Money, my Lord, is not a plant of the native growth of this Country. If the people are totally restrained by the hand of power from sending such produce of their estates as they choose, and it is most for their general interest to make, to foreign markets, in which alone it will command a tolerable price, they are precluded from the necessary proper means of discharging their debts. In such a situation we presume it may be submitted to your Lordship’s judgment, how far it would be consistent with prudence and justice, or even humanity, for us to interpose legislative authority, in order to compel the Magistrates to open the courts of civil jurisdiction, and thereby expose the people to cruel exactions; we rather think it will be better to await the time when the returning wisdom and justice of Great Britain may put it in our power to restore all things to that channel in which they formerly flowed to her aggrandizement, the prosperity and happiness of the whole Empire.

We will, my Lord, proceed forthwith to consider farther the state of the Country, the Address of the Lords and Common’s, and His Majesty’s answer, together with the Resolution of the House of Commons, which you have laid before us; this we will endeavour to do with that calmness and impartiality which their great importance may require; and we sincerely hope, as your Lordship conceives, that we may find the propositions now made to us a benevolent, tender, and auspicious advance on the part of the Parent State towards bringing to a fortunate, and the most desirable issue, all those disputes and dissensions which have so unhappily prevailed.

The said Address being read a second time,

Resolved nemine contradicente, That the House doth agree with the Committee in the said Address to be presented to the Governour.

Resolved, That the said Address be presented to his Excellency by the whole House.

Ordered, That the Gentlemen who drew up the said Address do wait upon the Governour, to know his pleasure when this House shall attend his Excellency to present their Address.

Resolved, That the Governour’s Speech be taken into consideration to-morrow.

Resolved, That this House will, to-morrow, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House to take into consideration the Governour’s Speech.

Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to inspect the publick Magazine in this City, and inquire into the Stores belonging to the same, and make report thereof to the House.

And a Committee was appointed of Mr. Mercer, Mr. Treasurer, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Henry Lee, Mr. Munford, Mr. Dandridge, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Jones, Mr. Cary, Mr. Francis Lightfoot Lee, Mr. Whitinge, Mr. Charles Carter of Stafford, Mr. Braxton, Mr. Zane, Mr. Page, Mr. Carrington, Mr. Digges, Mr. Banister, Mr. Thomas Walker; Mr. Travis, and Mr. Norvell, And they are to have power to send for Persons, Papers and Records.

A Petition of the Presbytery, of Hanover, in behalf of themselves and, all the Presbyterians, in Virginia, and of all Protestant Dissenters, elsewhere, was presented to the House and read; setting forth, that in or about the year 1738 many thousand Presbyterian, families, relying upon the assurances, of Government that they should enjoy the free exercise of their religion, removed from the Northern Colonies and settled in the Frontiers of this, forming a barrier for the lower parts thereof; and taking notice of a bill for granting a toleration to His Majesty’s dissenting Protestant, subjects, which, in the year 1772, was presented to the House, and afterwards ordered to be printed; and pointing out several objections thereunto; and praying that no bill may pass into a law but such as will secure to the Petitioners equal liberties and advantages with their fellow-subjects.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the table.

Resolved, That an Address be presented to his Excellency the Governour, desiring that he will be pleased to direct the proper officer to lay before this House the amount of the tonnage of one shilling and three pence sterling, imposed on Ships and Vessels trading to this Colony, from the year 1762.

Ordered, That the said Address be presented to his Excellency by Mr. Treasurer, Mr. Mercer, and Mr. Henry Lee.

The Order of the Day being read, for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of the Journal of the proceedings of the Congress held at Philadelphia, on the fifth day of September, 1774,

The House resolved itself into the said Committee.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Cary, took the chair or the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair.

Mr. Cary, reported from the Committee, that they had come to several Resolutions, which they had directed him to report when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the Report be now received.

Mr. Cary, accordingly reported from the said Committee the Resolutions which they had directed him to report to the House; which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk’s table; where the same were read, and are as followeth, viz:

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee that the House be moved to come to the following Resolution:

Resolved, That this House doth entirely and cordially approve the Proceedings and Resolutions of the American, Continental Congress; and that they consider this whole Continent as under the highest obligations to that very respectable body, for the wisdom of their counsels, and their unremitted endeavours to maintain and preserve inviolate the just rights and liberties, of His Majesty’s dutiful and loyal subjects in America.

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee that the House be moved to come to the following Resolution:

Resolved, That the warmest thanks of this House, and all the inhabitants of this Colony whom they represent, are particularly due, and that this just tribute of applause be presented to the Honourable Peyton Randolph, Esquire, Richard Henry Lee, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Junior, Richard Bland, Benjamin Harrison, and Edmund Pendleton, Esquires, the worthy Delegates deputed to represent this Colony in Genera Congress at Philadelphia, the fifth day of September, last, for their cheerful undertaking and faithful discharge of the very important trust reposed in them.

The said Resolutions being severally read a second time, were, upon the question severally put thereupon, agreed to by the House.

Resolved nemine contradicente, That this House doth entirely and cordially approve the Proceedings and Resolutions of the American, Continental Congress; and that they consider this whole Continent as under the highest obligations to that very respectable body for the wisdom of their counsels, and their unremitted endeavours to maintain and preserve inviolate the just rights and liberties of His Majesty’s dutiful and loyal subjects in America.

Resolved nemine contradicenie, That the warmest thanks of this House, and all the inhabitants of this Colony whom they represent, are particularly due, and that this just tribute of applause be presented to the Honourable Peyton Randolph, Esquire, Richard Henry Lee, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Junior, Richard Bland, Benjamin Harrison, and Edmund Pendleton, Esquires, the worthy Delegates deputed to represent this Colony in General Congress at Philadelphia, the fifth day of September last, for their cheerful undertaking and faithful discharge of the very important trust reposed in them.

The other Order of the Day being read,

The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole House to consider of the proceedings of the Convention of Delegates for the Counties and Corporations in the Colony of Virginia, held at Richmond, Town, in the County of Henrico, on the twentieth day of March, 1775.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Cary, took the chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair,

Mr. Cary, reported from the Committee that they had come to a Resolution, which they had directed him to report when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the Report be now received.

Mr. Cary, accordingly reported from he said Committee,