly calculated; but the. Delegates From this Province took the alarm, and used their utmost endeavours with the Members to persuade them to give their approbation to those proceedings, as otherwise, one grand end the Congress had in view would be entirely frustrated, namely, the preserving an appearance of unammity throughout: the Colonies without which, they said, their measures could not have not weight and efficacy with the Government and people of Great Britain was Intended.

"The scheme, however, met with some opposition in the House, every Member proposing to defer the consideration of it to a future time, or to give their approbation to only some parts of the proceedings of the Congress; but by the artful management of those who espoused the measure, it was carried through precipitately the very morning it was proposed, as your Lordship will see by a copy of the Resolutions now enclosed, [See Folia 1124] which were all previously prepared for the purpose."

Copy of the extract of a Letter from Deputy Governour Penn to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated Philadelphia, January 30, 1775.

"No publick occurrences of any consequence have lately happened within this Government, except that a Convention of Deputies from most of the Counties of this Province, was held in this City last week, in order to consult on the most effectual measures for carrying into execution the Association of the Continental Congress. They have just published an account of their proceedings, and I beg leave to enclose a copy of them for your Lordship's particular information."—[See Folio 1169.]

A Petition of the Merchants, Linen Drapers, and principal Inhabitants of the City of Waterford, in the Kingdom of lreland, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth—

That the Petitioners, with the deepest concern for the unhappy differences which at present subsist between Great Britain and her American Colonies, and from an apprehension of the fatal consequences which may arise from thence, beg leave to set forth, that, as their export trade with the American Colonies consists chiefly in the exportation of the Linen Manufacture, and that of white and brown Linens only, by the Non-Importation Agreement they are deprived of this the only valuable branch of export they are permitted to carry on with the Colonies, and of which they already begin to feel the unhappy effects; and that if the Linen Manufacture decays, this Kingdom must be reduced to such a state as, from want of employment at home, to increase emigrations, reduce the value of lands, and diminish every branch of the poor remains of the trade they enjoy; and that the chief commodities which they have liberty to import from America into this Kingdom, being Flaxseed, Lumber, Wheat, and Flour, should the Non-Importation take place, they must necessarily be deprived of Flaxseed to raise Flax to carry on their Linen Manufacture; of Staves for Casks to contain their Beef, Pork, and Butter, for the supply of Great Britain, his Majesty's Navy, and the West India Islands; and this train of consequences, so destructive to the landed property, manufactures, and commerce of this Kingdom, and which of course must occasion a very sensible diminution of his Majesty's Revenues, from the then absolute inability of the inhabitants, forces them to pray the House would take the premises into their consideration, hoping that some expedient may be found out, whereby these consequences may be prevented, and harmony restored and established upon a solid and permanent foundation.

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 at London, concerned In the Commerce of North America, is referred.

FRIDAY March 3, 1775.

The Order of the Day being read,

Resolved, That this House will, upon Wednesday morning next, resolve 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 the 19th and 31st days of January last, and the 1st, 15th, and 24th.days of February last, and this day, by his Majesty's command.

WEDNESDAY, March 8, 1775.

The Lord North presented to the House, by his Majesty's command, the following

Copy of a Letter from the Honourable Governour Gage to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated Boston, 27th January, 1775.

"MY LORD: We have information often from the country, that the Towns in this Province become more divided, notwithstanding the endeavours used to keep up their enthusiasm; and the tyranny and oppressive acts exercised against persons deemed friends of Government, has driven them in several places to combine together for their mutual defence. Where the majority in a Township has been