Copy of a Resolution of the House of Commons, Feb 20, 1775.1

Resolved, That when the governor, council and Assembly, or general Court, of any of his Majesty's provinces, or colonies, in America, shall propose to make provision according to the condition, circumstances, and situation of such province or colony, for contributing their proportion to the common defence, (such proportion to be raised under the authority of the general court, or general assembly of such province or colony, and disposable by parliament,) and shall engage to make provision also for the support of the civil government, and the administration of Justice, in such province or colony, it will be proper, if such proposal shall be approved by his Majesty, and the two houses

'On the last day of September, 1774, writs were issued for a new election. The action was unexpected, and is believed to have been taken in order that the petition and other papers of the American Congress might not be received in a Parliament which, however favorable to the existing ministry, might be made even stronger in its interest. The King and Lord North took the keenest interest in the elections for the new Parliament, and the system of election admitted of such manipulation as to ensure a majority in favor of the government. Seats were at the command of the highest bidder, and, costly as it was, a House under the control of the ministry was obtained. The King desired the House to contain "gentlemen of landed property," as the "Nabobs, Planters, and other Volunteers are not ready for the battle." To Lord North, 24 August, 1774. The policy of the King had been determined. The colonies must submit or triumph. "I do not wish to come to severer measures, but we must not retreat; by coolness and an unremitted pursuit of the measures that have been adopted I trust they will come to submit; I have no objection afterwards to their seeing that there is no inclination for the present to lay fresh taxes on them, but I am clear there must always be one tax to keep up the right, and as such I approve of the Tea Duty." To Lord North, 11 September, 1774.

The new Parliament assembled November 30, 1774, and the King's speech spoke of the continued daring spirit of resistance to the laws in America, which in Massachusetts Bay had broken forth in fresh violences of a very criminal nature, and was countenanced and encouraged in other colonies. He declared his resolution to withstand every attempt to weaken or impair the supreme authority of the legislature over all his dominions, the maintenance of which he considered essential to the dignity, safety and welfare of the empire. It was at this time that Franklin wrote an "intended speech" for the opening of the Parliament (Nation, 9 February, 1899). The address favorable to the Ministry was carried in both houses, and the Parliament adjourned on December 19, to reassemble on January 19, 1775, when the Papers relating to the "Disturbances in North America" were laid before the House, by his Majesty's command, and referred to the consideration of a committee of the whole House on January 26. In the Lords the papers were received on January 20, and on the next day, Lord Chatham, without having consulted any of his party or followers, made his motion for withdrawing the troops from Boston. The motion was

of Parliament, and for so long as such provision shall be made accordingly, to forbear, in respect of such province or colony, to levy any duty, tax or assessment, or to impose any further duty, tax, or assessment, except only such duties as it may be expedient to continue to levy, or to impose, for the regulation of commerce, the net produce of the duties, last mentioned, to be carried to the account of such province, or colony, respectively.

Ordered, That the above be referred to the committee for taking into consideration the state of America.

thrown out by a vote of 68 to 18, and early in February the bill for restraining the trade and commerce of the New England colonies was laid before the House, and three Major-Generals had been selected to be sent to America. The Petition of Congress to the King had received no notice except to be included in the mass of papers sent to Parliament, and the well intentioned efforts to obtain from Franklin some definite propositions of compromise and his personal aid in urging them upon the Colonies had produced no results.

Two days after Parliament had assembled, on January 21, the King's Cabinet had met at the house of the Earl of Sandwich, with the following members present: the Lord Chancellor; the Lord President, the Earls of Sandwich, Dartmouth, Suffolk, Rochford and Lord North. It was agreed “that an address be proposed to the two Houses of Parliament to declare that if the Colonies shall make sufficient and permanent provision for the support of the civil government and administration of justice, and for the defence and protection of the said Colonies, and in time of war contribute extraordinary supplies in a reasonable proportion to what is raised by Great Britain, we will in that case desist from the exercise of the power of taxation, except for commercial purposes only, and that whenever a proposition of this kind shall be made by any of the Colonies we will enter into the consideration of proper laws for that purpose, and in the mean while to entreat his Majesty to take the most effectual methods to enforce due obedience to the laws and authority of the supreme legislature of Great Britain." Minute of Meeting in Dartmouth Manuscripts. This is the first form of what came to be known as Lord North's motion of reconciliation, adopted by Parliament on February 20. Before that date Chatham had submitted his plan of reconciliation to the Lords (February 1), and while it contained some features embodied in the Cabinet minute, it contained others that led to its rejection. Franklin's criticism on Lord North's motion are in his Writings (Bigelow), V. 524. That the motion came in the form of a surprise to North's followers is shown in Donne, Correspondence of George III with Lord North, I, 231. The Fisheries Bill became a law and military preparations against the Colonies engrossed the attention of government.

