Surplus of American revenues

Total of Ways and Means

Annuities and lottery at 3 per cent.

23011 30000

1500000

O O N

"

54070 4 10

69054 5 10 decr. 112489 14 11 ditto.

him to defray any extraordinary. expences incurred, or to be incur red, on account of military fervices for the year 1776, and as the exigency of affairs may require. And his Majesty, having judged it expedient to iffue his proclama tion, in purfuance of an act of parliament, paffed in, the fourteenth year of his reign for calling in the remainder of the deficient gold coin, doubts not but that his faithful Commons will enable him to make good the charges which fhall be incurred in this fervice, and which cannot at this time, be afcertained. G, R." And, in confequence of faid meffage, the Houte immediately paffed a vote of credit for one mil lion.

STATE

petition to the throne, praying a ceffation of hoftilities with America for the purpose of obtaining time, and thereby giving an opportunity for a happy and lafting reconciliation with his Majefty's American colonies to declare, that be fhould abide by the fenfe of his parliament, this court conceived it to be their indifpenfable duty, thus early in the feffion, in the most respectful manner to apply to this Right Hon. Houfe, that it will be pleafed to adopt fuch meafures for the healing of the prefent unhappy difputes between the mother coun try and the colonies, as may be fpeedy, permanent, and honourble.

brethren and fellow-fubjects in America. We have beheld with forrow and indignation, feffion after feffion, and notwithstanding repeated warnings of the danger, attempts made to deprive fome millions of British fubjects of their trade, their laws, their conftitution, their mutual intercourse, and of the very food which God has given them for their fubfiftence. We have beheld endeavours ufed to enforce thefe impolitic feverities at the point of the bayonet. We have, on the other hand, beheld fo large a part of the empire, united in one common caufe, really facrificing with chearfulness their lives and fortunes, and preferring all the horrors of a war raging in the very heart of their country, to ignominious cafe. We have beheld this part of his Majefty's fubjects, thus irritated to refiftance, and fo fuccessful in it, fill making profeffions (in which we think it neither wife nor decent to affect a difbelief) of the utmoft loyalty to his Majefty; and unwearied with continued repulfes, repeatedly petitioning for conciliation, upon fuch terms only as fhall be confiftent with the dignity and welfare of the Mother Country. When we confider these things, we cannot look upon our fellow-fubjects in America in any other light than that of freemen driven to refiftance by acts of oppreffion and violence.

2dly. Because this unnatural war, thus commenced in oppreffion, and in the most erroneous policy, muft, if perfevered in, be finally ruinous in its effects. The commerce of Great Britain with America was great and increafing, the profits immenfe, the advantages, as a nursery of feamen, and

as an inexhaustible magazine of naval ftores, infinite; and the continuance of that commerce, particularly in times of war, when moft wanted to fupport our fleets and revenues, not precarious, as all foreign trade muft be, but depending folely on ourselves. These valuable resources, which enabled us to face the united efforts of the Houfe of Bourbon, are actually loft to Great Britain, and irretrievably loft, unless redeemed by immediate and effectual pacification.

3dly. Becaufe Great Britain, deprived of fo valuable a part of its refources, and not animated, either with motives of felf-defence, or with thofe profpects of advantage and glory which have hitherto fupported this nation in all its foreign wars, may poffibly find itfelf unable to fupply the means of carrying on a civil war, at such a vaft diftance, in a country fo peculiarly circumftanced, and under the complicated difficulties which neceffarily attend it. Still lefs would we be able to preferve by mere force that vast continent, and that growing multitude of refolute freemen who inhabit it; even if that, or any country, was worth governing against the inclination of all its inhabitants. But we fear, that while we are making thefe fruitless efforts, refufing to give credit to the declarations of our fellow-fubjects, and blindly confiding in the infidious profeffions of the natural enemies of this country, we are preparing an eafy prey, for thofe who prudently fit quiet, beholding British forces, which, if united, might be in a condition, from their valour, numbers, and difcipline, to carry terror into the

very heart of their kingdoms, deftroying each other. Every event, whichever way it turns, is a victory to them. Our very hofpitals furnish them with daily triumphs, the greater as they are certain, without any rifque to them of men

or money.

4thly. Because we conceive the calling in foreign forces to decide domeftic quarrels, to be a meafure both difgraceful and dangerous; and that the advice which Minifters have dared to give to his Majefty, which they have avowed and carried into execution, of fending to the garrifons of Gibraltar and Port Mahon, the dominions of the crown of Great Britain, a part of his electoral troops, without any previous confent, recommendation or authority of parliament, is unconftitutional. That Hanoverian troops fhould, at the mere pleafure of the minifters, be confidered as a part of the British military eftablishment, and take a rotation of garrifon duties, through thefe dominions, is, in practice and precedent, of the highest danger to the fafety and liberties of this kingdom, and tends wholly to invalidate the wife and falutary declaration of the grand fundamental law of our glorious deliverer King William, which has bound together the rights of the fubject, and the fucceffion of the crown..

5thly. Because the minifters, who are to be intrufted with the management of this war, have proved themselves unequal to the, talk, and in every degree unworthy of public trust. Parliament has given them every affiitance they afked; no unforeseen accidents have flood in their way; no forms have difabled or delayed

their operations; no foreign power hath, as yet, interfered; but notwithstanding thefe advantages, bỷ their ignorance, negligence, and want of conduct, our arms have .been difgraced; upwards of ten thoufand of the flower of our army, with an immenfe artillery, under four Generals of reputation, and backed with a great naval force, have been miferably blockaded in one fea-port town; and after repeated and obftinate battles, `in which fuch numbers of our bravest men have fallen, the British forces have not been able to penetrate one mile into the country, which they were fent to fubdue; important fortreffes are feized, the Governors are driven from their provinces, and it is doubtful, whether at this moment we are in poffeffion of a fingle town in all North America. Whether we confider its extent, or its commerce, England has loft half its empire in one campaign. Nor can we impute the mifconduct of minifters to mere inability, nor to their ignorance of the state of America, upon which they attempt to justify themfelves; for while fome members of adminiftration confefs they were deceived as to the ftrength and condition of the provinces, we have from others received official information, that the infufficiency of the navy was concealed from parliament, and part of adminiftration, from a fear of not receiving fupport from its members. We cannot, therefore, confent to an addrefs, which may deceive his Majefty and the Public into a belief of the confidence of this Houfe in the prefent minifters, who have difgraced parliament, deceived the nation, loft the conies, and involved us in a civil

war