An Account of the amount of the Drawbacks paid on Come, Sugar, and Rum, exported from England, with the amount of the Bounty paid on British Refined Sugar exported for the three last years, that can be made up, viz: from Christmas, 1770, to Christmas, 1773; distinguishing the several articles; and also,

An Account of Imports to the British Sugar Colonies, from North America, for three years last past; distinguishing each year.

And then he withdrew.

And the Titles of the said Accounts were read. Ordered, That the said Accounts be referred to 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 Clothiers, and other principal Inhabitants of Trowbridge, in the County of Wilts, was presented to, the House, and read; setting forth—

That the petitioners observe certain persons styling themselves Representatives of the People of sundry Provinces in America, assembled in General Congress, have presented a Petition to his Majesty, in which they question the authority of the supreme British Legislature, to enact laws for raising a Revenue in those parts of his Majesty's Dominions and that the Petitioners conceive the openly or tacitly giving up in this instance, the authority of the Legislature of Great Britain over the American Colonies, Would be not only highly derogatory to the honour and dignity of the Crown and Parliament, but greatly injurious to the welfare and trade of Great Britain; and that the Petitioners cannot be insensible that, if their fellow-subjects in. America, are exempted from contributing in such way as the British Legislature shall judge best, and in some equitable proportion with the inhabitants of Great Britain, to the Revenues necessary for supporting the dignity of the Crown; the administration of Government and justice in, and the protection of the whole Empire, such exemption to them must occasion the people here being unequitably and too heavily burdened; and, as the Petitioners apprehend the disproportioned and heavy share of the publick burthens, which the inhabitants of this Kingdom have been hitherto called to bear, has been one occasion of numbers from different branches of the Woollen Manufacture already emigrating to America, so they are persuaded the continuance of such disproportion would be a means of drawing from hence to America, yet more and more of our most useful and industrious Manufacturers and Mechanicks, to a degree, which in the end, must be pernicious both to the landed and commercial interest of Great Britain; and, therefore, praying, that the House will ever assert and maintain entire, the supremacy of the British Legislature over his Majesty's Dominions in America, and provide by such laws and measures as to the House shall appear best, that whilst the inhabitants of those Dominions claim and expect countenance and protection from the influence of the British Government, and the united strength of the British Empire, they be obliged to contribute an equitable share towards the honourable support of that Government, and the means of providing for the common defence and Security of that Empire.

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.

THURSDAY, March 16, 1775.

The Order of the Day being read, for the second reading of the 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 Ireland and the British Islands in the West Indies, under certain conditions and limitation;

Ordered, That the said Bill be read a second time tomorrow morning.

FRIDAY, March 17, 1775.

Ordered, That the Order of the Day, for the second reading of the 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, be now read.

And the said Order being read accordingly;

The said Bill was read a second time.

Mr. Sawbridge said the Minister was consistent; no charge could be brought against him for partiality, since he was now laying an equal measure of punishment on the whole Continental Empire. These restraining Bills tied the bands of union and good fellowship between all the Provinces, and united them in a common cause.

Mr. Temple Luttrell condemned, in strong terms, the principle of the Bill; said, that this and the other restraining Bill ought to be burnt by the common hangman; he treated the present Bill as treasonable against the community, and said, it must eventually be the cause of a civil war.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, upon the said Bill.

MONDAY, March 20, 1775.

Ordered, That the Order of the Day, for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, upon the 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, be now read.

And the said Order being read accordingly;

The House resolved itself into the said Committee.

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 gone through the Bill, and made several amendments thereunto, which they had directed him to report, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered. That the Report be received upon Thursday morning next.

THURSDAY, March 23, 1775.

The Order of the Day being read;

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee of the Whole House, to whom the 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, was committed, be received upon Monday morning next.

MONDAY, March 27, 1775.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee of the Whole House, to whom the 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, was committed, be received upon Wednesday morning next.

WEDNESDAY, March 29, 1775.

Ordered, That the Report from the Committee of the Whole House, to whom the 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, was committed, be received tomorrow at twelve of the clock.

THURSDAY, March 30, 1775.

Sir Charles Whitworth, according to order, reported from the Committee of the Whole House, to whom the 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