Consideration of the Report of the Committee

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The Order of the Day being read, the Congress resumed the consideration of the Report of the Committee on the subject-matter of a Plan of Accommodation with Great Britain. The same was read; and, by order, being again read, paragraph by paragraph, the first paragraph is in the words following, to wit: "That all the Statutes and parts of Statutes of the British Parliament, which were held up for repeal by the late Continental Congress in their Association, dated the twentieth day of October, 1774, and all the Statutes of the British Parliament passed since that day, restraining the Trade and Fishery of the Colonies on this Continent, ought to be repealed."

The said first paragraph being read, debates arose thereon; and Mr˙ Morris moved, and was seconded, that the words following be substituted instead of the whole first paragraph, to wit: "That such Acts of Parliament as the present Congress think fatal to the liberties of America, ought to be repealed."

And debates arising on the said amendment, and the question being put, it was carried against the amendment, in manner following, to wit:

Resolved, therefore, That the said Amendment be rejected.

The said first paragraph being again read, and the question put, whether the Congress does agree to the said first paragraph, it was carried in the affirmative, in the manner following, to wit:

Dissentients, Mr˙ Sackett, Colonel Woodhull, Mr˙ Sears, Mr˙ Scott, Mr˙ Brasher, and Mr˙ Beekman.

Resolved, therefore, That this Congress does agree with their Committee; in the first paragraph of the said Report.

Then the second, third, and fourth paragraphs of the said Report being read, are in the words following, to wit:

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"That from the necessity of the case Britain ought to regulate the Trade of the whole Empire. And that from the natural right of property the powers of Taxation ought to be confined to the Colony Legislatures respectively; therefore that the Moneys raised as duties upon the regulations of Trade ought to be paid into the respective Colony Treasuries, and be subject to the disposal of their Assemblies."

Debate arose thereon, and the question being put, whether the Congress does agree to the said second, third, and fourth paragraphs; it was carried in the affirmative, in the manner following, to wit:

Dissentients, Colonel Woodhull, Mr˙ Sackett, Mr˙ Sears, Mr˙ Scott, Mr˙ Brasher, Mr˙ Beekman.

Resolved, therefore, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the second, third, and fourth paragraphs, of the said Report.

The fifth paragraph of the said Report being then read, is in the words following, to wit: "That in those Colonies whose Representatives in General Assembly are now chosen for a greater term than three years, such Assemblies for the future ought in their duration not to exceed that term."

And the same being read, debates arose thereon, and the question being put, whether the Congress agrees to the said fifth paragraph, it was carried in the affirmative, in the manner following, to wit:

Resolved, therefore, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the fifth paragraph of the said Report.

The sixth paragraph of the said Report being then read, is in the words following, to wit: "That the Colonists are ready and willing to support the civil Government within the respective Colonies; and on proper requisitions, to assist in the general defence of the Empire, in as ample a manner as their respective abilities admit of."

The same being read, debates arose thereon, and the question being put, whether the Congress does agree to the said sixth paragraph, it was carried in the affirmative, in the manner following, to wit:

Resolved, therefore, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the said sixth paragraph of their Report.

The seventh paragraph of the said Report being then read, is in the words following, to wit: "The Colonies are ready and willing to assent to a Continental Congress, deputed from the several Assemblies, to meet with a President appointed by the Crown, for the purpose of raising and apportioning their general aids, upon application made by the Crown, according to the advice of the British Parliament, to be judged of by the said Congress."

On reading the same, debates arose, and on motion of Mr˙ Platt, seconded by Messrs˙ Hobart and Scott, the, following amendments were proposed and agreed to, to wit: the word "from" between the word "deputed" and the

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And the question being put, whether the Congress does agree to the said seventh paragraph, with these amendments, it was carried in the affirmative, in the manner following, to wit:

Resolved, therefore, That this Congress does agree with their Committee in the said seventh paragraph of their Report, as now amended.

Mr˙ Morris (seconded by Colonel Woodhull) then moved that a Resolution be entered into by this Congress, and added to those mentioned in the said Report of the Committee on the Plan of Accommodation with Great Britain, to wit:

"Resolved, That no one article of the aforesaid Report be considered as preliminary to another, so as to preclude an accommodation without such article; and that no part of the said Report be deemed binding or obligatory upon the Representatives of this Colony in Continental Congress; the same being merely intended to testify our sense of a mode by which the unhappy differences between Great Britain and America may be finally accommodated, and of the propriety of an overture for that purpose."

And the same being read a second time, was unanimously resolved and agreed to.