The motion was sent to the Colonial Governors in a circular letter from Lord Dartmouth, 3 March, 1775. This letter is printed in the New Jersey Archives, First Series, X, 555. It was submitted to the General Assembly of Pennsylvania by Governor John Penn, 2 May, 1775, and is printed, together with the reply of the Assembly, in the Pennsylvania Packet, 8 May, 1775.

The congress resuming the consideration of the addition proposed yesterday, Resolved, that the following addition be made:

Resolved, that it be recommended to the congress afores to persevere the more vigourously in preparing for their defence, as it is very uncertain whether the earnest endeavours of the Congress to accommodate the unhappy differences between G. Britain and the colonies by conciliatory Measures will be successful.

Ordered, That the above resolves respecting New York be transmitted by the president in a letter to the prov. Congress of New York, and that it be particularly recommended to s Congress by the president not to publish the foregoing resolves, but to keep them as secret as the nature of the services require.

Upon motion agreed that M [John] Jay, M S[amuel] Adams and M: S[ilas] Deane be a committee to prepare and bring in a letter to the people of Canada.

The Congress then resolved themselves into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the state of America; after some time spent therein, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. [Samuel] Ward reported from the committee, that they had come to certain resolutions respecting the state of America, which he was desired to report, but not having finished the business referred to them desired him to move for leave to sit again.

The report from the committee being read, the Congress came into the following Resolutions:

Resolved unanimously, 1, That his Majesty's most faithful subjects, in these colonies, are reduced to a dangerous and critical situation, by the attempts of the british Ministry to carry into execution, by force of arms, several unconstitutional and oppressive acts of the british par

liament for laying taxes in America; to enforce the collection of those taxes, and for altering and changing the constitution and internal police of some of these colonies, in violation of the natural and civil rights of the colonists. Unanimously 2. Hostilities being actually commenced in the Massachusetts bay, by the British troops, under the command of General Gage, and the lives of a number of the inhabitants of that colony destroyed, the town of Boston having not only been long occupied as a garrisoned town in an enemy's country, but the inhabitants thereof treated with a severity and cruelty not to be justifyed even towards declared enemies; large re-inforcements too being ordered and soon expected, for the declared purpose of compelling these colonies to submit to the operation of the sd acts; Resolved, therefore, that for the express purpose of securing and defending these colonies, and preserving them in safety against all attempts to carry the sd acts into execution by force of arms, these colonies be immediately put into a state of defence.

Unanimously 3. But, as we most ardently wish for a restoration of the harmony formerly subsisting between our Mother country and these colonies, the interruption of which must, at all events, be exceedingly injurious to both countries, Resolved, that with a sincere design of contributing by all the means in our power, not incompatible with a just regard for the undoubted rights and true interests of these colonies, to the promotion of this most desireable reconciliation, an humble and dutiful petition be presented to his Majesty.1

"On that same day [25th] Duane moved in the committee of the whole, that 'the opening of a negotiation to accommodate the unhappy disputes subsisting between Great Britain and the colonies be made a part of the petition to the king.' After a warm debate of two days, it was uninimously resolved [as above]. To this the motion of Duane was added in spite of an unyielding opposition." Bancroft, History of the United States, IV, 200.

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4. Resolved, That measures be entered into for opening a Negotiation, in order to accommodate the unhappy disputes subsisting between Great Britain and these colonies, and that this be made a part of the petition to the King.

The Congress agree that the resolutions respecting New York be entered unanimously and inserted after the above.1

The Congress then resolved itself into a committee of the whole to take into their farther consideration the State of America; and after some time spent therein, the president resumed the chair, and M [Samuel] Ward reported from the committee that they had proceeded farther in the business, but not having come to a conclusion, desired him to move for leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this Congress will, to Morrow, again resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration the state of America. Adjourned till to Morrow at 9 o'clock.

SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1775

The Congress met according to adjournment.

The president laid before the Congress a letter from the convention of New Jersey, which was read, and referred to the committee of the whole.2

Information being given, that there is a gentleman in town who can give the Congress a full and just account of the state of Affairs in Canada;

Ordered, That he be introduced, and he was accordingly introduced. After he withdrew the Congress agreeable

1These resolves were those numbered 3 on p. 60 and the resolve on p. 64.

'The original is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 68, folio 9. It inclosed a copy of the Resolution of the House of Commons, February 20, and was referred to the committee of the whole.