Resolved, That this Congress do approve the American Association.*

Ordered, That the Resolutions of the late Continental Congress, on the 10th of September last, and the first, second, fourth, and sixth Resolutions of the said Congress, on the 14th of October last, be taken into immediate consideration.

Resolved, That this Congress do approve the above Resolutions of the Continental Congress.

Ordered, That the President do return the most cordial and grateful thanks of this Congress to each of the late Delegates from this Colony to the late Continental Congress, for their able and faithful discharge, in the said Congress, of the high trust reposed in them by their country. And the same was done accordingly.

Resolved, That the unfeigned thanks of every American are justly due to the worthy and patriotick Members of the late Continental Congress, held at Philadelphia, for their wise and spirited exertions in behalf of American Liberty: and the Representatives of this Colony, now met in Provincial Congress, do hereby, in behalf of themselves, and in the names of their constituents, unanimously express their sense of the great services rendered them by those important proceedings.

Ordered, That the Reverend Mr. Turquand, a Member, be desired to celebrate divine service in Provincial Congress.

Resolved, That the President do return the thanks of the Congress to the Reverend Mr. Turquand, Rector of St. Matthews Parish, for his devout and pious performance of divine service before the Congress. And the same was done accordingly.

Resolved, That it be recommended by this Congress to the inhabitants of this Colony, that they give a preference

* Our Delegates From Congress being present, the proceedings of that body at Philadelphia were taken into consideration, and many questions were proposed to them relative to various parts of the proceedings, to which answers and explanations were given by them. One office most important of these was, why, at a time when a number of gentlemen were sent to Congress from all parts of America, for the express purpose of considering and stating the American grievances, and for devising the proper means of redressing them; why did they limit their researches to the year 1763, and not trace back, as could easily have bean done, the many aggressions which had been committed by Great Britain upon her infant Colonies, in the jealousies, monopolies, and prohibitions, with which, she was so prodigal towards them, for the express purpose of depressing their population, confining their trade, and crippling their attempts at even the most domestick and necessary manufactures? To this it was answered, that our Delegates were willing to have stated all the grievances, as were the greater part of the other Delegates; but the people of Virginia would not retrospect farther back than l763, being limited in their powers. And, although they did not avow the reason, yet it was privately declared, it had been agreed upon at home, not to go beyond that, year; as thereby the greater odium, would be thrown upon the reign of George the Third, which was so fatal to the peace of America, The Delegates farther answered, it was then pressed in Congress, that the other Colonies should in this measure net independently of Virginia; but Maryland and North Carolina represented, that as their exports were similar to those of Virginia, so they could not with any advantage to the common cause act independently of her; for their own commodities would be carried to the Virginian Ports, which would run away with all their trade. And that in this manner was the measure of stating all the grievances defeated.

The Articles of Association determined upon by Congress, and recommended to the Provincial Conventions and Congresses to be carried into execution, now came on to be considered, and the four last words of the fourth article of that instrument, ("except Rice to Europe,") gave room for a long and a violent debate. This exception had created an alarming disunion throughout the whole Colony, in consequence of which, the Representatives had met with jealous feelings on the subject; as by that article of the Association, it was contracted, that after the 10th day of September, 1775, America "will not directly or indirectly export any merchandise or commodity whatsoever to Great Britain, Ireland, or the West Indies, except Rico to Europe" This exception had given so general a disgust, that the whole interiour of the Province considered their interests as sacrificed to the emolument of the Rice Planters, and accordingly a motion was made and seconded, that the Delegates to be elected, use their utmost endeavors at the ensuing Congress at Philadelphia, to cause those words to be expunged."

Mr. Gadsden then rose, and explained to the Congress what had taken place in the Continental Congress during the passage of the obnoxious exception. He slid he thought it was his duty to declare, he had not any hand in causing those words to stand in the instrument of Association; that they had well, nigh occasioned a division in Congress. And so ill was a proposition of that nature received, that it had occasioned a cessation from business for several days, in order to give our Deputies time to recollect themselves. That when the Association was completing, and the Members of Congress were signing that instrument, all our Deputies but himself withdrew. That he would have been glad of the honour of signing his name alone; and for doing so, would have trusted to the generosity of his constituents. That he had offered to do so, and that Carolina was on the point of being excluded the Association, when our Deputies being again summoned by the Secretary, they returned into Congress, yielding up the article of Indigo; and that Congress, only for the sake of preserving the union of America, allowed the article Rice to be added to the Association. That this, however, was illy received by the other Colonies, who had thence become jealous of the Rice Colonies; and therefore, it was his opinion, that for the common good, as well as our own honour, we ought to remove this as soon as possible, by having the words "except Rice to Europe" struck out of the fourth article of the Association.

