LORD NORTH'S MOTION MONDAY, JULY 31, 1775 The Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on the resolve of the house of Commons, and the same being debated by paragraphs, was agreed to as follows: The several Assemblies of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, having referred to the Congress a resolution of the House of Commons of Great Britain, which resolution is in these words: Lunæ, 20° Die Feb. 1775. The House in a Committee on the American papers. Motion made, and question proposed: That it is the opinion of this Committee, that when the General Council and Assembly, or General Court of any of his Majesty's provinces, or colonies in America, shall propose to make provision, according to the condition, circumstance, or situation of such province or colony, for contributing their proportion to the common defence (such proportion to be raised under the authority of the General Court, or General Assembly of such province or colony, and disposable by Parliament) and shall engage to make provision also, for the support of the civil government, and the administration of justice in such province or colony, it will 'This report was not entered upon the Journals. 55 be proper, if such proposal shall be approved by his Majesty, and the two Houses of Parliament, and for so long as such provision shall be made accordingly, to forbear in respect of such province or colony, to lay any duty, tax, or assessment, or to impose any farther duty, tax, or assessment, except only such duties as it may be expedient to continue to levy or impose, for the regulation of commerce; the net produce or the duties last mentioned to be carried to the account of such province or colony respectively. Report on Lord North's Motion' The Congress proceeding to take into their consideration a resolution of the House of Commons of Gr. Br. referred to them by the several assemblies of New Jersey, Pnnsylv and Virga, which resol" is in these words "that it is the opinion &c" are of Opinion That the colonies of America possess an the exclusive right priv. ilege of giving and granting their own money; that this involves a right of deliberating whether they will give any sums make any gift, for what purposes they will give them it shall be made, and what shall be it's the amount of the gift, and that it is a high breach of this privilege for any body of men, extraneous to their constitutions, to prescribe the purposes for which money shall be levied on The Congress took the said resolution into consideration, and are thereupon, of opinion, That the colonies of America are entitled to the sole and exclusive privilege of giving and granting their own money: that this involves a right of deliberating whether they will make any gift, for what purposes it shall be made, and what shall be its amount; and that it is a high breach of this privilege for any body of men, extraneous to their constitutions, to prescribe the purposes for which money shall be levied on them, to take to themselves the authority 'In his "Autobiography" Jefferson wrote: "On the 22d. of July Dr Franklin, Mr. Adams, R. H. Lee and myself, were appointed a commee to consider and report on Ld. North's conciliatory resolution. The answer of the Virginia Assembly on that subject having been approved I was requested by the commee to prepare this report, which will account for the similarity of feature in the two instruments.” Writings of Thomas Jefferson, (Ford), I, 18. This first form of the report was probably submitted on July 25, and laid on the table. The original of this draft report is in the Jefferson Manuscripts in the Library of Congress, Fifth Series, Vol. VIII, No. 5. them, and to take to themselves the authority of judging what shall be a sufficient levy of their conditions circumstances, and situations, and of determining the sufficiency or insufficiency of any the levy proposed amount of the contribution to be levied. That as they possess a right of appropriating their gifts, so are they entitled at all times to inquire into it's their application; to see that it they be not distributed wasted among the venaland corrupt to sap for the purpose of sapping undermining their the civil rights of the givers, of overbearing them by with military force power by diverting them nor yet applied be diverted to the support of standing armies for the purpose of over bearing these rights by military inconsistent with domestie quiet the right to make their freedom and subversive of our their quiet. To propose therefore as this resolution does that the monies given by the colonies shall be subject to the disposal of parliament alone, is to propose that they shall surrender give away relinquish this right of enquiry; and to put it in the power of others to render their gifts ruinous in proportion as they are liberal. That this privilege of giving or of withholding our monies is an important barrier against in the undue exertion of prerogative, which if left altogether without of judging of their conditions, circumstances, and situations, and of determining the amount of the contribution to be levied. That as the colonies possess a right of appropriating their gifts, so are they entitled at all times to enquire into their application, to see that they be not wasted among the venal and corrupt for the purpose of undermining the civil rights of the givers, nor yet be diverted to the support of standing armies, inconsistent with their freedom and subversive of their quiet. To propose, therefore, as this resolution does, that the monies given by the colonies shall be subject to the disposal of parliament alone, is to propose that they shall relinquish this right of inquiry, and put it in the power of others to render their gifts ruinous, in proportion as they are liberal. That this privilege of giving or of withholding our monies, is an important barrier against the undue exertion of prerogative, which, if left altogether without controul might may be exercised to our great oppression; and that is also and all history shews it's how efficacious it's intercession for redress of grievances and re-establishment of rights and how improvident would be the surrender of so powerful a mediator. We are further of opinion That the proposition contained in this resolution is uneandid un equal unreasonable and insidious: uneandid unequal unreasonable because if we declare we accede to it we declare in absolute terms with out reservation we will purchase the favour of parliament not with out knowg not at the same time what and leave the price of that purchase to be fixed by the sellers alone, at what price they will please to estimate their favour; it is in sidious because a colony on refusal of any a proffered sum any individual colonies having bid and bidden again till it they find the height of parliamentary avidity of the seller unattainable by all it's their powers, are then to return into opposition single and unsupported divided from it's their sister colonies having being in the meantime been taken whom the minister shall will have previously being artfully detached from the Union by acceptanee a grant of easier terms, er deluded into inactivity by keeping up into a definitive answer or by delaying of a the definitive answer or by an artful procrastination of a definitive answer. controul, may be exercised to our great oppression; and all history shews how efficacious is its intercession for redress of grievances and re-establishment of rights, and how improvident it would be to part with so powerful a mediator. We are of opinion that the proposition contained in this resolution is unreasonable and insidious: Unreasonable, because, if we declare we accede to it, we declare, without reservation, we will purchase the favor of parliament, not knowing at the same time at what price they will please to estimate their favor; it is insidious, because, individual colonies, having bid and bidden again, till they find the avidity of the seller too great for all their powers to satisfy; are then to return into opposition, divided from their sister colonies whom the minister will have previously detached by a grant of easier terms, or by an artful procrastination of a definitive answer. |