that is shocking to hear, they are riveted to coercion against our fellow-subjects in America?

Lord Hinchinbroke said, his brother was in such a situation, that the noble Lord, his father, had no other means of sending him.

Lord North said, the ships built at the end of the war were of green wood, which not being so durable as the seasoned wood, were very bad, had lately proved very rotten, and that this circumstance had been the cause of the great expense.

Sir J. G. Griffin did not get up to oppose the number of seamen, because he thought if any operations were to be continued against the Americans, they ought to be confined to that service only. He then declared that he had hitherto supported Government on principles, without regard to men; thinking it his duty, as an honest man, so to do, as long as the true interest of the country appeared to be consulted, and the publick affairs conducted to the credit or honour of the nation. He denied that to be the case at present, and called on any of the Minister’s best friends to contradict him; adding, he should ill deserve to sit there any longer, if he continued to afford his support to men, the effects of whose pernicious measures had reduced us to so shameful a situation. He professed himself an advocate for the supreme legislative authority of this country over its Colonies; disclaimed, however, on the one hand, vindicating the rash and indiscreet measure of having taxed the Americans, as he did on the other their mode of resistance. The noble Lord [North] had in the last session given it as his firm opinion, that the forces then voted, and the other measures the House had adopted, would put an end to all our unhappy disputes with America, even without a drop of bloodshed; yet notwithstanding we all felt so seriously the grievous effects of these ill-advised measures, the noble Lord, with fatal experience against him, was determined to seek our total ruin, by persevering in the same wild and extravagant system; instead of which, he added, a tender of conciliation on terms suited to the true spirit of the British Constitution ought to be preferred and held out to the Americans, which, if found not successful, we ought to relinquish all connections with them: or otherwise, if practicable, to harass them with your fleets, by interrupting their trade, till at length they might perhaps be brought to sue for protection.

He contended that measures of this nature would save the nation from impending ruin and destruction, which must otherwise be attendant on the system of coercion and conquest; that our finances might thus be kept unimpaired; that we should have no occasion for foreign troops, for the vast exercise of our Army establishment, or for calling forth the Militia, to the prejudice of trade and of the cultivation of our lands, and that we should preserve to ourselves what, it was to be feared, might be too soon wanted—security at home, against foreign or domestick insults; and that, in the worst event, the loss of America could never be adequate to the blood and treasure of which this country must be exhausted in the endeavour to recover it, and to preserve it, if in the end victorious.

The motion was agreed to without a division, and Mr. Speaker resumed the chair.

Sir Charles Whitworth reported from the Committee, That they had come to several Resolutions; which they had directed him to report, when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered, That the Report be received to-morrow morning.

Sir Charles Whitworth also acquainted the House, that he was directed by the Committee to move that they may have leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this House will, upon Friday morning next, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to consider further of the Supply granted to his Majesty.

Thursday, November 2, 1775.

Sir Charles Whitworth, according to order, reported from the Committee of the Whole House, to whom it was referred to consider of the Supply granted to his Majesty, the Resolutions which the Committee had directed him to report to the House; which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk’s table, where the same were read; and are as followeth, viz:

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that twenty-eight thousand Men be employed for the sea-service, for the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six, including six thousand six hundred and sixty-five Marines.

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that a sum not exceeding four Pounds per man per month, be allowed, for maintaining the said twenty-eight thousand Men for thirteen months, including Ordnance for sea-service.

The said Resolutions being severally read a second time, were, upon the question severally put thereupon, agreed to by the House.

Resolved, That this House will, to-morrow morning, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to consider of Ways and Means for raising the Supply granted to his Majesty.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Wednesday, November 1, 1776.

Lord North said, although his own particular sentiments continued to be, that the measure of sending part of his Majesty’s Electoral Troops to form part of the garrisons of Gibraltar and Minorca was perfectly legal and constitutional, under the circumstances in which it was done, yet as several gentlemen did not see the matter in the same light, to whom he would wish to give every satisfaction in his power, he would move for leave to bring in a Bill of Indemnity. His Lordship accordingly moved for leave; which was granted.

Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to indemnify such persons as have advised his Majesty to send to the Garrisons of Gibraltar and Port-Mahon a part of the Electoral Troops of Hanover, during the recess of Parliament; and that the Lord North, Mr. Charles Townshend, the Lord Beauchamp, Mr. Cornwall, Sir Grey Cooper, and Mr. Robinson, do prepare and bring in the same.

Friday, November 3, 1775,

The Lord North presented to the House, according to order, a Bill to indemnify such persons as have advised his Majesty to send to the Garrisons of Gibraltar and Port-Mahon a part of the Electoral Troops of Hanoter, during the recess of Parliament; and the same was received, and read the first time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a second time.

Wednesday, November 22, 1775.,

Resolved, That this House will, immediately, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, upon the Bill to indemnify such persons as have advised his Majesty to send to the Garrisons of Gibraltar and Port-Mahon a part of the Electoral Troops of Hanover, during the recess of Parliament.

The House accordingly resolved itself into the said Committee.

Mr. Speaker left the chair.

Sir Charles Whitworth took the chair of the Committee.

Mr. Speaker resumed the chair.

Sir Charles Whitworth reported from the Committee, that they had gone through the Bill, and had directed him to report the same to the House, without any amendment; and he delivered the Bill in at the Clerk’s table.

Ordered, That the Bill be engrossed.

Ordered, That the said Bill be read the third time upon Friday morning next, if the said Bill shall be then engrossed.

Friday, November 24, 1775.

Ordered, That the Order of the Day for the third reading of the Bill, be now read.

And the said Order being read accordingly,

The said Bill was read the third time.

Mr. Marsham moved an amendment to the preamble of the bill. He observed, that the words, as they stood at present, declaring that “doubts having arisen of the legality of the measure,” were an insult upon the good sense of the House; for by what construction of law or reason was it possible to presume a necessity of indemnifying the advisers of such measures, while the whole of the offence imputed to the supposed offenders was, that the measure was