for raising a publick revenue, and for the better support of the Government of His Majesty’s Colony of Virginia.” This act was brought over by Lord Culpepper, then Governour, under the great seal of England, and was enacted in the name of the “King’s most excellent Majesty, by and with the consent of the General Assembly.”

Because, to render perpetual our exemption from an unjust taxation, we must saddle ourselves with a perpetual tax, adequate to the expectations, and subject to the disposal of Parliament alone: whereas, we have a right to give our money, as the Parliament do theirs, without coercion, from time to time, as publick exigences may require. We conceive that we alone are the judges of the condition, circumstances, and situation of our people, as the Parliament are of theirs. It is not merely the mode of raising, but the freedom of granting our money, for which we have contended. Without this, we possess no check on the royal prerogative; and, what must be lamented by dutiful and loyal subjects, we should be stripped of the only means, as well of recommending this Country to the favours of our most gracious Sovereign, as of strengthening those bands of amity with our fellow-subjects, which we would wish to remain indissoluble.

Because, on our undertaking to grant money, as is proposed, the Commons only resolve to forbear levying pecuniary taxes on us, still leaving unrepealed their several Acts passed for the purposes of restraining the Trade, and altering the form of Government of the Eastern Colonies; extending the boundaries, and changing the Government and Religion of Quebeck; enlarging the jurisdiction of the Courts of Admiralty; taking from us the right of Trial by Jury, and transporting us into other countries to be tried for criminal offences. Standing Armies, too, are still to be kept among us, and the other numerous grievances, of which ourselves and sister Colonies, separately and by our Representatives in General Congress, have so often complained, are still to continue without redress.

Because, at the very time of requiring from us grants of money, they are making disposition to invade us with large armaments by sea and land, which is a style of asking gifts not reconcilable to our freedom. They are also proceeding to a repetition of injury, by passing Acts for restraining the Commerce and Fisheries of the Provinces of New-England, and for prohibiting the Trade of the other Colonies with all parts of the world, except the Island of Great Britain, Ireland, and the West-Indies. This seems to bespeak no intention to discontinue the exercise of this usurped power over us in future.

Because, on our agreeing to contribute our proportion towards the common defence, they do not propose to lay open to us a free trade with all the world: whereas, to us it appears just that those who bear equally the burdens of Government should equally participate of its benefits; either be contented with the monopoly of our trade, which brings greater loss to us and benefit to them than the amount of our proportional contributions to the common defence; or, if the latter be preferred, relinquish the former, and do not propose, by holding both, to exact from us double contributions. Yet we would remind Government, that on former emergencies, when called upon as a free people, however cramped by this monopoly in our resources of wealth, we have liberally contributed to the common defence. Be assured, then, that we shall be as generous in future as in past times, disclaiming the shackles of proportion when called to our free station in the general system of the Empire.

Because the proposition now made to us involves the interest of all the other Colonies. We are now represented in General Congress by members approved by this House, where our former union, it is hoped, will be so strongly cemented, that no partial applications can produce the slightest departure from the common cause. We consider ourselves as bound in honour, as well as interest, to share one general fate with our sister Colonies; and should hold ourselves base deserters of that union to which we have acceded, were we to agree on any measures distinct and apart from them.

There was, indeed, a plan of accommodation offered in Parliament, which, though not entirely equal to the terms we had a right to ask, yet differed but in few points from what the General Congress had held out. Had Parliament been disposed sincerely, as we are, to bring about a reconciliation, reasonable men had hoped, that by meeting us on this ground, something might have been done. Lord Chatham’s Bill, on the one part, and the terms of Congress on the other, would have formed a basis for negotiation, which a spirit of accommodation on both sides might, perhaps, have reconciled. It came recommended, too, from one whose successful experience in the art of Government should have insured it some attention from those to whom it was tendered. He had shown to the world, that Great Britain, with her Colonies united firmly under a just and honest Government, formed a power which might bid defiance to the most potent enemies. With a change of Ministers, however, a total change of measures took place. The component parts of the Empire have, from that moment, been falling asunder, and a total annihilation of its weight in the political scale of the world, seems justly to be apprehended.

These, my Lord, are our sentiments on this important subject, which we offer only as an individual part of the whole Empire. Final determination we leave to the General Congress, now sitting, before whom we shall lay the papers your Lordship has communicated to us. To their wisdom we commit the improvement of this important advance; if it can be wrought into any good, we are assured they will do it. To them, also, we refer the discovery of that proper method of representing our well-founded grievances, which your Lordship assures us will meet with the attention and regard so justly due to them. For ourselves, we have exhausted every mode of application which our invention could suggest as proper and promising. We have decently remonstrated with Parliament: they have added new injuries to the old. We have wearied our King with applications: he has not deigned to answer us. We have appealed to the native honour and justice of the British Nation: their efforts in our favour have been hitherto ineffectual. What, then, remains to be done? That we commit our injuries to the evenhanded justice of the Being who doth no wrong, earnestly beseeching him to illuminate the counsels, and prosper the endeavours of those to whom America hath confided her hopes, that through their wise direction we may again see reunited the blessings of liberty, property, and harmony with Great Britain.

The said Address being read a second time,

Resolved, That the House doth agree with the Committee in the said Address, to be presented to the Govern our.

Resolved, That the said Address be presented to his Excellency by Mr. Cary, Mr. Munford, Mr. Braxton, Mr. Jones, and Mr. Wood.

The Order of the Day being read,

Resolved, That this House will to-morrow resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to take into consideration the Governour’s Answer to the joint Address of the Council and this House.

Tuesday, June 13, 15 Geo. III, 1775.

Mr. Mercer reported, from the Committee appointed to inspect the Magazine in this City and inquire into the Stores belonging to the same, that the Committee had inspected the said Magazine, and inquired into the said Stores accordingly; and had directed him to report the same, as it appeared to them, to the House; and he read the Report in his place, and afterwards delivered it in at the Clerk’s table; where the same was read, and is as followeth, viz:

It appears to your Committee, from the deposition of John Frederick Miller, keeper of the magazine, that in June last there were thirty barrels of gunpowder, containing each about fifty weight, in indifferent order; that, by the Governour’s directions, he sifted twenty-seven barrels, out of which he made up twenty-six casks and better; the other three he left unsifted; that the President soon after sent the Governour, then on the frontiers, eight of those he had sifted, three hundred muskets, bayonets, cartouch boxes, and canteens, which have never been returned; that one hundred and sixty of the said muskets were furnished out of the; palace, and soon after replaced out of the magazine; that the said Miller, by order of the President, also delivered out about fifty stand of arms to some gentlemen of this City, which have not been returned.

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