Mr. John Rutledge now undertook his own defence, and that of his three associates. He said that at an early period, he and the other Delegates from this Colony had warmly pressed an immediate Non-Importation, and total Non-Exportation. That, as a Non-Exportation to Great Britain and Ireland, was to withhold from thence the advantages their people might acquire from a receipt of American commodities, so the end would be more surely effected by retaining those commodities altogether in America. Such measures, however, could not be effected; the Northern Colonies resolving to remit to England, as usual, to pay their debts by the circuitous mode of their Flour and Fish trade to the rest of Europe. In short, the commodities they usually sent to the mother country were but trifling, and their real trade would be but little affected by the Association. For instance, Philadelphia carried on a trade oil export to the amount of seven hundred thousand Pounds sterling, whereas, scarce fifty thousand Pounds value of it went to the market of the mother country. That, as it was evident those Colonies were loss intent to annoy the mother country in the article of trade, than to preserve their own trade; so he thought it was but justice to his constituents, to preserve to them their trade as entire as possible. That, as the Northern trade would be but little affected by the Association, he saw no reason why ours should be almost ruined; for nearly all our Indigo, and two-thirds of our Rice, went to the ports of the mother country. That, if we must bear burdens in the cause of America, they ought to be as equally laid as possible. Upon the whole, he said the affair seemed rather like a commercial scheme among the Flour Colonies, to find a better vent for their Flour through the British Channel, by preventing, if possible, any Rice from being: sent to those markets; and that, for his part, he could never consent to our becoming dupes to the people of the North, or in the least to yield to their unreasonable expectations. That, as by the Association, the Rice Planters preserved their property, so it had been the idea of the Delegates at the Congress, that they should make compensation to the Indigo Planters, who could not send their crops to the mother country. Such a plan was just and practicable, and it ought to be the subject of our debate, rather than expunging the means of exporting a great part of our annual crop, and therewith, supplying ourselves with those necessaries we might require.

The subject thus increased by this new matter of compensation brought into view, the debate became more general, and several members took parts in the same. Among the principal of these were, John Rutledge, Thomas Lynch, William Henry Drayton, Edward Rutledge, and Mr. Lynch, Jun., on one side; on the other, the principal speakers were, Christopher Gadsden, Rawlins Lowndes, and the Reverend Mr. Tennent.

By these latter gentlemen, it was contended the compensation scheme was impracticable. That if it were to operate in favour of the Indigo Planter, it should afford in justice also relief to the Hemp Grower, the Lumber Cutter, the Corn Planter, the Makers of Pork and Butter, &c., for why should this benefit be confined to the Indigo Maker, in exclusion of other classes of citizens, whose commodities were their means of support, and would equally, nay, more, be unsaleable by the Association? That, as we were all one people, we should all suffer alike; and then, all would struggle through difficulties which might arise. That union among ourselves was a sine qua non, and this odious distinction had cruelly convulsed the Colony. Besides which, our Northern brethren beheld us with a jealous eye, and we ought to induce them to look upon us more favourably; for, if blood were to be spilt in the American cause, theirs would be first shed, while ours would be running only in the usual channels.

In reply, it was contended by the Delegates, and the first named gentlemen, that a compensation was very practicable, and therefore ought to be proceeded in; and particularly so, as it would render any opposition to the Association unnecessary. That we ought not by any measure, to express a publick dislike of any tiling the late Congress had done, as such conduct would be bad policy; on the contrary, we ought to evince the utmost confidence in their determination, as contributing to the general apparent union; and at this time, such an appearance alone, was of the utmost importance.

In this manner, the whole day was expended; when, at sunset, a Committee was appointed to form a plan of compensation, and to report it on the next morning.

The Committee met in an hour, and sat until twelve o'clock at night; and the next morning, at eleven o'clock, they brought in their Report, the Provincial Congress having impatiently waited two hours for them. The first part of the Report contained the famous Resolve relating to debt, by which the Committees of the several Parishes and. Districts became Judges and Juries, and upon application, were to give permission for the bringing, or proceeding on, suits, where the debtors refused to renew their obligations, or to give reasonable security, or where they were justly suspected of intentions to leave the Province, or to defraud their creditors, or where there should appear to the majority of such Committee, any other reasonable cause for granting such permission; that the Congress would indemnify the Committees in so doing; and that no summons should be issued by any Magistrate, in small and mean causes, without the like consent. This part of the Report was immediately agreed to; but all the other parts were so intricate, and so little satisfactory, that they were rejected; and the Congress resumed the debate on the four words.

This debate was now carried on without any cessation, until dark. Great heats prevailed, and the members were on the point of falling into downright uproar and confusion. At length, all parties being wearied out, the question was put by candle-light, and by mere accident, at the desire of one among the Indigo party, it was put in a manner that lost it: for instead of voting as usual, by acclamation, to save time, and mistakes in counting, each man's name was called, and he declared himself yea, or nay, which was minuted down. By this mode, some ware overawed, either by their diffidence, circumstances, or connexions; and to the surprise of the nays, they themselves carried the point, By a majority of twelve voices—eighty-seven to seventy-five.—Drayton.