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 the Governour by Mr. Cary, Mr. Braxton, Mr. Wood, Mr. Jones, and Mr. Zane.

A Message from the Council by Mr. Blair:

MR. SPEAKER; The Council have agreed to the Address prepared by a Committee of the Council and of this House, and have appointed two of their Members to join such Members as this House may appoint to present the same to his Excellency.

And he presented the said Address at the bar.

And then the Messenger withdrew.

The said Address was read, and is as followeth, viz:

MY LORD: We, His Majesty’s dutiful and loyal subjects, the Council and Burgesses of Virginia, beg leave to represent to your Excellency, that as you have been pleased to leave the Palace, we are very apprehensive the publick Arms therein are too insecure and very much exposed, and therefore hope your Lordship will be pleased to order them to be removed, during your Lordship’s absence, to the publick magazine; which is now, in our opinion, a secure depository.

Resolved, That this House doth agree with the Council 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. Jones, and Mr. Zane, in conjunction with the Members appointed by the Council.

Monday, June 19, 15 Geo. III, 1775.

The Order of the Day being read,
Ordered, That the call of the House be adjourned till to-morrow.

Mr. Bland presented to the House copies of several Resolutions of the General Congress, which he delivered in at the Clerk’s table; where the same were read, and are as followeth, viz:

“Wednesday, May 17.—That all exportations to Quebeck, Nova-Scotia, the Island of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Georgia, except the Parish of St. John’s, and to East and West-Florida, immediately cease; and that no Provisions of any kind, or other necessaries, be furnished to the British Fisheries on the American coasts, until it be otherwise determined by the Congress.”

“Monday, May 29.—That no Provisions or necessaries of any kind be exported to the Island of Nantucket, except from the Colony of Massachusetts-Bay, the Convention of which Colony is desired to take measures for effectually providing the said Island, upon their application to purchase the same, with as much Provision as shall be necessary for its internal use, and no more. The Congress deeming it of great importance to North America that the British Fishery should not be, furnished with Provisions from this Continent through Nantucket, earnestly recommend a vigilant execution of this Resolve to all Committees.”

“Friday, June 2.—That no Bill of Exchange, Draught, or Order of any Officer in the Army or Navy, their Agents or Contractors, be received or negotiated, or any Money be supplied to them by any person in America; that no Provisions or necessaries of any kind, be furnished or supplied to or for the use of the British Army or Navy in the Colony of Massachusetts-Bay, and that no Vessel employed in transporting British Troops to America, or from one part of North America to another, or warlike Stores or Provisions for said Troops, be freighted or furnished with Provisions, or any necessaries, until further orders from this Congress.”

The said Resolutions being read a second time,
Resolved, That this House doth approve of the same, and recommend it to the several Committees within this Colony for carrying into execution the Continental Association, to be vigilant in seeing the said Resolutions strictly complied with.

Mr. Treasurer reported, from the Committee appointed on Thursday last 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: The House of Burgesses received your Lordship’s written Message of the tenth instant, in answer to the joint Address of His Majesty’s Honourable Council and this House, with equal concern and amazement. We were totally unprepared for so severe and cruel a return to the respectful application made to your Lordship, solely dictated by our duty to His Majesty, and the most earnest desire of contributing every thing in our power towards promoting, as well your Lordship’s own happiness, as that of your lady and whole family; this step we hoped would have proved the happy means of restoring that tranquillity and harmony you were pleased to flatter us with your earnest wishes to have established.

Who were the peculiar objects of your tenderness, that you so kindly, in favour to them, declined a particular enumeration, we know not; but are sorry that your Lordship had so little feeling for the honour and integrity of this House. You have now, my Lord, driven us to the disagreeable necessity of inquiring minutely into the causes of the late disturbances in this Country. It is not with the most distant inclination to give your Lordship the slightest umbrage that we engage in so irksome a task, but purely to do justice to our much injured Country, that we recur to different and some distant transactions.

The charges of disloyalty and disaffection in our countrymen to our most gracious Sovereign and his Government, as insinuated in your Lordship’s message, and some other publick acts, are as grievous as they are unmerited. Words, we know, are too often but empty sounds. We appeal not to our professions, however sincere, but to facts of publick notoriety. The loyalty of this His Majesty’s most ancient Colony, stands confessed, as recorded by many of your worthy predecessors. We will presume to carry your attention no further back than to the administration of a Governour immediately preceding your Lordship. Previous to his coming over to Virginia, there had arisen some unhappy disputes between Great Britain and the Colonies. His Majesty was graciously pleased to send over to us, from his immediate presence, the truly noble Lord Botetourt, who told us, that he had received it in command from His Majesty to do justice, and maintain the rights of all his subjects. He cheerfully entered upon the duties of his exalted station, in which he acted as a true representative of his royal master, at once supporting the dignity of his Crown, dispensing the utmost justice, and diffusing benevolence throughout the Country. By his exemplary conduct in all respects, he accomplished what he deemed a glorious work: he gave us tranquillity and happiness. Indeed, he was often heard to declare, that the business of a Governour of Virginia was much easier than he could have conceived, as he found that the Government almost executed itself. Matters were not at that time carried on and precipitated with so high a hand on the other side of the water, as at present. This probably was owing to his minutely examining every subject to the bottom himself—taking nothing upon trust; to his discountenancing tale-bearers and malicious informers; and, at last, making a faithful representation of things as he found them. In a short, too short a time, for the happiness of Virginia, it pleased God to remove him from us.

When we received the account of your Lordship’s appointment, we indulged the pleasing hope that we should again be made happy in a ruler; and when you were pleased to honour us with your presence, we vied with each other in endeavouring to make your administration easy and agreeable. Upon the report that your lady and family were coming over to you, every one, we believe, who heard it, was eager in expectation of an event which was like to give addition to your happiness; we received her Ladyship and your children with every expression of heartfelt joy, and have considered our countrymen as exceedingly happy in having such respectable pledges amongst them.

Changes, my Lord, seldom happen without some sufficient cause. If, therefore, you have, or think you have, discovered any alteration in the sentiments or behaviour of

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