The Virginia Gazette

Dec. 6. When the order of the day was read yesterday, in the House of Commons, for going into a committee of the whole House on the bill for prohibiting all trade and intercourse with the colonies in rebellion, &c. a member (mr. Dempster, we believe) moved, that it be an instruction given by the House, before the speaker leaves the chair, to the said committee, to accept certain clauses, by way of amendment, and to divide the bill into distinct parts, or to make two bills out of one, in its present form. Debates arose upon this proposition, which it seems is called, by some gentlemen, a method of frittering away a bill; and administration not being disposed to submit to this operation on their favourite child, a division followed at about 5 o'clock, and the numbers were, against the motion 75, for it 34. Lord North, it is said, in order to abate the rigour of this act, so far as it respects the seizing the ships of the Americans, or any ships trading to or from their ports, said, that provision was made in this 50th clause, page 23d, for giving them time to avoid it, by a proper return to their allegiance; but if that was not thought sufficient, gentlemen might propose such other provisions as they judged proper to come in under that clause. We therefore think it proper to lay the clause before the publick, as it now stands, that the friends of America may now have an opportunity to exert themselves, to procure the filling up the blanks with such distant dates as may give them all possible time to reflect on the part they are to act: "And be it farther enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that this act, so far as the same relates to the capture and forfeiture of as ships and vessels belonging to the natural born subjects of the above-mentioned colonies, shall commence, and be in force, from and after the ... and so far t-as the same relates to the capture and forfeiture of all ships and vessels that shall be found going in or at any of the said colonies, or bound and trading from any port or place, in the same, from and after the.., and shall continue to be in force so long as any of the said colonies shall remain in a state of rebellion and disobedience." The blanks are proposed to be filled up with the dates of March 1st, and April 1st, and all the indulgence likely to be procured will be a prolongation of time before the seizures are to take place.

Yesterday the Lower Assembly proceeded on the bill to prohibit all trade and intercourse with the North American colonies, during the continuance of the present rebellion in the said colonies. Debates arising, expected to sit late. The gallery door was locked, and none admitted but peers or members.