they had heard the Planters of his Majesty's Sugar Colonies, residing in Great Britain, and the Merchants of Lyndon trading to the said Colonies, by their Agent; and had examined several witnesses, and made a further progress; and that he was directed by the Committee to move that they may have leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Monday morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to consider further of the Petition of the Merchants, Traders, and others, of the City of London, concerned in the Commerce of North America, and of the several other Petitions referred to the consideration of the said Committee.

Ordered, That the several persons who were ordered to attend the said Committee this day, do attend the said Committee upon Monday morning next.

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

A Paper, entituled "Copy of the Petition and Memorial of the Assembly of Jamaica, to the King in Council."

And the title of the said Paper was read.

Ordered, That the said Paper do lie upon the table, to be perused by the Members of the House.

Ordered, That Mr. Cooper have leave to make a motion, it being half an hour after seven of the clock.

And he moved the House accordingly.

Ordered, That Mr. George Robinson do, upon Monday morning next, attend the Committee of the Whole House, to whom it is referred to consider further of the Petition of the Merchants, Traders, and others, of the City of London, concerned in the Commerce of North America, and of the several other Petitions referred to the consideration of the said Committee.

Ordered, That Mr. William Elingworth do attend the said Committee at the same time.

MONDAY, March 20, 1775.

The House, according to Order, resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to consider further of the Petition of the Merchants, Traders, and others, of the City of London, concerned in the Commerce of North America, and of the several other Petitions referred to the consideration of the said Committee.

Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

General Howe took the Chair of the Committee.

Some persons were examined in proof of the allegations contained in the Petitions presented from the Stocking Manufacturers, and other Inhabitants of the Town of Nottingham, presented on the 8th of February and the 9th of March.

Mr. Nead was called in to prove the allegations contained in the Counter Petition presented on the 22d of February, two of his partners having signed the former Petition.

Mr. Burke questioned him as to the character of those Petitioners. This was objected to by Mr. Van, and a debate ensued.

Mr. Van said, it was a rule in judicial proceedings, and adopted very properly by that House, never to put any question to a man, the giving a true answer to which might tend to injure him or affect his interest. It was plain, he said, that the question asked was in effect the same as if put to the persons alluded to, their credit and reputation as partners being the same.

Mr. Burke replied, that the reasoning was very just if it applied; but insisted that the question proposed by him involved no such consequence, it being only to their moral character, their reputation as men of veracity, not to their responsibility to pay their debts, or their situation as Traders.

Mr. Solicitor General directed his arguments to show the consequences that may happen, and in some instances which have happened, from leading persons at the bar to disclose the nature of their trade and the state of their affairs.

Mr. Burke reminded the gentlemen of the Treasury Bench of their conduct on the 16th when questions of a much more delicate nature and direct tendency to create the inconvenience and evils now dreaded, were put and insisted on, though strongly objected to.

Mr. Fox and two or three others spoke, but the point was carried against answering the question, and the witness was called in and desired to proceed.

He was cross-examined by Mr. Burke, when it appeared that he was not concerned, in the American trade, and that he knew little of it.

In the course of the examination, Lord North having asked several questions in order to establish proof that there was no foundation for the complaints in the other Petitions, Mr. Bailey got up and told General Howe, that as he was going to America, where he would find many rational and sensible men who would be asking him questions concerning the business the Committee were then sitting upon, he therefore begged the General would not forget to render all due justice to the noble Lord on the Treasury Bench, (Lord North) who was now uncommonly active in the examination of this evidence, and in forming question's to draw such sort of answers as might gain, if possible, from the person at the bar something like a proof, that these Counter Petitions came unsolicited by Government, (though all the world knew well enough to the contrary,) and that the grievances and loss of trade complained of in the other Petitions were merely fictitious; all which, Mr. Bailey said, might appear very natural to the noble Lord; for that he had observed, and the whole House had remarked, it, that whenever the noble Lord attended the examination of the evidences who came to prove any of the injuries that this country would suffer by the loss of her American Commerce, he was either fast asleep and did not hear it; or, if awake, he was talking so loud as even to prevent others from hearing it; that this was so shamefully the case the other day, when the great man Mr. Glover was summoning up an evidence to the Committee that would have awakened any other Minister in the world to a sense of his duty, yet, to the inexpressible astonishment of every one, the present Minister showed a determined resolution not to listen to any thing that might tend in the least to convince him of the ruin he was drawing down upon this country and America.

Another witness was examined in support of the allegations in the Counter-Petition. He had formerly been concerned in the American trade, but was not at present. He was asked by Mr. Burke, how he could know, being now unconnected with that business, that the Non-Importation Agreement would not affect the trade? He replied, because he had been in several Warehouses, where he saw great quantities of Goods made up to be sent to Holland. Being asked if that was usual? He replied, he never remembered it before; and that ho supposed they were intended for the American market, to be smuggled by the way of Holland.

It was a continual scene of altercation, from nine o'clock till one in the morning, when the Committee rose.

Lord North observed at the conclusion, that he was glad to find the Manufacturers of Nottingham were not likely to be starved for want of employment, as they had happily got one of the be marts in Europe for their Goods.

Mr. Burke replied, that if his Lordship reflected properly, he did not think he had any great reason to exult in measures which threw the business formerly transacted by our own Merchants, into the hands of the Dutch, and at the same time enriched his professed foes, the Smugglers, on the other side of the Atlantic, at the expense and ruin of his seemingly professed friends, the fair Traders, and to the total ruin besides of the Revenue.

Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair.

General Howe reported from the Committee, that they had heard the Manufacturing Hosiers of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, by their Agent, upon their Petitions, and had examined several, witnesses; and had also examined several witnesses in support of the Petition of the Aldermen, Sheriff, principal Manufacturers, and Inhabitants of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, whose names are thereunto subscribed, and had made a further progress; and that he was directed by the Committee to move that they may have, leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this House will, upon this day seven-night, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House,