of whofe capacity, for that purpofe, from abundant experience, we have. reafon to doubt; and who have hitherto ufed no effectual means of conciliating or of reducing those who oppofe that authority: this appears in the conftant failure of all their projects, the infufficiency of all their information, and the difappointment of all the hopes, which they have for several years held out to the public. Parliament has never refufed any of their propofals, and yet our affairs have proceeded daily from bad to worse, until we have been brought, ftep by ftep, to that ftate of confufion, and even civil violence, which was the natural refult of these defperate

measures.

We therefore proteft against an addrefs amounting to a declaration of war, which is founded on no proper parliamentary information; which was introduced by refufing to fuffer the prefentation of petitions against it, (although it be the undoubted right of the fubject to prefent the fame) which followed the rejection of every mode of conciliation; which holds out no fubftantial offer of redrefs of grievan. ces; and which promifes fupport to thofe minifters who have infamed America, and grofsly mifconducted the affairs of Great Britain.

Meffage of his Majefty to the House of Commons, on Friday, the 10th of February, 1775.

the

George R.

H'mined, in confequence of addrefs of both Houses of Parliament, to take the most speedy and effectual meafures for fupport ing the just rights of his crown, and the two Houfes of Parliament, thinks proper to acquaint this Houfe, that fome addition to his forces by fea and land will be neceffary for that purpofe; and doubts not but his faithful Commons, on whofe zeal and affection he entirely relics, will enable him to make fuch augmentation to his forces as the prefent occafion shall be thought to require.

TIS Majefty being deter

"G. R.

beneficial commerce with our colonies, yet they are exceedingly alarm ed at the confequences that must enfue, if the bill now depending in this honourable houfe fhould pafs into a law, entitled, "A Bill to reftrain the Trade and Commerce of Maffachofett's Bay and New Hampshire, and Colonies of Connecticut and Rhode Island, and Providence Plantation in NorthAmerica, to Great-Britain, Ireland, and the British Islands in the West. Indies, and to prohibit fuch provinces and colonies from carrying on any fishery on the banks of New foundland, or other places therein to be mentioned, under certain conditions, and for a time to be limited;" the faid bill, as your petitioners conceive, being unjustly founded, because it involves the whole in the punishment intended for the fuppofed offences of a few.

"That it muft, in its confequences, overwhelm thousands of his majefty's loyal and useful fubjects with the utmost poverty and diftrefs, inafmuch as they will be thereby deprived of the fisheries, which are the natural means of fupporting themselves and families.

"That the extenfive commerce between Great-Britain and her colonies will, by this bill, be greatly injured, as a capital fource of remittance will be ftopt, which will not only disconnect the future commercial intercourfe between those colonies and this country, but will eventually render them incapable of paying the large debts already due to the merchants of this city.

"That the utmost confufion will probably en fue from enforcing this bill, if paffed into a law, as it cannot be fuppofed that a great number

of men, naturally hardy and brave, will quietly fubmit to a law which will reduce them almost to famine, they not having within themselves provifions fufficient for their fubfiftence.

"That it will induce the French to extend their fisheries, and by that means increase the wealth and ftrength of our rivals in trade, to the great prejudice of this country.

That your petitioners feel for the many hardships which their fellow-fubjects in America already labour under, from the execution of feveral late acts of parliament, evidently partial and oppreffive, and which feem to be extended and continued by this bill; inasmuch as it confirms thofe acts, which in particular cafes deprive the American fubject of trial by jury, prohibit the Americans from carrying provifions from one colony to another, invite a contraband trade under military protection, prevent any fubject of Great-Britain or Ireland from being part owner of certain American fhips or veffels, and veft an undue and dangerous authority in the governor and council of Maffachufett's Bay,

"Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray this honourable houfe, that the faid bill may not pafs into a law."

Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union, entered into by the Delegates of the feveral Colonies of New-Hampshire, Maffachufett's, &c. &c. &c. &c. &c. &c. &c. Fc. &c, Sc. in General Congress,

met

II. The united colonies hereby feverally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, binding on themfelves and their pofterity, for their common defence against their enemies, for the fecurity of their liberties and properties, the fafety of their perfons and families, and their mutual and general welfare.

III. That each colony fhall enjoy and retain as much at it may think fit of its own prefent laws, cuftoms, rights, privileges, and peculiar jurifdictions, within its own limits; and may amend its own conftitution, as fhall feem beft to its own affembly or convention.

IV. That, for the more convenient management of general interefts, delegates fhall be elected annually, in each colony, to meet in General Congrefs, at fuch time and place as fhall be agreed on in the next preceding Congrefs. Only where particular circumstances do not make a deviation neceffary, it is understood to be a rule, that each fucceeding Congrefs is to be held in a different colony, till the whole number be gone through, and fo in perpetual rotation; and that, accordingly, the next Congrefs after the present shall be held at Annapolis, in Maryland.

V. That the power and duty of the Congress fhall extend to the determining on war and peace, the entering into alliances, the reconcilia

tion with Great-Britain, the fettling all difputes between colony and colony, if any should arife, and the planting new colonies where proper. The Congrefs fhall alfo make fuch general ordinances, thought neceffary to the general welfare, of which particular affemblies cannot be competent, viz. thofe that may relate to our general commerce or general currency, to the establishment of pofts, the regulation of our common forces; the Congrefs fhall alfo have the appointment of all officers civil and military, appertaining to the general confederacy, fuch as general treasurer, fecretary, &c. &c. &c.

VI. All charges of war, and all other general expences to be incurred for the common welfare, shall be defrayed out of a common treafury, which is to be fupplied by each colony, in proportion to its number of male polls between 16 and 60 years of age; the taxes for paying that proportion are to be laid and levied by the laws of each colony.

