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Upon a motion, Ordered, That Colonel Porter go to the major part of the honourable Council, and desire a recess of the Court till the 29th of this month, if agreeable to their Honours. Whereupon the Secretary came into the House and delivered the following Message, viz: “Mr. Speaker: I am directed by the major part of the Council to inform the House that they have consented to the enacting the following Bills, viz: A Bill for assessing a Tax of Forty-Six Thousand Pounds, for defraying publick charges for support of Government; a Bill to grant license to Innholders and Retailers in certain cases; a Bill for fixing out Armed Vessels to defend the Sea-Coast of America, and for erecting a Court of Justice to try and condemn all Vessels that should be found infesting the same. And it is their Honours’ pleasure that this Great and General Court or Assembly be adjourned to Wednesday, the 29th instant, at ten o’clock in the forenoon, then to meet at the Meeting-House in Watertown; and this Court is accordingly adjourned to that time and place.” ADDRESS OF THE MERCHANTS, ETC., OF THE TOWN OF NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE. Address of the Merchants, Gentlemen, Traders, and Inhabitants of the Town and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, presented to His Majesty by Sir Walter Blackett and Sir Matthew White Ridley, Baronets, their Representatives in Parliament. To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty. We, your Majesty’s most faithful and loyal subjects, Merchants, Gentlemen, Traders, and Inhabitants of the Town, and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, truly sensible of the blessings derived to this Kingdom by your Majesty’s mild and gracious Government, humbly beg leave to assure your Majesty of our abhorrence and detestation of the conduct and behaviour of some of our fellow-subjects in America. Fully convinced that the authority of the Legislature of this Country doth and ought to extend over every part of the British Dominions, we sincerely lament that an unjustifiable spirit of resistance to the legislative power of Great Britain should by any means have taken place in the minds of any of your Majesty’s subjects in the American Colonies. The clemency of your Majesty’s Government leaves us no room to doubt that all endeavours will be used to bring back our deluded fellow-subjects to the obedience which they owe to the Constitution of this Country; a Constitution which every honest Briton must be ready, at the hazard of his life and fortune, to support, maintain, and defend. And we trust that, upon proper submission being made, such wholesome laws will be enacted as may do honour to the Mother Country, and put the Colonies upon a firm and lasting establishment. That the Almighty Being, under whom Kings reign, may so direct your Majesty’s Councils and measures, that you may long reign over an united, happy, and free people, is the earnest prayer of, may it please your Majesty, your most faithful and loyal subjects. PETITION OF THE PRINCIPAL GENTLEMEN, ETC., OF THE CITY OF WORCESTER. Petition of the principal Gentlemen, Merchants, Freemen, and Inhabitants of the City of Worcester, presented to His Majesty by Lord Viscount Mahon and Sir Watkin Lewes. May it please your Majesty: At a time when a part of your Majesty’s subjects and a few of our fellow-citizens are approaching your royal presence with Addresses, which are supposed to convey to your Majesty the genuine sentiments of the people of Great Britain, will your Majesty permit your dutiful and loyal subjects of one, not the most inconsiderable cities in your Majesty’s Dominions, with unfeigned assurance of attachment to your royal person and the illustrious House of Hanover, thus publickly to bear testimony against them, as we hold ourselves bound by every tie of duty to your Majesty, to ourselves, and to our Country. We think ourselves more particularly called upon, lest the same delusive arts of misrepresentation should be practised here with the same success as in America, which have involved that Country in a civil war; nor are we without apprehensions, that should the same unfortunate measures be pursued, when this Kingdom is drained of its forces, some Powers in Europe (our natural enemies) may avail themselves of the opportunity, and transfer the seat of war into this Country. We desire likewise to represent to your Majesty the melancholy decline of our trade and manufactures, (owing, in a great measure, as we apprehend, to the unhappy disputes with America, ) and the gloomy situation of our artificers and their families. We should be far from wishing to wound your royal ear with the lamentations of distress, but truth obliges us to approach your throne, and humbly to beseech your Majesty to adopt such measures, as in your royal wisdom shall seem most expedient, for putting a stop to the further effusion of blood, for reconciling Great Britain and her Colonies, for reuniting the affections of your now divided people, and for establishing, on a permanent foundation, the peace, commerce, and prosperity of all your Majesty’s Dominions. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM AN AMERICAN IN LONDON TO HIS FRIEND IN WILLIAMSBDRGH, VIRGINIA, DATED NOVEMBER 11, 1775. I have just returned from one of the first assemblies in Europe, deliberating upon the most important cause that perhaps ever engaged the attention of any people. But you will not think the result of their deliberations any proof of their vast superiority over every other assembly, or at least that it arises from their wisdom and love of justice. Their power, probably, can be less disputed. You can conceive the impatience with which I expected, in the House of Lords, their determination upon the Duke of Richmond’s motion, that the Petition of the Congress should be admitted as ground for reconciliation. But even this has been rejected. It was urged as beneath the dignity of Parliament to treat with a people in actual rebellion; that it came from an illegal body; that it was improperly presented; that not peace, but independency, was the aim of the Colonies. Upon these, or such like reasons, the door of pence seems no longer to be open. I fear it is the last struggle of the minority. Much was expected from the motion; much from the information which Governour Penn would afford. He is certainly warmly attached to the American cause. There is still a conciliatory motion to be made in the House of Commons, by Mr. Burke, but I fear it will have a similar issue. The King’s speech leaves no room to doubt of the measures which will be pursued; for the minority, though gaining some ground, are too weak to do any thing effectual. Your fine flourishing Towns, the fair hopes of America, will, I suppose, be laid in ashes; but it is to be hoped that, like the ph nix, they will soon rise again with new vigour and beauty. It is astonishing to find the little effect the Association has had; what strange events have counteracted its effects. It has made many enemies, but not one friend. GENERAL SCHUYLER TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS. [Read November 30, 1775.] Ticonderoga, November 11, 1775, SIR: I did myself the honour to address you on the 7th instant, since which I have received no advices from General Montgomery. I believe he left St. John’s on the 6th, with the whole Army, in order to attempt Montreal; and’ from what I have been able to learn from the prisoners, he has the greatest prospect of reaping fresh laurels. Colonel Arnold was not arrived at the St. Lawrence on the 30th ultimo. I am apprehensive that he suffers much from the length of his march, unforeseen difficulties, and bad weather. We have already had snow here, and I fear that the
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