Committee Appointed to Join with a Committee of the Council

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The Order of the Day being read, for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to take into consideration the Governour' s Answer to the joint Address of the Council and this House,

Ordered, That the Report of the Committee appointed to inspect the publick Magazine, and inquire into the Stores belonging to the same, which, on Tuesday last, was ordered to lie upon the table, be referred to the said Committee.

Ordered, That the Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the causes of the late Disturbances and Commotions, which was yesterday ordered to lie upon the table, be referred to the said Committee.

Ordered, That the extract of a Letter from the Earl of Dunmore to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated Williamsburgh, December 24, 1774, laid before the House of Commons, which extract was this day presented to this House, be referred to the said Committee.

Then the House resolved itself into the said Committee.

Mr˙ Speaker left the chair.

Mr˙ Gary took the chair of the Committee.

Mr˙ Speaker resumed the chair.

Mr˙ Cary reported from the Committee that they had gone through the matter referred to them, and had come to a Resolution, which they had directed him to report when the House will please to receive the same.

Ordered That the said Report be now received.

Mr˙ Gary accordingly reported from the Committee the Resolution 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 was read, and is as followeth, viz:

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee that an Address be presented to his Excellency the Governour, in reply to his Lordship' s written Message in answer to the joint Address of the Council and this House, representing to his Excellency the great concern the House was under at receiving such a message; giving to his Excellency a true state of this Country; the dispositions of the people towards His Majesty and his Government; stating, from the evidence now produced to this Committee, the real causes of the late unhappy disturbances, and the effects those disturbances have produced; representing the conduct of the Committee appointed by the House to examine into the slate of the publick Magazine in its proper light; explaining to his Excellency the views of this House in offering to close with any proper measures he might have recommended for the security of his person and family; giving his Excellency a faithful account of the proceedings of the Convention lately held at Richmond, and the reasons for the Resolutions then entered into; observing the tendency of his Lordship' s representations of the inhabitants of this Colony in his publick letters to the Secretary of State; the design of the Committees; the origin of Independent and Volunteer Companies, their true design, and the effects they have produced; representing how inconvenient and improper it would be for the House to adjourn to Yorktown; referring his Excellency to the former Address of the House for the reasons why we cannot interpose our legislative authority in respect to the Courts of Justice; and why we cannot approve the proposition made to us by Parliament; again to assure him, that in our opinion there cannot be the least danger in his returning to the Palace with his family, and that we are still willing and desirous of doing every thing in our power for their most perfect security; to inform his

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The said Resolution being read a second time, was, upon the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House.

Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to draw up an Address to be presented to the Governour upon the said Resolution.

And a Committee was appointed, of Mr˙ Treasurer, Mr˙ Bland, Mr˙ Cary, Mr˙ Digges, Mr˙ Nelson, Mr˙ Jones, and Mr˙ Munford.

Several other Members, having taken the oaths appointed to be taken by Act of Parliament, and repeated and subscribed the Test, took their places in the House.