and House of Burgesses, offering to concur in any measure proper for my security, which requisition has been taken no notice of; and when the legal executive power of Government is restored, and I may with certainty rely that arms, powder, and other military stores, will be employed no otherwise than as I shall direct, who, as His Majesty’s representative, have the sole authority in the case, then I shall be happy, with the means you furnish me, to provide every thing; and I promise you no attention shall be neglected which may be requisite for securing the inhabitants of Virginia from invasion and insurrection.

Ordered, That the said Papers in answer to the said Addresses, be taken into consideration to-morrow.

Mr. Cary also reported, that his Excellency directed him to acquaint the House, that he would send an answer to the last Address if he should find that it required one.

Ordered, That the thanks of this House be given to Captain James Innis, of the Volunteer Company of Williamsburgh, and the persons employed by him to guard the publick Magazine in this City, for the alacrity, fidelity, and activity with which they undertook and performed that service, and that Mr. Braxton do acquaint him therewith.

Wednesday, June 21, 15 Geo. III, 1775.

The House, according to order, proceeded to take into consideration the Papers sent by the Governour in answer to the Address of the Council and this House, and to the Addresses of this House.

And the said Papers were read.

Resolved, That a free conference be desired with the Council upon Several important matters respecting the state of this Colony, and the subject-matter of his Excellency the Governour’s Message in answer to the joint Address of the Council and this House.

Ordered, That Mr. Bland do go to the Council, and desire the said free conference.

A Message from the Council by Mr. Blair:

MR. SPEAKER: The Council do agree to the free conference desired by this House, and have appointed three of their Members, who are now ready in the Conference Chamber, to meet the Managers for this House.

And then the Messenger withdrew.

Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to manage the said conference.

And a Committeee was appointed of Mr. Bland, Mr. Treasurer, Mr. Cory, Mr. Digges, Mr. Jones, and Mr. Nelson.

Ordered, That the said Managers for this House do lay before the Managers for the Council the several Depositions, taken by order of this House upon the inquiry into the causes of the late disturbances, and that they communicate to them the Address of this House, requesting his Lordship to return the Powder removed from the publick Magazine, by his order, and that he would be pleased to provide a proper quantity of Arms and Ammunition for the necessary security and defence of this Country, together with his Lordship’s Answer thereto. To propose to the Council to join this House in a proper Address to his Excellency, in reply to his Message in answer to their former joint Address, and also on the subject of the several Papers to be communicated to them. To represent to his Excellency how much the important business of the session hath been impeded by his removal from the Palace, by which the necessary and free access to his Lordship, which we conceive the Constitution entitles us to, hath been cut off in a great measure; that there are several bills of the last importance to this Country now ready to be presented to his Excellency for his assent, and that though both Houses, in hopes of preserving that harmony which they wish ever to subsist between the different branches of the Legislature, have hitherto submitted to the great inconvenience of travelling twelve miles, and going on board one of His Majesty’s ships, to deliver their, several Addresses, yet they think it would be highly improper, and a step not warranted by any principle of the Constitution, to present their bills in the same manner. That they therefore desire his Lordship will be pleased to meet them in the Capitol, or, if he is determined not to do this, that he would be pleased at least to come on shore, and they will wait upon his Excellency in Yorktown, upon having his pleasure signified to them. That as the advanced season of the year requires our speedy return to our several Counties, we hope his Lordship will be pleased to give us his ultimate answer, as soon as practicable.

Then the names of the Managers were called over; and they went to the conference.

And being returned,

Mr. Bland reported, that the Managers had been at the conference with the Council, and had laid before them the several depositions taken by order of this House upon the inquiry into the causes of the late disturbances, and communicated to them the Address of this House requesting his Lordship to return the Powder removed from the publick Magazine by his order, and that he would be pleased to provide a proper quantity of Arms and Ammunition for the necessary security and defence of this Country, together with his Lordship’s answer thereto; and proposed to the Council to join this House in a proper Address to his Excellency, in reply to his Message in answer to their former joint Address, and also on the subject of the several Papers communicated to them. And that the Council agreed to join this House in the said Address, and that the managers for this House had drawn up a joint Address accordingly, which was carried to the Council for their concurrence.

A Message from the Council by Mr. Blair:

MR. SPEAKER: The Council have agreed to the joint Address to be presented to the Governour, prepared by the Committee of the Council and of this House. And he presented the said Address at the bar.

And then the Messenger withdrew.

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

To His Excellency the Right Honourable Earl of DUNMORE, His Majesty’s Lieutenant-Governour, General, and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony and Dominion of VIRGINIA, and Vice-Admiral of the same:

The joint Address of the Council and House of Burgesses:

MY LORD: We, His Majesty’s dutiful and loyal subjects, the Council and House of Burgesses of Virginia, have received your Lordship’s answer to our joint Address, by which we represented to your Excellency how very insecure we thought the publick arms in the Palace since your Lordship’s removal from thence, and requested that your Lordship would be pleased to order them to be stored in the publick Magazine, judging this a repository of much greater security.

You are pleased to tell us that experience hath shewn the insecurity of the Magazine, and that as the Palace hath hitherto been respected, you thought it improper to give any other orders; that the arms belonging to the King, which have for so many years been lodged, may still remain in the Palace, and that they may on no account be touched without your express permission. Though these arms, my Lord, may be considered in some sort as belonging to His Majesty, as the supreme head of this Government, and that they are properly under your Lordship’s direction, yet we humbly conceive that they were originally provided, and have been preserved for the use of the Country in case of emergency.

We would not wish to interfere with your Lordship’s, authority, (of this disposition we presume our former address afforded the strongest testimony,) but the reflection that these arms are so much exposed that they may easily be made the most improper and destructive use of, is to us extremely alarming.

The Palace, my Lord, hath indeed been hitherto much respected, but not so much out of regard to the building, as the residence of His Majesty’s representative. Had your Lordship thought fit to remain there, we should have had no apprehension of danger; but, considering these arms at present exposed to your servants, and every rude invader, the security formerly derived from your Lordship’s presence cannot now be relied on.

In your Lordship’s answer to an address of the House of Burgesses, you are pleased to say, that experience has demonstrated to you that the City of Williamsburgh is an improper place for the residence of our Governour; and give it as a reason for not returning the powder according to your own voluntary promise made to the House, that