of York, should think ourselves wanting both in duty and gratitude to your Majesty, did we not take this occasion of joining with the rest of your Majesty’s loyal subjects in giving this publick testimony of our utmost abhorrence of the present unnatural rebellion in some of your Majesty’s Colonies in North-America, as well as of those factious and evil-minded men, both at home and abroad, by whose means the same hath been and still is principally promoted and abetted.

When we consider the many blessings we have enjoyed since your Majesty’s accession to the Throne of these Realms, by the great extension of trade, and the consequent increase of wealth, by the many good and salutary laws which have been enacted, and, above all, by your Majesty’s just and lenient government over us, we cannot sufficiently express our detestation of all those societies, or sets of men, who (contrary to the allegiance they owe and have sworn unto your Majesty) are now, by their in flammatory letters and publications, in a most daring manner, sowing the seeds of sedition among us, and thereby endeavouring, as much as in them lies, to involve us at home as well as abroad in all the calamities of a civil war.

We beg leave, therefore, in the most respectful and dutiful manner, to assure your Majesty, that we will, at all times, to the utmost of our power, be ready to support your Majesty, and the honour and dignity of your Crown, as well as the legislative authority of these Realms, in the defence of our most valuable Constitution, against all such attempts of your Majesty’s seditious or deluded subjects, either at lie me or abroad.

Given under our common seal, this twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord 1775.

Jo. MIDGLEY, Mayor.

MEETING OF MERCHANTS, ETC., BRISTOL.

Guildhall, Bristol, September 27, 1775.

At a numerous and respectable meeting of the Merchants, Traders, and. others, interested in and well-wishers to American commerce, held at the Guildhall, at eleven o’clock this morning, Mr. Hayes, an eminent American merchant, in the chair, the following Resolutions were agreed to:

1. Resolved, That the trade with North-America is of very great advantage to Great Britain in general, and to this City in particular.

2. That any measures which contribute to the destruction of that trade are an essential injury to the internal commerce and manufactures of this Kingdom.

3. That the present unhappy contest between Great Britain and her Colonies hath a manifest tendency to destroy the commercial connection and political union which have for many years subsisted between the two Countries.

4. That the loss of our trade to America will deprive many thousand industrious poor of the means of procuring a daily subsistence: a melancholy fact, of which we have already ample experience in this City.

5. That the late importation of American grain into this City hath greatly contributed to lower the price of all the necessaries of life, and has been the means of preserving multitudes from the calamitous consequences of famine.

6. That an approbation of measures calculated to destroy the commercial intercourse between the two Countries, and spread the honours of a civil war over a very considerable part of the British Dominions, would be highly disgraceful to the inhabitants of a City that depends solely upon trade for its support, and to every friend to humanity and the general happiness of society.

A motion was then made, that a petition be presented to His Majesty, praying his interposition to put a stop to a ruinous civil war, that our trade may thereby be restored to its former flourishing state. One person objected to it, on a supposed disinclination in His Majesty to receive petitions respecting the American dispute. He was replied to, and appeared to be convinced. A petition was then produced, read paragraph by paragraph, and passed with out a dissenting Voice. The petition was then signed by the gentlemen present, and afterwards left at the Bush Tavern, in Corn Street; and when the signatures are fully completed, it is to be presented to the King, by our Representatives in Parliament.

Bristol, September 28, 1775.

On Monday, the 18th instant, the following Letter was sent to the Right Worshipful Charles Hotchkin, Esquire, Mayor:

SIR: A great number of respectable fellow-citizens be desirous that an address be sent to His Majesty, on the present situation of affaingirs, we take the liberty to request your Worship will call a House for that purpose; and are, with great respect, Sir, your most obedient and very humble servants,

In consequence of the above, summonses were sent to the members of the Corporation, to attend in the Council-House on Thursday, the 21st, but a sufficient number did not attend to make a House.

Upon this, many Citizens applied to the Mayor for the use of the Guildhall on Thursday following, to assemble in, to address His Majesty on the situation of affairs between Great Britain and the American Colonies. The Hall was readily granted, and notice thereof was given in the publick papers.

On Monday, the 25th, Messrs. Samuel Brailsford, John Fisher Weare, and Richard Champion, applied to the Mayor for the Hall on Wednesday, that the American merchants, traders, and the well-wishers to American commerce, might meet there, to consider of a petition to His Majesty. They met accordingly on that day, to the number of about fifty persons. Mr. Hayes, a gentleman lately settled here, from New-York, was called to the chair. A petition was produced and read. A proposal being made for the Chairman to sign it for the whole, which he very prudently declined, it was then signed by those present, and is now industriously carried about, and every influence used to obtain names to it.

Though it was generally understood that this petition was merely set up in opposition to the address, yet not the least obstruction was made to it by any of the independent merchants and citizens.

Thursday, at twelve o’clock, Mr. Mayor went from the Council-House to the Guildhall, attended by the Sheriffs, with many members of the Corporation, and the greatest number of respectable citizens ever known on the like occasion, his Worship being in the chair. The business was opened in a manly sensible speech, by Geo. Daubeny, Esq., setting forth that he was directed to return his Worship the thanks of the citizens of Bristol, for his readiness in granting them the Hall, and was desired to express the grateful sense they entertained of the honour of his presence on this occasion. He then begged leave to lay before them an address, drawn up by a Committee of gentlemen appointed for that purpose, which, he hoped, would meet with general approbation.

To this the Mayor replied nearly as follows:

That he should always retain the most grateful remembrance of the honour this day done him, and should be glad of every opportunity to testify his real regard for the true interest and welfare of the City of Bristol.

A motion was then made for the address to be read. It was much approved, and desired to be read a second time. An attempt to oppose it was then made, by the persons who met to petition the preceding day. Their Chairman, Mr. Hayes, who was deputed by them to attend, was heard with candour, and, in reply, was informed that, as no interruption had been made to their proceedings the day before, it was expected they would not disturb this day’s meeting. They, notwithstanding, continued to obstruct in a very indecent manner; but numbers soon prevailed, and they were silenced. The address was signed, and the Mayor, Sheriffs, with some principal citizens, were requested to present it to His Majesty in the most respectful manner.

The address was immediately signed by a great number of citizens, and we hear that it will be left in the Commit tee-Room of the Tailors’ Hall till Monday next from eleven to two o’clock, for such as are disposed to sign it.