of this Colony have long since established a very ample fund for this necessary purpose, by granting His Majesty one shilling and three pence sterling upon the tonnage of vessels, which appears for several years to exceed three thousand Pounds sterling per annum; that the House of Burgesses heretofore, trusting that Government would provide means so essential for the preservation of this Colony, have not interfered in this business; but this House, finding that though this want was known to Government more than twelve months past, no means have been adopted to provide against it, conceive it their duty to remind Government of this great grievance, and to request that two thousand stand of Arms, five tons of Powder, and twenty tons of Lead, at the least, and a sufficient quantity of other articles, be immediately provided and lodged in the publick Magazine for the defence of this Colony, in case of any invasion or insurrection: assuring his Excellency that if the fund aforementioned shall prove insufficient, this House will cheerfully make further provision for these purposes.

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. Mercer, Mr.Cary, and Mr. Braxton.

Mr. Treasurer presented to the House, according to order, a Bill for appointing Commissioners to ratify and confirm the late Treaty of Peace with the Ohio Indians; and the same was received and read the first time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a second time.

Ordered, That the Bill be now read a second time.

The Bill was accordingly read a second time.

Resolved, That the Bill be committed to Mr. Treasurer, Mr. Bland, Mr. Cary, Mr. Digges, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Jones, and Mr.John Walker.

Saturday, June 17, 15 Geo. III, 1775.

Ordered, That this House be called over upon Monday next.

The. Order of the Day being read, for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House to consider further of 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,

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 gone through the Bill, and made several amendments thereunto, which they had directed him to report when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the Report be now received.

Mr. Bland accordingly reported from the said Committee the amendments which the Committee had made to the Bill, and which they had directed him to report to the House; and he read the Report in his place, and afterwards delivered the Bill, with the amendments, in at the Clerk’s table, where the amendments were once read throughout, and then a second time, one by one; and, upon the question severally put thereupon, one of them was disagreed to, and the rest were, with amendments to several of them, agreed to by the House; and several amendments were made by the House to the Bill.

Ordered, That the Bill, with the amendments, be engrossed.

Mr.Mercer reported from the Committee, appointed on Wednesday, the seventh of this instant, June, to draw up an Address to be presented to the Governour, that the Committee had drawn up an Address accordingly, which they had directed him to report to the House; and he read the same in his place, and afterwards delivered it in at the Clerk’s table, where the same was read, and is as followeth, viz:

MY LORD: We, His Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Burgesses of Virginia, return your Lordship our sincere thanks for your kind tender of services expressed in your Message to this House of the 6th instant; as also for your Lordship’s assurance that you will do every thing in your power to restore the publick tranquillity, upon a sure and firm foundation. This House, my Lord, have the highest sense of the services you rendered to this Country on the late Indian expedition: and, while they reflect on this part of your Lordship’s conduct, sincerely lament that any event should disturb the happiness which your Lordship is pleased to say you have enjoyed among us. Wishing most ardently for a restoration of that harmony which subsisted between your Lordship and the People, we have directed an inquiry into the cause of the late disturbances and commotions which have arisen in some parts of this Colony; and we assure your Lordship that we will proceed to investigate this matter with due attention, and apply, on our parts, remedies the best our abilities can suggest.

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 Governour.

Ordered, That the said Address be presented to his Excellency by Mr. Cary, Mr.Braxton, Mr. Wood, Mr. Janes, and Mr. Zane.

A Message from the Council by Mr.Blair:

Mr. SPEAKER: The Council do agree to join with this House in an Address his Excellency the Governour, as this House have desired, concerning the locks takenoff some of the Guns in the Magazine, and they have appointed two of their Members, to join the Members which may be appointed by this House, to prepare the same.

And then the Messenger withdrew.

Ordered, That Mr. Mercer, Mr. Cary Mr.Munford, and Mr.Jones, do join the Members appointed by the Council to prepare the said Address.

Mr.Mercer reported from the Committee appointed yesterday to draw up an Address, upon the Resolution of this House, to be presented to the Governour, that the Committee had drawn up an Address accordingly, which they had directed him to report to the House; and he read the same in his place, and afterwards, delivered it in at the Clerk’s table, where the same was read, and is as followeth:

MY LOHD: We, His Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Burgesses of Virginia, beg leave to inform your Lordship that the publick Magazine is now repaired, and in fit condition for the reception of arms and ammunition. We therefore request your Lordship will be pleased to order the powder lately removed from thence to be returned, agreeable to your Lordship’s promise contained in your written message to this House. We farther beg leave to inform your Lordship, that it appears to the House, from the report of their Committee appointed to inspect the publick magazine, that there are no arms therein fit for service, at this critical time. My Lord, when your Excellency assures us of the great probability of an Indian invasion, at a time, too, when an insurrection of our slaves may be encouraged merely from a notoriety of a total deficiency in our publick stores of arms and ammunition, it is a duty we owe to our Country and ourselves, to remind your Lordship that the Legislature of this Colony have long since made ample provision for the purchase of arms and ammunition, and established a competent fund for that purpose, by granting to His Majesty one shilling and three pence sterling upon the tonnage of all vessels trading to. this Country. This fund, my Lord, has, for several years last past, exceeded three thousand Pounds sterling per annum; and our predecessors, in former Assemblies, trusting that Government would always make a necessary and adequate provision in a matter so essential to. the immediate and future preservation of this Colony, have not interfered in this business. But, my Lord, this House, finding a total inattention in Government to this important provision, although it must have appeared essential more than twelve months ago, and still observing that no means are pursued to supply a deficiency so alarming, now conceive it to be their duty, not only to represent this grievance to your Lordship, but also to request that you will be pleased to order that two thousand stand of arms, five tons of powder, and twenty tons of lead at least, with a sufficient quantity of other military stores, be immediately provided for the defence; of this Colony, in case of any invasion or insurrection, and that the same be lodged in the publick magazine. In case the fund aforementioned shall prove deficient, this House assure your Lordship that they will make such further or other provision as may be necessary to enable your Lordship to comply with this request.