THE Parliamentary Register; .O-R, HISTORY OF THE PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS; CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF The moft interefting SPEECHES and MOTIONS; accurate of the most material EVIDENCE, PETITIONS, &c. s; DURING THE THIRD SESSION of the FOURTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN. LONDON: Printed for J. ALMON, oppofite BURLINGTON-HOUSE, in PICCADILLY. MDCCLXXVII. THE HISTORY OF THE PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES Of the THIRD SESSION of the HOUSE of COMMONS O F THE Fourteenth Parliament of Great-Britain. Appointed to meet at Westminster, on Thursday, the 31st Day of October, 1776. THE King opened the feffion with the following fpeech. Nothing could have afforded me fo much fatisfaction as to have been able to inform you, at the opening of this feffion, that the troubles, which have fo long diftracted my colonies in North America, were at an end; and that my unhappy people, recovered from their delufion, had delivered themfelves from the oppreffion of their leaders, and returned to their duty but fo daring and desperate is the spirit of those leaders, whofe object has always been dominion and power, that they have now openly renounced all allegiance to the crown, and all political connection with this country; they have rejected, with circumftances of indignity and infult, the means of conciliation held out to them under the authority of our commiffion; and have prefumed to fet up their rebellious confederacies for independent ftates. If their treafon be fuffered to take root, much mischief must grow from it, to the fafety of my loyal colonies, to the commerce x of my kingdoms, and indeed to the prefent fyftem of all Europe. One great advantage, however, will be derived from the object of the rebels being openly avowed, and clearly understood; we fhall have unanimity at home, founded in the general conviction of the justice and neceffity of our meafures. I am |