To the King's most Excellent Majesty.
Most Gracious Sovereign,

We, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the guild or brotherhood of masters and pilots seamen of the Trinity-House of Kingston upon Hull, consider the many privileges granted to our ancient corporation by your royal predecessors, and the great advantages derived to us, as a maritime body, and to the town of Hull by your majesty's kind attention to encourage and secure the navigation and commerce of these kingdoms, as very great and substantial blessings.

To minds thus greatfully inspired, and uninfluenced by party, nothing cari create deeper concern than to behold attempts made to disturb publick tranquility, and to overthrow the peaceable enjoyment of every thing that is dear or valuable.

We therefore think it highly incumbent on us, at a period so truly alarming as the present, when we see the people in most of your Majesty's provinces in North America, cherished and assisted by ill-designing persons, so infatuated as to deny the legislative authority, and so daringly wicked as to act in open rebellion, to give your Majesty this testimony of our unfeigned attachment to your Majesty's person and government, by earnestly assuring your Majesty, that we hold in the utmost abhorrence, men capable of such proceedings; and that we think it our duty, as far as we are able, to assist your Majesty in bringing those unhapy and deluded people to a sense of their allegiance, and in carrying into execution the legislative authority of Great Britain.

Given under our common seal the 23d Day of September, in the year of our Lord, 1775.