And they went to the conference.

And being returned,

Mr. Bland reported, that the Managers for the Council acquainted them that the Council do agree to join with this House in an Address to be presented to the Governour, to desire that he will consent to the removal of the publick Arms to a more secure place, and have appointed three of their Members to draw up the said Address, in conjunction with such of this House as may be appointed; but that the Council do not approve of any measure to be taken, before such Address be presented, for securing the said Arms.

Ordered, That the gentlemen who managed the conference be appointed a Committee to join with a Committee of the Council in drawing up the said Address.

The Order of the Day being read, for the House to 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,

Ordered, That the Report of the Committee appointed to inspect the publick Magazine, and inquire into the Stores belonging to the same, which, on Tuesday last, was ordered to lie upon the table, be referred to the said Committee.

Ordered, That the Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the causes of the late Disturbances and Commotions, which was yesterday ordered to lie upon the table, be referred to the said Committee.

Ordered, That the extract of a Letter from the Earl of Dunmore to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated Williams-burgh, December 24, 1774, laid before the House of Commons, which extract was this day presented to this House, be referred to the said Committee.

Then the House resolved itself into the said Committee.

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 gone through the matter referred to them, and had come to a Resolution, which they had directed him to report when the House will please to. receive the same.

Ordered, That the said Report be now received.

Mr. Cary accordingly reported from the Committee the Resolution which the Committee 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 was read, and is as followeth, viz:

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee that an Address be presented to his Excellency the Governour, in reply to his Lordship’s written Message in answer to the joint Address of the Council and this House, representing to his Excellency the great concern the House was under at receiving such a message; giving to his Excellency a true state of this Country; the dispositions of the people towards His Majesty and his Government; stating, from the evidence now produced to this Committee, the real causes of the late unhappy disturbances, and the effects those disturbance have produced; representing the conduct of the Committee appointed by the House to examine into the state of the publick Magazine in its proper light; explaining to his Excellency the views of this House in offering to close with any proper measures he might have recommended for the security of his person and family; giving his Excellency a faithful account of the proceedings of the Convention lately held at Richmond, and the reasons for the Resolutions then entered into; observing the tendency of his Lordship’s representations of the inhabitants of this Colony in his publick letters to the Secretary of State; the design of the Committees; the origin of Independent and Volunteer Companies, their true design, and the effects they have produced; representing how inconvenient and improper it would be for the House to adjourn to Yorktown; referring his Excellency to the former Address of the House for the reasons why we cannot interpose our legislative authority in respect to the Courts of Justice; and why we cannot approve the proposition made to us by Parliament; again to assure him, that in our opinion there cannot be the least danger in his returning to the Palace with his family, and that we are still willing and desirous of doing every thing in our power for their most perfect security; to inform his Excellency, as our opinion, that the best means of mediating between the supreme authority and this Country will be to make an impartial representation of what has happened ever since his arrival in Virginia; and to assure him in the warmth of our hearts of the sincerest disposition on our part to have the utmost harmony and most perfect tranquillity restored.

The said Resolution being read a second time, was, upon the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House.

Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to draw up an Address to be presented to the Governour upon the said Resolution.

And a Committee was appointed, of Mr. Treasurer, Mr. Bland, Mr. Cary, Mr. Digges, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Jones, and Mr. Munford.

Several other Members, having taken the oaths appointed to be taken by Act of Parliament, and repeated and subscribed the Test, took their places in the House.

Ordered, That a Message be sent to the Council, informing them that it appears to this House, by the report of their Committee, that the locks of upward of three hundred Guns, lately in complete order in the publick Magazine, have been taken off; that one hundred and eight of these Guns are still in the Magazine, but are useless without locks; that this House requests the Council to join them in an Address to his Excellency the Governour, desiring his Lordship will be pleased to communicate to the Council and this House, whether the locks were taken off by his Excellency’s command and, if they were, that his Lordship will be pleased to direct them to be returned to the Magazine, which will be in a fit condition to-morrow to receive them.

Ordered, That Mr. Mercer do carry the said Message to the Council.

Friday, June 16, 15 Geo.III, 1775.

The Order of the Day being read, for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House upon the Bill for appointing Commissioners to settle the Accounts of the Militia lately drawn out into actual service, and for making provision to pay the same,

Ordered, That the Governour’s written Message to this House, and the Papers therein referred to, which, upon Monday, the fifth day of this instant June, were ordered to lie upon the table, be referred to the said Committee.

Then the House resolved itself into the said Committee.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Mr. Bland took the chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair.

Mr. Bland reported from the Committee, that they had made a progress in the Bill, and that he was directed by the Committee to move that they may have leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this House will, to-morrow, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to consider further of the said Bill.

Mr. Cary reported to the House that their Address of Monday last had been presented to the Governour, and that his Excellency gave him a written answer thereunto; and he delivered the said answer in at the Clerk’s table, where the same was. read, and is as followeth, viz:

Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses:

It is with real concern I can discover nothing in your Address that I think manifests the smallest inclination to, or will be productive of a reconciliation with the mother Country.

Resolved, That an Address be presented to his Excellency the Governour, informing him the publick Magazine is now in fit condition for the reception of Arms and Ammunition, requesting his Lordship will be pleased to order the Powder, lately removed from thence by his Excellency’s command, to be returned, agreeable to his promise.

To represent that it appears to this House, by a report of a Committee appointed to inspect the Magazine, that there are no Arms there fit for service; that in these critical times an Indian war is not improbable, and an insurrection of slaves may possibly be encouraged solely by the want of publick stores of Arms and Ammunition, which is now become a fact of publick notoriety; that the Legislature