Petition of Gentlemen, Merchants, and Traders

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A Petition of Gentlemen, Merchants, and Traders, in the Woollen Manufactory at or near Hudderfield, in the West Riding of the County of York, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth —

That the Petitioners are very essentially interested in the Woollen Trade of the Northern parts of this Kingdom, and particularly in the narrow Cloths, and that the trade there has been good the last year, and is so at the present, notwithstanding the difficulties that it necessarily meets with from the conduct of the Americans, in presuming to obstruct the trade from thence to many of the Colonies in America; and that the Petitioners apprehend, that any submission to their unjust and unlawful demands, would be most prejudicial to the Petitioners, as well as to the Kingdom in general, as it would tend to make them more insolent, and totally to overthrow the lawful authority which the King and Parliament must have over all its Dominions; but, should the Petitioners suffer a present loss, they are willing to do so, rather than a certain future one, which must involve themselves and their posterity, and consequently the whole Kingdom, in perpetual distress; and therefore praying the House will take all such measures as shall he thought advisable, to support the lawful authority of this Kingdom, and maintain the just rights and privileges thereof, in opposition to all its enemies whatsoever.

A motion was made, and the question being proposed, that the said Petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom the Petition of the Merchants, Traders, and others, of the City of London, concerned in the Commerce of North America is referred;

An amendment was proposed to be made to the question, by leaving out from the word "whom" to the end of the question, and inserting the words "it is referred to consider further of the several Papers which were presented to the House by the Lord North, upon the 19th and 31st days of January last, the 1st, 15th, and 24th days of February last, and the 3d and 8th days of this instant, March, by his Majesty' s command," instead thereof.

And the question being put, that the words proposed to be left out stand part of the question?

It was resolved in the Affirmative.

Then the main question being put,

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Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom the Petition of the Merchants, Traders, and others, of the City of London, concerned in the Commerce of North America, is referred.