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A Petition of the Merchants and Tradesmen of the Port of Liverpool, whose names are subscribed, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth —
That an extensive and most important trade has been long carried on, from the said Town, to the Continent and Islands of America; and that the exports from thence infinitely exceed in value the imports from America, from whence an immense debt arises, and remains due to the British Merchant; and that every article which the Labourer, Manufacturer, or more ingenious Artist, can furnish for use, convenience, or luxury, makes a part in these exports for the consumption of the American; and that those demands, as important in amount as various in quality, have for many seasons been so constant, regular, and diffusive, that they are now become essential to the flourishing state of all their Manufactures, and of consequence to every individual in these Kingdoms; and that the bread of thousands
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 of the several Papers which were presented to the House by the Lord North, upon Thursday last, 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,
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.
Petition of the Merchants and Tradesmen of the Port of Liverpool
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in Great Britain, principally and immediately depends upon this vast branch of commerce, of which a temporary interruption will reduce the hand of industry to idleness and want, and a longer cessation of it would sink the now opulent Trader in indigence and ruin; and that at this particular season of the year, the Petitioners have been accustomed to send out to North America many Ships wholly laden with the products of Britain; but by the unhappy differences at present subsisting, from whatever source they flow, the trade to these parts is entirely at a stand; and that the present loss, though great, is nothing, when compared with the dreadful mischiefs which will certainly ensue, if some effectual remedy is not speedily applied to this spreading malady, which must otherwise involve the West India Islands and the trade to Africa in the complicated ruin; but that the Petitioners can still, with pleasing hopes, look up to the British Parliament, from whom they trust that these unhappy divisions will speedily be healed, mutual confidence and credit restored, and the trade of Britain again flourish with undecaying vigour.