The humble Address of the Gentlemen, Clergy, Merchants, Manufacturers, and other Inhabitants of the Town of WIGAN, in the County Palatine of LANCASTER.

Most Gracious Sovereign:

We, your Majesty’s most faithful subjects, the Gentlemen, Clergy, Merchants, Manufacturers, and other Inhabitants of the Town of Wigan, with all dutiful respect beg leave to approach the Throne, to testify our unalterable loyalty and attachment to your Majesty’s person and Government, at a time when a most wicked and unnatural rebellion hath made its appearance in your Majesty’s Dominions in America.

Fully sensible of the many blessings we enjoy, in common with the rest of our fellow-subjects, under your Majesty’s mild and gracious Government, we cannot without horror look on every attempt to disturb the same.

With all the attention we are capable of, we have considered whatever our deluded brethren have urged to palliate the violences they have been guilty of. We have weighed every argument that has been offered by the advocates they have unfortunately met with in this Country. On the maturest deliberation, we cannot find any ground for the outrageous steps they have already taken, and we are lost in wonder and astonishment at their conduct, who have been so far forgetful of their duty to the best of Kings, as to endeavour to justify such proceedings.

We lament that your Majesty’s mildness and clemency have hitherto had no good effect on the minds of your infatuated subjects in America;but we cannot help thinking this has been in some degree owing to the artifices of a faction in this Kingdom, that has contributed to keep up the spirit of dissension; and, to serve private views, hath not scrupled to sacrifice the publick interest.

We beg leave to assure your Majesty, that trade has not, in our neighbourhood, suffered any diminution or decay; that our manufactures flourish in the fullest extent; and that we are under no apprehension from any efforts that may be made to lessen or distress them.

In your Majesty and the great Council of the Nation we repose an entire and implicit confidence; and we shall zealously acquiesce in whatever measures may be thought necessary to support the dignity of your Majesty’s crown, and the constitutional rights and authority of this Country over every part of the Dominions thereunto belonging.

IRISH HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Thursday, November 23, 1775.

Sir John Blaquiere presented to the House a Message from his Excellency, signifying that “he had His Majesty’s commands to acquaint the House, that as the present exigencies of affairs required sending an additional number of Troops to America, he had the firmest reliance on the loyalty of his faithful Commons of Ireland, to admit his sending abroad a number of the Troops on this establishment, not exceeding four thousand men, which shall no longer continue a charge on this Kingdom, but be immediately on their leaving the same in the pay of Great Britain.”“And to show His Majesty’s gracious regard for the safety and defence of this Kingdom, if the Parliament shall desire it, he will replace the said four thousand men with an equal number of foreign Protestants, (subjects of the Prince of Brunswick and the Prince of Hesse Cassel,) to be continued here, in the pay of Great Britain, as soon as His Majesty shall be enabled to send them by his Parliament of Ireland.”

This Message was read again by the Speaker, and ordered on the Journals of the House.

Sir John Blaquiere moved that the House do on Saturday next resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to take his Excellency’s Message into consideration.

Saturday, November 25, 1775.

The House was called over, and resolved into a Committee to take into consideration his Excellency’s Message, and the instruction to consider on the best mode of defence for this Kingdom, Mr. Malone in the chair.

The order for going into the Committee, his Excellency’s Message, and the order for the instruction, were read.

Sir Archibald Acheson rose, and made many eulogiums on His Majesty, whom, he said, we ought to look upon as the father of a much favoured people; and then proposed to offer two Resolutions, but they not being put into proper form, were handed to Mr. Vice-Treasurer; and as they took some time to arrange, Mr. Ogle said the Committee had better adjourn till the Resolutions were drawn. At length they were produced, in substance as follows:

1. Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that in the present exigence of affairs a number of Troops, not exceeding four thousand, out of the number of twelve thousand voted as necessary to be kept in Ireland for the defence thereof, be spared for His Majesty’s service abroad, provided that from their quitting this Kingdom they shall be of no charge to the nation.

2.Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that a number of foreign Protestant Troops, not exceeding four thousand, be received into this Kingdom, to replace the like number sent abroad for the security and defence thereof, provided they shall be of no charge to the nation.

Having read these two Resolutions, Sir Archibald Acheson moved the Committee to agree with the first.

Colonel Ross seconded the motion, and observed, this measure would be a saving to the nation of eighty-five thousand Pounds a year.

Mr. Hellen said, the message was the most respectful that ever came from a Sovereign to his people. That it confirmed and allowed the compact for keeping twelve thousand men here at all times, and that it should not be violated by withdrawing one of those men without the concurrence of Parliament; and was a pledge that the men requested of the House would be returned to the nation as soon as the exigency shall cease. This naturally led to an inquiry, whether the exigency was sufficiently great to warrant this requisition. That it was so, he endeavoured to prove, from the present state of American affairs. He then entered into the praise of the foreign troops intended to be sent here, observing they were some of the best in Germany, who had fought along with our forces, and with them had showed their firmness and bravery on the plains of Minden. By admitting those troops, our security was the same, and our expense considerably less. Some gentlemen, said he, may possibly ask, if these troops are so good, why they were not sent to America, and the British and Irish troops kept at home? To this it might be answered, that Great Britain was willing to show the same arm that protected America, while she was dutiful, was able to chastise her when she was seditious.

Mr. Ponsonby allowed that we ought to support Great Britain, if it can be done with justice, prudence, and humanity. That if the troops were sent abroad without asking our consent, then we should not be made parties in the quarrel. But if we give our consent, we shall show we take a determined part against America. To do so would be contrary to justice, for we have had no Parliamentary proof of the delinquency of America, or the state of the present troubles; all we know of either being derived from