the law, but by the united voices of twenty-four impartial men, having no interest in the cause, but that the laws be executed and justice be administered.

In short, that you may discharge your duty with propriety, and that you may pursue that course of conduct which the law requires, let me, in the strongest terms, recommend to you that you keep constantly in your mind the nature and particulars of the oath which you have just taken. To you this oath is of as much importance as the mariner's compass is to those who sail on the ocean: this points out the course of their voyage; your oath as clearly points out to you the course of your conduct. I dare say you are willing to discharge that duty which you owe to society; I make no doubt but that you will discharge it with advantage to the publick, and therefore with honour to yourselves.

PRESENTMENTS OF THE GRAND JURY FOR THE DISTRICT OF CAMDEN.

1. We present, as a grievance, the extensive bounds of the Parish of St. Mark, which makes it difficult for the Church Wardens and Overseers of the Poor to collect the Poor Tax, and a great means to hinder the propagation of the Gospel in the back pans of the said Parish.

2. We present, as a grievance, that there is not a law to ascertain the prices of Entertainment at publick houses, there being a great number of them in Camden District, who frequently impose on strangers and travellers, by making them pay exorbitantly for what they stand in need of, to the great detriment of the poor.

3. We present, as a grievance of the most dangerous and alarming nature, the power exercised by the Parliament to Tax and to make Laws to bind the American Colonies in all cases whatsoever. We conceive such a power is destructive of our birth-rights as freemen, descended from English ancestors, seeing such freemen cannot be constitutionally taxed or bound by any law, without their consent, expressed by themselves or implied by their Representatives of their own election; a consent which the good people of this Colony never have signified, to be taxed or bound by laws of the British Parliament, in which they never have had any constitutional representation.

And whereas we rather choose to die freemen than to live slaves bound by laws, in the formation of which we have no participation; so now, that the body of this District are legally assembled, as one step towards the defence of our constitutional rights, which are dearer to us than our lives and fortunes, we think it our indispensable duty to the people of the District, to ourselves, the Grand Jurors for the body of the people, and to our posterity, thus clearly to express the sense of this large and populous District, touching our constitutional rights, and the very imminent danger to which they are exposed from the usurped power of the British Parliament, taxing and by law binding the Americans in all cases whatsoever; being resolved to maintain our constitutional rights at the hazard of our lives and fortunes, we do most earnestly recommend that this Presentment in particular be laid before our constitutional Representatives in General Assembly, who, we doubt not, will do all in their power to support us in our just rights.

And lastly, in testimony of the satisfaction we feel, and the high estimation in which we hold the charge given by his Honour the Judge, at the opening of the Court, and the principles of loyalty and liberty in which the same is manifestly founded; and also, that a lasting evidence may remain of that true and constitutional language, which it is the duty of every Judge to adopt, in the exercise of an office instituted solely for the preservation of the laws, we make it our request that his Honour will be pleased to direct the said charge to be printed and made publick, fully persuaded that every man will read it with applause who wishes a lasting security to the British constitutional establishment of civil and religious liberty; we also recommend the publication of these our Presentments.

MATTHEW SINGLETON, Foreman.

THE PRESENTMENTS OF THE GRAND JURY OF CHERAWS DISTRICT.

[After the Local Presentments.]

4. We present, as a grievance of the first magnitude, the right claimed by the British Parliament to Tax us, and by their Acts to bind us in all cases whatsoever. When we reflect on our other grievances, they all appear trifling in comparison with this; for if we may be taxed, imprisoned, and deprived of life, by the force of edicts to which neither we nor our constitutional Representatives have ever assented, no slavery can be more abject than ours. We are, however, sensible that we have a better security for our lives, our liberties and fortunes, than the mere will of the Parliament of Great Britain; and are fully convinced that we cannot be constitutionally taxed but by Representatives of our own election, or bound by any laws but those to which they have assented. This right of being exempted from all laws but those enacted with the consent of Representatives of our own election, we deem so essential to our freedom, and so engrafted in our Constitution, that we are determined to defend it at the hazard of our lives and fortunes; and we earnestly request that this Presentment may be laid before our constitutional Representatives, the Commons House of Assembly of this Colony, that it may be known how much we prize our freedom, and how resolved we are to preserve it.

We recommend that these Presentments be published in the several Gazettes of this Province.

ALEXANDER M'INTOSH, Foreman.

ADDRESS OF THE PETIT JURY OF CHERAWS DISTRICT TO JUDGE DRAYTON.

May it please your Honour.

As your Charge at the opening of the sessions contained matters of the highest importance to every individual in this Colony, as well as to the Grand Jury, to whom, in particular, it was delivered, we, the Petit Jury for the District of Cheraws, beg leave to testify our great satisfaction, and to return your Honour our warmest acknowledgments for so constitutional a charge at this alarming crisis, when our liberties are attacked, and our properties invaded by the claim and attempt of the British Parliament to tax us, and by their edicts to bind us in all cases they deem proper; a claim to which we will never submit, and an attempt which we are determined to oppose at the hazard of our lives and property; being fully convinced, that by the Constitution of this country, we owe obedience to no human laws but such as are enacted with the consent of our Representatives in General Assembly. These being our fixed sentiments, we take this opportunity of publickly declaring them; and we would esteem it a particular favour conferred on us if your Honour would direct your charge to be printed, that the benefit arising from it may be as diffusive as possible, and that it may remain as a pattern of that constitutional language which a Judge should deliver, who is above Ministerial influence, and knows no master but the Law.

CLAUDIUS PEGUES, Foreman.

MEETING OF OFFICERS UNDER EARL OF DUNMORE.

At a Meeting of the Officers under the command of his Excellency the Right Honourable the Earl of Dunmore, convened at Fort Gower* November 5, 1774, for the purpose of considering the grievances of British America, an Officer present addressed the Meeting in the following words:

"GENTLEMEN: Having now concluded the campaign, by the assistance of Providence, with honour and advantage to the Colony and ourselves, it only remains that we should give our country the strongest assurance that we are ready, at all times, to the utmost of our power, to maintain and defend her just rights and privileges. We have lived about three months in the woods without any intelligence from Boston, or from the Delegates at Philadelphia. It is possible, from the groundless reports of designing men, that our countrymen may be jealous of

* Situated at the junction of the Ohio and Hockhocking Rivers, two hundred miles below Fort Dunmore.