Plans of conciliation were laid before Parliament during the months of January and February 1775 by Chatham and North respectively. The essential difference between them was that while the former proposed to recognize the existence of Congress, and to repeal all the vexatious statutes passed since 1763, the latter only suggested that should any single colony undertake to provide for the common defence and the civil government, and should their plan be approved by Parliament, England would abstain from imposing any tax within the province. The proposals of Chatham, which Shelburne strongly supported, were summarily rejected, and a like fate awaited an analogous plan put forward by Burke in the House of Commons. Even the moderate propositions of North all but caused his downfall, owing to the opposition of the Bedford Whigs, still, as before, the bitterest enemies of America. To conciliate them, a Bill was proposed to restrain the commerce of the New England provinces with Great Britain, Ireland, and the West Indies, and to prohibit them from sharing in the fisheries on the banks of Newfoundland; while an address was carried to the Crown by the House of Commons declaring that Massachusetts was in rebellion, and pledging the country to join the King in suppressing the outbreak. The only real step taken in the direction of conciliation was the recall of Gage, who had shown as little ability in military as in civil affairs. He was replaced as Civil Commissioner by Lord Howe, while the command of the troops was given to General Howe. Before, however, the two brothers could reach America, blood had been shed at Lexington,[1] and the second continental Congress had met.[2]
Moderate counsels, however, continued to prevail. Jay proposed a second petition to the King, and Dickenson still remained master of the situation. A second petition was accordingly drawn up in terms resembling the first, and confided to Richard Penn, one of the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania. It was only after much hesitation that Congress, at the request of Massachusetts, took over the
