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We have, my Lord, the sincerest and most active desire to seize every opportunity of establishing the freedom of our Country upon a fixed “known foundation,” and of uniting ourselves with our fellow-subjects of Great Britain in one common bond of interest and affection; but we have no “doubts” of what such freedom consists in; it is written as with a sun-beam on our hearts. We are equally sensible of those essentials which alone can admit us to the participation of a just proportion of the common interest; but for the variety of cogent reasons assigned in our address in answer to your Lordship’s speech, we cannot view the proposal of the House of Commons in the same light your Lordship seems to do. The important business of the Assembly, my Lord, has been not a little interrupted by your Excellency’s removal from the proper seat of your Government. As to your Lordship’s offer, that we might adjourn to the Town of York, we think this would be extremely improper, on several accounts: The Town of York could not afford tolerable accommodation for so numerous an assembly; and, what is of more consequence, we humbly conceive, that this, and this place alone is established by law for holding our General Assemblies. If there are any hopes left of your Excellency’s compliance, we must reiterate our request, that you will be pleased to return, with your family, to the Palace, for the reasons assigned in our former address. We feel most sensibly the disagreeable situation your excellent lady must be in. But if, after all, your Lordship is determined to persist in your resolution of absence, we must endeavour to rest satisfied, conscious that, whilst we have been solicitous to do justice to our Constituents and ourselves, we have not been wanting in the respect which is due to the representative of our most gracious Sovereign. We cannot, my Lord, but consider the Representatives of the body of the people, when convened in Assembly, as part of that great and general council which our Constitution hath fixed for advising our Governours in all matters respecting the publick weal. His Majesty’s honourable Council are especially appointed for this purpose. They are well acquainted with our Constitution; their duty to His Majesty will urge them to support the prerogative of the Crown, at the same time that their justice should lead them to maintain the rights of the People. We, therefore, (sincerely regarding your Lordship’s tranquillity and happiness, as well as the important interests of this whole community,) think ourselves loudly called upon to give it as our best advice, that your Lordship will be pleased to advise with your proper and constitutional Council, in all matters of importance, and not suffer yourself to be influenced by designing men; but that you will banish all such from your presence, as the greatest enemies to your own repose, and the real happiness of this extensive Country. 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. Ordered, That the said Address be presented to his Excellency by Mr. Cary, Mr. Braxton, Mr. Wood, Mr. Jones, Mr. Zone, Mr. Page, and Mr. Berkeley. Mr. Treasurer reported from the Committee, to whom the Bill for appointing Commissioners to ratify and confirm the late Treaty of Peace with the Ohio Indians was committed, that the Committee had gone through the Bill, and made several amendments thereto, 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, were, with an amendment to one of them, agreed to by the House. Ordered, That the Bill, with the amendments, be engrossed. Mr. Braxton reported, from the Committee to whom the Bill for appointing an Agent was committed, that the Committee had gone through the Bill, and made an amendment thereunto, 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 amendment, in at the Clerk’s table. Ordered, That the said Report be taken into consideration to-morrow. Tuesday, June 20, 15 Geo. III, 1775. The Order of the Day being read, for taking into consideration the Report which was made from the Committee to whom the Bill for appointing an Agent was committed, Ordered, That the said Report be taken into consideration to-morrow. The other Order of the Day being read, Ordered, That the call of the House be further adjourned till to-morrow. A Message from the Council by Mr. Blair: MR. SPEAKER: I am commanded by the Council to deliver to this House a Paper, which they have received from the Governour, as his Excellency’s answer to the last joint Address of the Council and of this House. And he presented the said Paper at the bar. And then the Messenger withdrew. The said Paper was read, and is as followeth, viz: Experience having shewn the insecurity of the publick Magazine, and the Palace having hitherto been respected, I think it improper to give any other orders than that the arms belonging to the King, which have for so many years been lodged, may still remain there, and that they may on no account be touched without my express permission. Mr. Cary reported that the joint Address of the Council and this House of Saturday last, and the two Addresses of this House of the same day, and likewise the Address of yesterday to the Governour, had been severally presented to his Excellency, who directed him to acquaint the House that he had sent his answer to the first to the Council, and delivered to him two Papers in answer to the second and third Addresses; which Papers he delivered in at the Clerk’s table, and which were read, and are in the words following, to wit: This Address, acknowledging the highest sense of the services I rendered to this Country on the late Indian expedition, though late,* will still, I hope, do credit to the justice of the House of Burgesses. As the care, custody, and disposal of publick stores of ammunition, belong alone to the King’s representative, I cannot consent to return the powder, lately removed from the magazine, to Williamsburgh, which experience has demonstrated to me is an improper place for the residence of the Governour; therefore as I could not attend to its preservation, I could not consequently depend upon its being in security there. The powder in question, besides, you have already been acquainted, belonged to one of His Majesty’s ships; I am therefore in a particular manner accountable for it; but, as I have before declared, I shall be ready to apply it, if I find it wanted, for the protection of the Colony. The duty upon the tonnage of all vessels trading to this Colony has been applied, as I conceive the Act which imposes that duty authorizes, towards the regular and necessary charges of Government; which, without this fund, could not have been supported, and therefore requires it all. This Colony has hitherto been preserved from invasion and insurrection by the care and attention of Government; and you have a very late instance of its exertion, through the means of which the Country has been rescued from the destruction it was threatened with, which, as it proves the contrary of an inattention to any matters essential to the preservation of this Colony, so it exposes the injustice of your present attempt, if it does not induce you to forbear others, of bringing your legal and constitutional Government, at this unhappy conjuncture, into discredit among the people. As to your request that I order a certain quantity of arms, powder, and other military stores, to be provided: when you have complied with the requisition submitted to your consideration, in consequence of the joint address of the Council * One cannot help remarking the injustice of this insinuation, for the Journal of the House of Burgesses proves the Resolution for the Address (to which the foregoing was intended as an answer) passed the House upon receipt of his Lordship’s Message respecting the Powder, the day before he left the City; and the Gazette, published the day he went away, must have informed his Lordship of this generous disposition of the House. So, if the Address was really late, as his Lordship conceives, the reason must be found in his Lordship’s going from the Seat of Government on board an armed vessel.—Vir. Gaz.
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