County, after due notice, on Thursday, the 14th of July, 1774,

JAMES HUBBARD, Esquire, Judge of the said County Court, being unanimously chosen Moderator,

They came to the following Resolves:

Resolved, That we will ever maintain and defend his Majesty's right and title to the Crown of Great Britain, and his Dominions in America, to whose royal person we profess the firmest attachment.

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this meeting, that taxation and representation are inseparable; and that as we are not, and, from the nature of things, cannot be, represented in the British Parliament, every attempt of that body to impose internal taxes on America, is arbitrary, unconstitutional and oppressive.

Resolved, That the Act for blocking up the harbour of Boston, and other purposes therein mentioned, is cruel and unjust, and a convincing proof of the fixed intention of Parliament to deprive America of their constitutional rights and liberties.

Resolved, That the cause of Boston is the common cause of all America, and that we will firmly unite with the other counties in this Colony, and the other Colonies on this Continent, in every measure that may be thought necessary on this alarming occasion.

Resolved, That we do most heartily concur with our late Representatives in their resolve of the total disuse of tea, and do farther resolve against the use of any East India commodity whatsoever, except saltpetre.

Resolved, That we will not import, or purchase when imported, any merchandise or commodities from Great Britain; and that, at a short day hereafter to be fixed, we will stop all exports to Great Britain, until there is a total repeal of the Boston Port Act, all the several Acts imposing taxes on America, for the purpose of raising a revenue, and those other Acts made particularly against our brethren of the Massachusetts Bay, on account of their noble opposition to the late Revenue Acts.

Resolved, That should our sister Colonies of Maryland and North Carolina determine not to export their tobacco to Great Britain, we will be far from availing ourselves of their patriotick resolution, by continuing to export ours.

Resolved, That we will submit to any resolutions that may be entered into either by the Deputies of the several counties in this Colony at Williamsburg, or by the general Congress of the Colonies on the Continent.

Resolved, That we will not deal with any person or persons in this county who will not sign this Association, and strictly and literally conform to every distinct article thereof; nor with any other person or persons who will not sign, and strictly conform, to the particular resolves of their respective counties, but will for ever despise and detest them as enemies to American liberty.

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this meeting, that immediately upon the non-exportation plan taking place, neither the gentlemen of the bar, nor any other person, ought to bring any suit for the recovery of any debt, or prosecute farther any suit already brought, during the continuance of these resolutions, it being utterly inconsistent with such scheme for any man to be compelled to pay without the means wherewith he may pay.

Resolved, That we do most cordially approve of the intended meeting of the late Burgesses on the first of August next, at Williamsburg, and do depute Thomas Whiting, and Lewis Burwell, Esquires, our late worthy Representatives, to consult with the Deputies of the several counties of this Colony, and to adopt such measures as are agreeable to the foregoing resolutions, hereby engaging, on our parts, to conform thereto, and to support the same to the utmost of our power.

Resolved, That the Clerk of this meeting transmit to the Printers of both Gazettes, copies of the above Resolves, with the request of the county to insert them in their papers.

JASPER CLAYTON, Clerk.

CAROLINE COUNTY (VIRGINIA) RESOLUTIONS.

At a General Meeting of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County of Caroline, at the Court House, on Thursday, the 14th day of July, 1774, assembled for the purpose of deliberating and giving their sentiments upon the present state of affairs in America, and what ought to be done at this most alarming crisis, the following points were agitated and agreed to as the opinion of this county:

That the design of our Meeting may not be misinterpreted, we think it proper to declare, what would otherwise be unnecessary, that we will preserve all due obedience and fidelity to the royal person and Government of his sacred Majesty, King George the Third; and that we will at all times when called on for that purpose, maintain and defend, at the expense of our lives and fortunes, his Majesty's right and title to the Crown of Great Britain, and his Dominions in America.

That a firm union and mutual intercourse, and reciprocation of interests and affections between Great Britain and her Colonies is desirable and beneficial to both; and that whoever shall go about to dissolve that union, by attempting to deprive the Colonists of their just rights on the one hand, or to effect their independence on the other, ought ever to be considered as a common enemy to the whole community.

That for Americans to be exempted from every kind of taxation, except by the consent of their own Representatives in their several Provincial Assemblies, to be heard in their defence when accused of crimes, and tried by their peers, are rights they derive from natural justice, the British Constitution, (to which they are equally entitled with their fellow-subjects in Great Britain,) and from constant usage, so long as the true principles of the Constitution have been suffered to direct the publick councils.

That the British Parliament in their several Acts for imposing a duty upon tea, to be paid in America; for blocking up the harbour and stopping the commerce of the town of Boston in the Massachusetts Bay, for supposed offences, with which they were charged and condemned unheard; for altering the form of that Government established by Charter and long usage; and for empowering his Majesty to order persons charged with certain offences committed in America to be carried to Great Britain and there tried, have been influenced by evil counsellors to depart from the true principles of the Constitution, and to violate the most sacred and important rights of America, from which they can never depart; that those Acts, whether intended to operate only in one Province, or generally in all, ought to be considered as the common cause; and that a firm and indissoluble union and association of the whole ought to be formed to oppose their operation by every just and proper means; to effect which, we think the sending Deputies from each Province to meet in a general Congress, will be a very proper measure, and we desire our Delegates may unite with others in the General Meeting for this Colony in electing such Deputies.

That tea being the subject of the tax complained of, and the East India Company having acted ungenerously in sending great quantities of it to America, to fix the precedent of taxation, though desired to forbear, we most cordially concur with the late Representatives of this Colony to disuse tea, and not to purchase any East India commodities from henceforth, until the just rights of America be restored.

That a General Association between all the American Colonies not to import from Great Britain any commodity whatsoever ought to be entered into and not dissolved till the just rights of the Colonies are restored to them, and the cruel Acts of the British Parliament against the Massachusetts Bay and town of Boston are repealed.

That it is the undoubted privilege and indispensable duty of the Representatives of the people of this Colony, when met in General Assembly, to deliberate freely upon all invasions of the rights, liberties, or properties of their constituents, and consider of the proper means of redress; and therefore, that the interposition of the Executive power here, by mandate from the Ministry to dissolve the Assembly whenever they complain of attempts to destroy those rights, tends to deprive us of all benefit from a Legislature, and is an evidence of the fixed intention of the Ministry to reduce the Colonies to a state of slavery.