Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom die 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 Manufacturing Hosiers of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, was presented to the House, and read, renewing their application to the House, from a deep sense of the importance of the facts contained in their former Petition, from a perfect knowledge of their truth; and apprehensive of the unhappy influence which an intervening Petition from the other inhabitants of the said Town, entituled "A Petition of the Aldermen, Sheriff, principal Manufacturers, and Inhabitants thereof," may have upon the deliberations of Parliament at this important juncture; and knowing of no greater crime to their country, than to approach their Representatives with falsehood, and thereby mislead the great Council of the Nation, the Petitioners beg leave to express their abhorrence of the unjust representation of the Manufacturers of this Town and neighbourhood, which men, styling themselves its Aldermen, principal Manufacturers, he, have not been afraid to present to the House; and that the former Petitioners do constitute a very great majority of the real Manufacturers of this Town, and the present Petitioners are the Committee appointed by them to transact this business; the distress they represented in their former Petition as real, has already in some measure taken place, and they are persuaded must increase upon them every day, beyond their abilities to support, should the present cessation of the North American Trade continue; and the contrary representations of men ill capable of judging of their trade or its dependencies, has no foundation in truth, not one fifth of the signers of that Petition being Manufacturers, or any way concerned in the North American Trade; and it is to obviate the impression which such misrepresentations may have to second that relief which the House may be now meditating for their distress, and to contribute by their particular experience to that perfect knowledge of the real state of the manufactory of this Town and neighbourhood, that the Petitioners earnestly entreat that they may be heard, in proof of.the several allegations in this their present and former Petitions.

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; and that these Petitioners be heard before the said Committee, upon their said Petitions, if they think fit.

Ordered, That Mr. Unwise, Junior, do attend the said Committee upon Wednesday morning next.

The 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 the 19th and 31st days of January last, the 1st, 15th, and 24th days of February last, and the 3d and 8th days of this instant, March, by his Majesty's command.

Lord North moved, that the Chairman (Sir Charles Whitworth) be directed to move the House, "That leave be given to bring in a Bill to restrain the Trade and Commerce of the Colonies of New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina, to Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Islands in the West Indies, under certain conditions and limitations." He said, as the Southern Provinces had acceded to the Non-Importation and Exportation Agreement, it would be manifest partiality riot to make their punishment the same as the Northern Provinces.

Lord John Cavendish little expected to see another Bill of the same tendency with the last so soon make its appearance; but he should endeavour to frame his mind so as that nothing should surprise him.

Sir W. Mayne was no less astonished, as he understood from the noble Lord, that he meant to proceed no further, till it should be known what effect the former Bill would have. He thought the present an irritating measure, from which no salutary consequence could be expected.

Mr. Hartley, after lamenting the fluctuating state of oar publick Councils, observed, that a few days ago, nothing was echoed from the other side of the House but plans of conciliation, of moderation, and concession. In all probability, said those gentlemen, though all the Colonies should not consent to tax themselves, or break the Non-Importation and Non-Exportation Agreement, some of them certainly will, and destroy the confederacy, the refractory with very little struggle must submit. Now, what is the language Drive the whole Continent of America into despair; hold out no temptation to the moderate and less offending, and that is the sure way to restore peace and harmony, to recover our commerce, just on the verge of destruction, and to reconcile them cordially to our Government. He said, he had been informed that lands on the confines of Virginia had been ceded at the conclusion of the late Indian war, which cession had been divided into twenty-two shares; and that those shares had been sold. Not intending to reflect upon the noble Lord (Dunmore) who must have had the principal hand in that business, or upon any other person in particular, he wished for information whether the facts thus confidently reported, were true.

Lord North gave no answer, but defended the/propriety of the Bill now moved for. The former Bill was only against a pan of America; this against the remainder. He did not recollect that he had ever said he would wait to know the event of the first Bill, before he proposed another. As the Colonies had come to an agreement to carry on no trade whatever with Great Britain, Ireland, or the West Indies, he was clearly of opinion, that it became indispensably necessary to restrain their commerce, and prevent them from trading with any other country.

The question then being put, the Committee agreed to the motion offered by Lord North.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

Sir Charles Whitworth reported from the Committee, that he was directed by the Committee to make a motion, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the Report be now received.

Sir Charles Whitworth accordingly reported front the said Committee, that lie was directed by the Committee to move the House, that leave be given to bring In a Bill to restrain the Trade and Commerce of the Colonies of New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina, to Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Islands in the West Indies, under certain conditions and limitations.

And Sir Charles Whitworth moved the House accordingly.

Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to restrain the Trade and Commerce of the Colonies of New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina, to Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Islands an the West Indies, under certain conditions and limitations; and that the Lord North, the Lord Beauchamp, Mr. Charles Townshend, Mr. Cornwall, Mr. Attorney General, Mr. Solicitor General, Sir Charles Whitworth, and Mr. Cooper, do prepare and bring in the same.

MONDAY, March 13, 1775.

Mr. Cooper presented to the House, according to order, a Bill to restrain the Trade and Commerce of the Colonies of New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina, to Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Islands in the West Indies, under certain conditions and limitations; and the same was received, and read the first time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a second time.

Ordered, That the said Bill be read a second time upon Thursday morning next.

Ordered, That the said Bill be printed.

WEDNESDAY, March 15, 1775.

Mr. Tomkyns, from the Commissioners of the Customs, presented to the House, pursuant to their orders,

An Account of the amount of the Duties paid on Coffee, Sugar, and Rum, imported into England from the West Indies, for the last three years that can be made up, viz: from Christmas, 1770, to Christmas, 1773; distinguishing the several articles; and also,