free and happy condition, and to that peace and prosperity, which they enjoyed in their constitutional dependance on Great Britain, before the present unhappy disorders.”

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Thursday, October 26, 1775.

Mr. Speaker acquainted the House that he had, during the recess of Parliament, received a Letter by the post, dated Halifax, Nova-Scotia, July 4, 1775, and signed “William Nesbitt, Speaker,” desiring that a Paper enclosed therein, intituled, “The Address, Petition, and Memorial of the Representatives of the Freeholders of the Province of Nova-Scotia, in General Assembly,” might be laid before the House.

And the said Letter and Paper were read, and are as followeth, viz:

“Halifax, Nova-Scotia, July 4, 1775.

“SIR: I am directed by the House of Assembly of this Province to enclose you this Address, Petition, and Memorial, to lay before the House of Commons.

“I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient, and most devoted humble servant,

“WILLIAM NESBITT, Speaker.

“To the Right Honourable Sir Fletcher Norton, Knight, Speaker of the House of Commons of Great Britain”

“To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons of GREAT BRITAIN, in Parliament assembled:

“The Address, Petition, and Memorial of the Representatives of the Freeholders of the Province of NOVA-SCOTIA, in General Assembly:

“Your loyal and ever dutiful House of Assembly of the Province of Nova-Scotia, most humbly beg leave to address our gracious Sovereign and both Houses of Parliament, at this dreadful and alarming crisis, when civil discord, and its melancholy consequences, are impending over all British America.

“Actuated by the warmest ties of duty and affection to the person and family of our most gracious Sovereign, animated with the firmest attachment to the mother country, zealous to support her power and consequence over all the British dominions, and dreading a separation from her government and protection as the greatest political evil which can befall us or our posterity:

“Influenced by the principles of humanity and the just rights of mankind in civil society, we tremble at the gloomy prospect before us; we feel for our gracious King; we feel for our mother country, of which many of us are natives; we feel for the British American race, once the most loyal, virtuous, and happy of mankind; animated with such principles, may we not approach the supreme legislature of the British empire, and, as dutiful children of just and indulgent parents, may we not most humbly solicit for such regulations as we conceive most likely to preserve the inhabitants of this Province in duty and allegiance to our King, in rendering permanent their connection with, and dependance on the supreme legislature of Great Britain, and preserving inviolably to us and our posterity the just rights of men in civil society.

“We are fully sensible that we have no right to pray for redress of grievances, to request privileges or regulations, unless we acknowledge your right over us; therefore, we, the Representatives of the freeholders of Nova-Scotia, do unanimously most humbly acknowledge our gracious Sovereign George III, King of Great Britain, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament assembled, to be the supreme legislature of this Province and of all the British dominions, and that it is our indispensable duty to pay a due proportion of the expense of this great empire.

“Having thus, as obedient subjects, acknowledged our duty to our King, and our willing submission to the supreme legislature of the British empire, we humbly request the right of being heard in respect of our grievances or wishes; and as our proceedings in this Assembly may possibly have some influence with other assemblies in America, we humbly hope it will not seem presuming if we enter on the subject.

“We humbly conceive it will be necessary to the peace and happiness of the British empire, that the tax to be raised in the Colonies, and which shall be at the disposal of the British Parliament, and the proportion of each Colony toward the imperial expense, should be of such a nature, as it may never after be necessary to alter it.

“We are also humbly of opinion, that this tax should be of such a nature as should not depreciate, but should increase in the same ratio with the affluence of the inhabitants of this Province. We are also humbly of opinion, that the tax should be of such a nature, as not to be liable to be affected by the increase or diminution of the metals of gold and silver in the world.

“From these considerations we humbly offer it as our opinion, that the fittest tax for this purpose would be a duty of so much per cent. upon all commodities imported into this Province, not being the produce of the British dominions in Europe and America, except the article of bay salt: this tax will include almost all the luxuries made use of, and will increase in an equal ratio with the affluence of the inhabitants; and if the rates of the several articles are fixed every ten years, for the future and subsequent ten years, it will not be liable to depreciate in value by the increase of the metals of gold and silver.

“We therefore humbly pray, that the supreme legislature of the British empire will please to accept of a tax as above pointed out; and so conscious are we of your justice and humanity, that we request to know what proportion would be pleasing or agreeable to you; reminding you to consider, that this Province having no manufactories or lucrative commerce, must ever have a scarcity of specie.

“We also humbly pray, that when the exigencies of the State may require any further supplies from this Province, then such requisitions may be made in the usual manner formerly practised; whereby we may have an opportunity of showing our duty and attachment to our Sovereign, and our sense of the cause for which the requisition is made, by which means, and that only, our gracious Sovereign can be acquainted with the true sense of the people in these his distant dominions.

“We also humbly pray, that you will permit us, and instruct your Governour to consent to an act to disqualify and deprive every member of the community from the rights and privileges of a subject in civil prosecutions, who shall be detected in any illicit trade or fraudulent dealing, together with their aiders, abetters, or concealers, in this or any other branch of the revenue. This will render unnecessary a multitude of officers employed to detect illicit trade, and prevent that disgust and evil spirit which has been created by their insolence, and will prevent that corruption of manners, and that contempt of the crime of perjury, which is now become so open and flagrant. We humbly request that you will appoint good and sufficient salaries to the officers of the customs, and absolutely forbid them to take any fee, in any case whatsoever, as we have found that the detail of revenue duty, in all its departments, have been clogged with unnecessary forms and trifling regulations, to increase the fees and perquisites of the officers; and are also humbly of opinion, that if those officers were under the control of the Governour, the Council, and Judges of the Supreme Court of this Province, it would be more for the advantage of his Majesty’s service and the good of the revenue. We also humbly request, that, if the mode of taxation be pleasing to you, you will permit and order the Legislative Council, and the Judges of the Supreme Court for the time being, to determine and affix the rate of the taxed articles, every ten years, for every subsequent ten years.

“Your ever dutiful, loyal, and affectionate House of Assembly would not, in these unhappy times, presume to mention their own grievances, or request any particular privileges, lest you should suppose they were meant conditional of their just duty and allegiance this day acknowledged; but, as the humble friends of our King and mother country, may we not respectfully point out those measures which may best tend to preserve the inhabitants of this Province in loyalty and allegiance, and although we are not, at this time, in such circumstances as to raise a revenue for the support of the interior civil Government of this Province, agreeable to the present plan established by his Majesty, and which seems absolutely necessary for the dignity of Government in a country whose particular situation and advantages are such as may probably induce Government to order it to be the