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TheConciliatory Resolution was a resolution proposed byLord North and passed by theBritish Parliament in February 1775, in an attempt to reach a peaceful settlement with theThirteen Colonies about two months prior to the outbreak of theAmerican Revolutionary War.[1] It allowed any colony that agreed to contribute to the public defense, as well as to support civil government and the administration of justice, as approved by the Crown and the two Houses of Parliament, to be exempt from taxation. Taxes for the regulation of commerce would continue to be levied, but their net produce would be returned to the colony. The resolution arrived in the American colonies after war had broken out in Massachusetts, and was rejected by theContinental Congress.
In January 1775, Parliament considered petitions from the colonies in relation to theCoercive Acts, including apetition to the king from theFirst Continental Congress, and discussed ways to resolve the crisis with theThirteen Colonies. A proposal byWilliam Pitt to recognize colonial self-government was rejected by the House of Lords. Pitt then moved for the withdrawal of troops from Boston, but that motion was defeated. In February, Pitt presented a plan of conciliation based upon mutual concessions, but this was also rejected. On February 2, despite fierce opposition from some members of Parliament, Massachusetts was declared to be in rebellion.Lord North took the unexpected (for him) role of conciliator for the drafting of a conciliatory resolution which was proposed on February 20, 1775, and dated on February 27.[citation needed]
The bill also followed shortly after a failed proposal byLord Chatham, which was heavily defeated in Parliament due to its favorability towards America.[1] This bill provided the American freedom from taxation without consent, asking for consent to provide revenue toward Great Britain for expenses relating to the colonies.[1] It also provided for the recognition of the Continental Congress, colonial jury trials, and the repeal of the Quebec Act and all other punitive measures in Boston and Massachusetts, as well as addressing a number of other colonial issues.[1] However, it allowed Britain to maintain a standing army within the colonies.[1] Rather than being a definitive settlement, it was intended to facilitate discussion between the two parties.[1][clarification needed]
The Conciliatory Resolution declared that any colony that contributed to the common defense and provided support for the civil government and the administration of justice (ostensibly against any anti-Crown rebellion[citation needed]) would be relieved of paying taxes or duties except those necessary for the regulation of commerce.[citation needed] The "nett produce of [duties related to the regulation of commerce]" was to be "carried to the account of such [colony] respectively."[1] Each colony's contribution and support was required to be "approved by his Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament".[1]
It was debated in Parliament on February 20, 1775.[1] American supporters in Parliament were generally unsupportive of the proposal.[1] A number of members of Parliament, however, saw the proposal as fair and believed that if it was rejected, it would prove that Americans truly only desired independence, and that taxation was only a cover.[1] It passed 274 in favor, 88 against.[1]
The resolution was addressed and sent to the individual colonies, and intentionally ignored the extralegalContinental Congress.[citation needed] By doing this, Lord North hoped to divide the colonists amongst themselves and thus weaken any revolution/independence movements (especially those represented by the Continental Congress).[citation needed] In any case, news of the resolution did not reach the colonies until after fighting broke out between Massachusetts militia and British troops on April 19, 1775.[1]
TheVirginia House of Burgesses, officially disbanded by theEarl of Dunmore in 1774, reconvened in June 1775 and rejected the resolution.[1] The Continental Congress convened a committee to consider it on July 22, 1775, over a month after theBattle of Bunker Hill, rejecting with a response similar to Virginia's.[1]
TheContinental Congress representing thethirteen colonies rejected the proposal as an infringement on their exclusive right to raise revenue.[citation needed] In contrast, the loyal colony ofNova Scotia accepted it. Nova Scotia suggested raising the revenue by imposing a duty on foreign imports, this was granted by Parliament which then repealed all other taxes (except those related to commerce) on Nova Scotia.[2][better source needed]
TheContinental Congress did eventually receive the Conciliatory Resolution in the form of a communication from the assembly of New Jersey on May 26, 1775.[4] Two months later, on July 31, Congress released a report rejecting the resolution on behalf of the colonies. In the meantime it released its ownDeclaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms. The committee that wrote both documents consisted ofBenjamin Franklin,Thomas Jefferson,John Adams, andRichard Henry Lee.[4])
The report on the Conciliatory Resolution asserted that “ colonies of America are entitled to the sole and exclusive privilege of giving and granting their own money.…”
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| Grenville ministry (1763–1765) |
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| Rockingham ministry (1765–1766) |
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| Chatham andGrafton ministries (1766–1770) |
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| North ministry (1770–1782) |
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| Other legal issues | |
