Address of the Council and of the House of Burgesses to Lord Dunmore

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To his Excellency the Right Honorable JOHN Earl of DUNMORE, his Majesty' s Lieutenant and Governor

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The Humble Address of the HOUSE OF BURGESSES.

MY LORD: We his Majesty' s most dutiful and loyal subjects the Burgesses of Virginia, now met in General Assembly, beg leave to return your Excellency our unfeigned thanks for your kind Speech at the opening of this session.

Sensible as we are of the importance of that variety of business which will probably come before us, we shall esteem it our bounden duty to proceed in the discussion of it with coolness, deliberation, and as much despatch as circumstances will admit; and we flatter ourselves that every resolution, we may find it expedient to adopt, will be marked with that prudence and moderation which you are pleased to recommend.

The fatherly attention of our most gracious Sovereign to the happiness of his subjects, in making the good of his people the first object of his thoughts, cannot but impress our minds with the liveliest sense of duty and gratitude; and it is with great satisfaction that we receive from your Excellency those earnest assurances, that you will heartily concur with us in all measures, and assent to all such laws as shall be for the welfare and true interest of this country.

It will ever, my Lord, afford us much pleasure to observe an increase of your domestic felicity: we therefore, with the greatest cordiality, embrace this first opportunity to congratulate your Excellency on the happy arrival of the Right Honorable the Countess of Dunmore, your Lordship' s amiable and most respectable lady, with so many promising branches of your noble family, an event which we consider as having brought with it the surest pledges of our mutual happiness.