And he moved the House accordingly; and presented to the House a Petition of the Merchants of London, subscribers thereunto, in behalf of themselves and others, concerned in the commerce and fisheries at Newfoundland, Nova-Scotia, Island of St. John’s, River St. Lawrence, Coast of Labrador, and places adjacent, from the several Ports of London, Liverpool, Weymouth, Topsham, Limpston, Exmouth, and Tinmouth.

And the said Petition was read, setting forth, That the Petitioners, during the present year, have suffered very great inconvenience and loss in carrying on their trade and fisheries at Newfoundland, and places adjacent, by their usual resources of bread, flour, and other necessaries, being totally interrupted by the unhappy differences between Great Britain and her American Colonies; and that although the present price of corn leaves the exportation of bread and flour entirely open, and seems to make this application unnecessary; yet, as the price of both may advance so that the prohibition may again take place, the Petitioners may thereby sustain much loss and disappointment in their business, unless a timely and proper relief is provided by the House, in case of such exigency; and that, as the quantity of bread, flour, peas, and other provisions, allowed to be exported from certain ports in this kingdom to Newfoundland, under the Act of the fourteenth of his present Majesty, will not be a sufficient supply to carry on the trade and fisheries while an interruption continues in their supplies from America, the Petitioners cannot pursue their business, unless they have liberty to export, under certain limitations and restrictions, a sufficient quantity of bread, flour, pease, grout, oatmeal, and other necessaries; and as confining the export to particular persons and districts has been found injurious in a general commercial view, the Petitioners hope that the House will think it expedient to allow the exportation of the necessary articles to be extended to any port or ports in Great Britain, where they may be able to obtain them upon the most reasonable and convenient terms; and therefore praying the House to take the premises into consideration, and grant such relief therein as to the House shall seem meet.

Ordered, That the Petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom it is referred to consider of the Petition of the Merchants and Traders of the Town and County of Poole; and also the Petition of the Merchants of Dartmouth, in the County of Devon, engaged in, and carrying on, a trade and fishery to and at the Island of Newfoundland; and also the Petition of the Merchants trading to the West-Indies, whose names are thereunto subscribed, on behalf of themselves and others; and also the Petition of several Merchants and Traders within the City of Chester, trading to Newfoundland.

Friday, November 24, 1775.

Ordered, That the Order of the Day, for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to consider of the Petition of the Merchants and Traders of the Town and County of Poole, praying to be permitted to export Provisions and other necessaries, for the use of the British Fishery, carried on at Newfoundland and the places adjacent; and of the several other Petitions referred to the consideration of the said Committee, be now read.

And the said Order being read accordingly,

Resolved, That this House will, upon Wednesday, the 14th day of February next, resolve itself into the said Committee.

Tuesday, December 5, 1775.

A Petition of the Merchants in Liverpool, whose names are subscribed, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth, That the British Islands in the West-Indies, and the Island of Newfoundland, have been hitherto supplied from the Continent of North-America with wheat, wheat meal, bread, and other articles of provision; which supplies are, by the present disputes with America, entirely withheld from the numerous inhabitants of the said Islands; and that it is impossible to ascertain the quantities necessary for the sustenance of so many Islands, already abounding with people, daily increasing by the arrival of fresh supplies of Negroes, and where the heat of the climate renders every article of provision liable to speedy decay; and, therefore, praying that the Petitioners may have leave to export wheat, wheat meal, biscuit, bread, and pease, to any of the British Islands in America, or that such other relief may be granted as the House may judge needful.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom it is referred to consider of the Petition of the Merchants and Traders of the Town and County of Poole, (praying to be permitted to export Provisions and other necessaries, for the use of the British Fishery carried on at Newfoundland, and the places adjacent,) and of the several other Petitions referred to the consideration of the said Committee.

A Petition of the Merchants of Lancaster was presented to the House, and read, setting forth, That the Petitioners carry on a considerable trade to the Sugar Colonies on their own accounts; whereby the manufacturers of this kingdom are encouraged, and the, revenue augmented; and that the Petitioners are alarmed at the consequences which must happen to the said Colonies, should the non-exportation agreement in North-America be adhered to; from whence those Colonies have hitherto been supplied with very large quantities of bread, flour, rice, Indian corn, live stock, and other provisions, also lumber, and various other articles absolutely necessary and requisite for their sustenance and support; and that the Petitioners are very apprehensive the present interruption of such supplies will greatly distress the said Colonies, and be very prejudicial to their commerce with them; and, therefore, praying the House to take into consideration the unhappy situation the Sugar Colonies must be in, while such supplies are withheld from them, and wherein their commerce may be involved, and grant such relief in the premises as to the House shall seem meet.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the table.

Thursday, December 7, 1775.

Ordered, That the Petition of the Merchants of Lancaster, which was presented to the House upon Tuesday last, and then ordered to lie upon the table, be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom it is referred to consider of the Petition of the Merchants and Traders of the Town and County of Poole, (praying to be permitted to export Provisions and other necessaries for the use of the British Fishery, carried on at Newfoundland and the places adjacent,) and of the several other Petitions referred to the consideration of the said Committee.

A Petition of the Planters of his Majesty’s Sugar Colonies, residing in Great Britain, and of the Merchants of London, trading to the said Colonies, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth, That the Petitioners having, upon a former occasion, stated and laid before the House, with all the accuracy and precision of which they were capable, the worth and value of his Majesty’s Sugar Colonies in the West-Indies; their national magnitude and importance to Great Britain; their situation as depending upon their sister Colonies in North-America, for the maintenance of property and support of life; the Petitioners’ fears and apprehensions of dangers and distress arising out of the unhappy disputes subsisting between Great Britain and America. They firmly trusted, if conciliation did not render it unnecessary, that these substantial motives would have made them the objects of the consideration and attention of the House; and that, in the midst of the flattering expectations that application might meet a forward disposition in the House to relieve, the Petitioners’ hopes are at once blasted and cut off, by the bringing in a Bill to prohibit all trade and intercourse with the Colonies of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, the three lower Counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia; and that when the American Congress adopted their Non-Importation and Non-Exportation Resolves, the fears, naturally arising to the Petitioners from them, were somewhat abated by a reliance, on the Petitioners’ parts, of a relaxation on theirs, at least with regard to the Petitioners; but lest, happily for the Petitioners, this event might succeed, the present Bill not only deprives the Petitioners of the probability, but establishes the impossibility likewise; and therefore praying that, upon this ground, the Petitioners may be allowed to be heard at the bar, by