them in about five months, they, the Company, perhaps might not be under the necessity of borrowing the one million four hundred thousand Pounds they then wanted. The quantity of Tea at that time in the Company's hands was said to be sufficient for six years consumption, and that great part of it was rotting in their warehouses. The real fact, however, was this: the Company then had sixteen and a half millions Pounds weight, not any of which had been in their warehouse more than a year and a half, and the greater part was of the last year's importation; none of it had suffered by keeping. The consumption, on the average, of the preceding five years, was eight millions per annum; so that the Company had in their Warehouses a quantity sufficient only for two years, and not six years consumption.

If these sales had taken place, the price of Bohea Tea, the principal sort in demand for exportation, would have been reduced four or five Pence per pound, which probably might have increased the demand for exportation and home consumption together, even to twelve millions per annum. I am of this opinion, sir, because the four foreign East India Companies, viz: the Dutch, Danes, French, and Swedes, annually import more than eight millions, although it is well known they do not themselves consume near half that quantity; the remaining four or five millions they constantly import, for the sole purpose of smuggling it into England, Scotland, Ireland, and America. The quantity that we have exported on the average of the before mentioned five years, has been about one million four hundred thousand Pounds; but this would be greatly increased, the price being only twenty Pence, from which is to be deducted for the drawback, five per cent, which reduces it to fifteen Pence on board; and if we add to this even the fatal American three Pence, it will be only eighteen Pence. This price might, perhaps, have induced the Americans, as before, to receive the Tea from the Merchants, though not from the Company, and it would at once have put an end to all smuggling; for neither the Dutch or any other Company would think it worth their while to send Tea to America, to be sold under eighteen Pence per pound. I will not trouble the House with any observations on these facets; but I own I cannot be brought to believe that the Tea was sent to Boston to raise money for the Company, to get rid of their load of Tea, or to prevent smuggling, because each of those salutary ends might have been answered without injustice or offence to any individual. The purpose for which the Tea was sent to America, and the consequence, are evident now to every man's understanding. For these reasons amongst others, I hitherto have, and shall continue, to the utmost of my power, to support the Americans, thus injured and oppressed by the cruel and vindictive measures of an Administration, whose whole conduct breathes the spirit of persecution and Popery.

Sir John Duntze said, that the Americans had, by their open violence and repeated acts of disobedience, forfeited the good will and protection of this country, and that it therefore became necessary for us to retaliate, in order to bring them back to a proper sense of their duty.

General Conway condemned the Bill in very explicit terms. He said, to be consistent, the House should either rescind the Resolution of the 20th February, or suspend any farther proceedings on the present Bill, till the effect and event of that proposition were known, otherwise we might possibly be inflicting the most severe punishment on people who were at the same instant acting in the strictest conformity to what was solemnly laid down by this House as the great rule by which their duty and obedience were to be regulated. He concluded with lamenting the unhappy divided state of both countries, and expressing his fears of the dreadful consequences which must follow, should the sword be once drawn, and the whole Empire convulsed with all the honours of a civil war. Mr. Rigby said the Americans would not fight; they would never oppose General Gage with force of arms.

Sir Richard Sutton was strongly for passing the Bill.

Mr. T. Townshend observed, that the noble Lord (North) and his friends first created the necessity, and then defended the measure upon that very ground; that is, said he, we do a thing we should not have done, our first essay being imperfect, and not to be executed upon the plan we first formed, it then becomes necessary we should do something else, if possible, more unjust than the former; so that, on the whole, we endeavour to carry into execution one act of injustice, by exercising another, thus become necessary to give it effect.

The question then being put, the House divided: Yeas, 192; Noes, 46.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

And that the Title be "An Act 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."

Ordered, That Mr. Cooper do carry the Bill to the Lords, and desire their concurrence.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

THURSDAY, April 6, 1775.

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Mr. Cooper and others,

With a Bill entituled "An Act to restrain the Trade and Commerce of the Colonies of New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina, to Great Britain and Ireland, and the British Islands in the West Indies, under certain conditions and limitations;" to which they desire the concurrence of this House.

The said Bill was read the first time.

Ordered, That the said Bill be printed.

FRIDAY, April 7, 1775.

The Bill entituled "An Act to restrain the Trade and Commerce of the Colonies of New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina, to Great Britain and Ireland, and the British Islands in the West Indies, under certain conditions and limitations;" was read the second time.

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

Ordered, That the House be put into a Committee upon the said Bill on Monday next.

MONDAY, April 10, 1775.

The House, according to order, was adjourned dining pleasure, and put into Committee upon the Bill entituled "An Act 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."

After some time the House was resumed;

And the Earl of Galloway reported from the Committee, "That they had gone through the Bill, and directed him to report the same to the House without any amendment."

Ordered, That the said Bill be read a third time on Wednesday next, and the Lords summoned.

WEDNESDAY, April 12, 1775.

The Order of the Day being read, for the third reading of the Bill entituled "An Act 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 for the Lords to be summoned,

The said Bill was accordingly read the third time.

And the question being "That the said Bill do Pass?"

It was (without debate) resolved in the Affirmative.

DISSENTIENT.—Richmond, Craven, Cholmondely, Stanhope, Fitzwilliam, Abingdon, Effingham, Camden, Wycombe, Fred. Exon, Spencer, J. St. Asaph, Rockingham, Abergavenny, Tankerville.

An Act 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.

Whereas, by an Act made in the twelfth year of the reign of King Charles the Second, entituled "An Act for