VII. The number of delegates to be elected, and fent to the Congress by each colony, fhall be regulated from time to time, by the number of fuch polls returned; fo as that one delegate be allowed for every 5000 polls. And the delegates are to bring with them to every Congrefs an authenticated return of the number of polls in their respective colonies, which is to be taken for the purposes above-mentioned.

VIII. At every meeting of the Congrefs, one half of the members returned, exclufive of proxies, fhall be neceffary to make a quorum; and each delegate at the Congrefs fhall have a vote in all cafes; and, if neceffarily abfent, fhall be al

lowed

lowed to appoint any other delegate from the fame colony to be his proxy, who may vote for him.

IX. An executive council fhall be appointed by the Congrefs out of their own body, confifting of 12 perfons, of whom in the first appointment, one third, viz. four, hall be for one year, four for two years, and four for three years; and, as the faid terms expire, the vacancies fhall be filled up by appointments for three years, whereby one third of the members will be chofen annually; and each perfon who has ferved the fame term of three years as counsellor, fhall have a refpite of three years, before he can be elected again. This council, of whom two-thirds fhall be a quorum, in the recefs of the Congrefs, is to execute what fhall have been injoined thereby to manage the general continental bufinefs and interefts, to receive applications from foreign countries, to prepare matters for the confideration of the Congrefs, to fill up, pro tempore, continental offices that fall vacant, and to draw on the general treasurer for fuch monies as may be neceffary for general fervices, and appropriated by the Congrefs to fuch fervices.

X. No colony fhall engage in an offenfive war with any nation of Indians, without the confent of the Congress or great council above mentioned, who are first to confider the justice and neceffity of fuch

war.

XI. A perpetual alliance, offenfive and defenfive, is to be entered into, as foon as may be, with the Six Nations; their limits afcertained, and to be fecured to them; their lands not to be incroached on, nor any private or colony purchafe

to be made of them hereafter to be held good, nor any contract for lands to be made, but between the great council of the Indians at Onondega and the general Congrefs. The boundaries and lands of all the other Indians fhall alfo be afcertained and fecured to them in the fame manner; and perfons appointed to refide among them in proper diftricts, who shall take care to prevent injuftice in the trade with them; and be enabled at our general expence, by occafional fmall fupplies, to relieve their personal wants and distreffes; and all purchafes from them fhall be by the Congrefs, for the general advantageand benefit of the united colonies.

XII. As all new inftitutions may have imperfections, which only time and experience can difcover, it is agreed that the General Congress, from time to time, fhall propose fuch amendments of this conftitution as may be found necessary, which being approved by a majority of the colony affemblies, fhall be equally binding with the rest of the articles of this confederation.

XIII. Any and every colony from Great-Britain upon the continent of North-America, not at prefent engaged in our affociation, may, upon application, and joining the faid affociation, be received into the confederation, viz. Quebec, St. John's, Nova Scotia, Bermudas, and the Eaft and Weft Floridas, and fhall thereupon be entitled to all the advantages of our union, mutual affiftance, and commerce.

Thefe articles fhall be proposed to the feveral provincial conventions or aflemblies, to be by them confidered; and, if approved, they are advifed to impower their delegates to agree and ratify the fame

in the enfuing Congrefs; after which the union thereby eftablished is to continue firm, till the terms of reconciliation propofed in the petition of the laft Congrefs to the King are agreed to; till the acts, fince made, reftraining the American commerce and fisheries, are repealed; till reparation is made for the injury done to Bofton by fhutting up its port; for burning Charlestown, and for the expence of this unjust war; and till all the British troops are withdrawn from America. On the arrival of thefe events, the colonies are to return to their former connections and friendfhip with Great-Britain; but, on failure thoreof, this confederation is to be perpetual.

WHEREAS it hath pleafed God to bless these countries with a moft plentiful harveft, whereby much corn and other provisions can be fpared to foreign nations who may want the fame:

Refolved, That after the expiration of fix months, from the 20th of July inftant, being the day appointed by a late act of parliament of Great-Britain, for reftraining the trade of the confederate colonies, all custom-houfes therein (if the faid act be not first repealed) fhall be thut up, and all the officers of the fame difcharged from the execution of their feveral functions; and all the ports of the faid colonies are hereby declared to be thenceforth open to the ships of every state in Europe that will admit our commerce, and protect it, who may bring in and expofe to fale, free of all duties, their respective produce and manufactures, and every kind of merchandize, excepting teas, and the merchandize of Great-Bri

tain, Ireland, and the British WeltIndia iflands.

Refolved, That we will, to the utmost of our power, maintain and fupport this freedom of commerce for two years certain after its com. mencement, any reconciliation between us and Great Britain notwithstanding, and as much longer beyond that term as the late acts of parliament for restraining the commerce and fisheries, and difallowing the laws and charters of any of the colonies, fhall continue unrepealed.

Addrefs, &c. of the Lord Mayor of the City of London, &c. prejented to his Majefty, on Friday the 14th of July, 1775.

To the King's Moft Excellent Majefty.

The bumble Addrefs and Petition of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, in Common Council affembled.

"Most gracious Sovereign,

and dutiful fubjects, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, in Common Council affembled, with all humility beg leave to lay themfelves at your royal feet, humbly imploring your benign attention to wards the grievous diftractions of their fellow-fubjects in America.

OUR Majefty's most loyal

The characteristic of the people, Sire, over whom you reign, has ever been equally remarked for their unparalleled loyalty to their fovereign, whilft the principles of the conftitution have been the rule of

his