should be disarmed, and rendered as incapable as possible of doing further material mischief to this distressed Province, the Tories in this Town were notified to appear with their arms and ammunition on Monday last. They accordingly appeared, and after surrendering their arms to the Committee of Correspondence, and being strictly ordered not to leave the Town or to meet together, without a permit, were dismissed.

WOBURN (MASSACHUSETTS) COMMITTEE.

Whereas the Committee of Correspondence for the Town of Woburn, authorized by the honourable Provincial Congress to examine into the principles and conduct of any person suspected of being inimical to the liberties of this Country, have examined Major Benjamin Thompson, of Concord, in the Province of New-Hampshire, being brought before them, suspected of being thus inimical. And whereas the said Committee have summoned certain evidences, who they supposed could give light into the matter, to attend, which evidence failed of so doing: This is therefore to inform all persons who are knowing to the said Major Thompson’s conduct, that the Committee have adjourned to Monday, the 29th day of May next, at three o’clock, afternoon, at the meeting-house, where said evidence are desired to attend, as the Committee think themselves bound to dismiss and recommend the said Thompson, unless something more appears against him than what they have heard,

SAMUEL WYMAN, Chairman.

May 24, 1775.

COMMITTEES OF SAFETY OF PORTSMOUTH, GREENLAND, AND RYE.

At a meeting of the Committees of Safety of the Towns of Portsmouth, Greenland, and Rye, concerning the examination of one John Ackerman, upon a suspicion of the said John Ackerman’ s being inimical to the liberties and privileges of this Country, suspected to be giving and receiving intelligence from the British Troops, for which purposes of inquiry the said Ackerman was sent from the Provincial Congress in Exeter, to their Committees; and after a thorough examination of the said Ackerman, Benjamin Hart and John Reise, who were represented to them by said Congress as having sent the said Ackerman into the country: It appears to the said Committees that the said Ackerman was sent into the country as aforesaid for personal safety, to give intelligence of any armed men coming to Portsmouth, as the peculiar stations of some persons gave suspicion of same design against them, and that it was for no other end that the said Ackerman was sent, as appears from their particular examination upon oath, had before us, the said Committees, and they were accordingly dismissed.

By order of the Committee for Portsmouth:

H. WENTWORTH, Chairman.

By order of the Committee for Greenland:

JOHN HAVEN, Chairman.

By order of the Committee for Rye:

JOSEPH PARSONS, Chairman.

Portsmouth, N. H., May 24, 1775.

Portsmouth, May 23, 1775.

This certifies that the bearer, Mr. John Folsom, brought a prisoner, viz: John Ackerman, from the Provincial Congress at Exeter, before the Committee of Safety for the Town of Portsmouth, who ordered a guard to be kept on him till examination to-morrow, ten o’clock, A. M. Committee Hall, Tuesday, 4 o’clock, P. M.

NEAL MC INTYRE, Secretary.

RICHMOND COUNTY (VIRGINIA) COMMITTEE.

In Committee, May 25, 1775.

In Committee, Landon Carter, Esquire, in the Chair. As His Majesty’s Council have judged it proper to publish an admonitory address to the community at large, we should think ourselves wanting in respect to the deliberations of that honourable Board not to consider it with the strictest attention, We have done so accordingly; and as we find that the matter of the address is not only exceptionable, but are farther informed that it is industriously circulated amongst the people, together with a proposition lately made in the House of Commons by Lord North, which covers the most insidious and dangerous views, under an artful guise of wisdom, humanity, and peace, we should be wanting in a much higher duty to ourselves and our constituents, should we fail to animadvert on both with freedom and decency. We cannot, then, think,

First. That the mild professions of regard for the prosperity and welfare of this Country, in the first part of the address, are consistent with the passionate expressions of detestation and abhorrence for that spirit in the people by which alone the liberties of this Country can be secured. We confess we are entire strangers to any licentious and ungovernable spirit prevailing. If the honourable gentlemen mean to brand the late commotions with these appellations, we are compelled to observe that no person can so unjustly and uncharitably construe, them, unless he entirely turn aside from the violent and provoking measures which justify them; for it cannot be expected that the people should continue quiet when every violence is offered to their privileges and prosperity, or that they should tamely suffer the foundation of their Constitution to be overturned by a too scrupulous adherence to its form.

Second. That inviting and exhorting to mild and constitutional modes of application clearly implies, that they esteem our former proceedings in this respect violent and irregular. The justice of this charge we leave to be decided by the world, who are in possession, and who have given ample testimony in favour of the many suppliant, wise, and firm applications, which have been addressed to the several branches of the British Legislature.

Third. We allow all due weight to the pledges of their friendship, which the Honourable Council have among us; and we hope that their integrity may ever be an effectual antidote to the influence of that servile and baneful spirit which we are authorized (by the explicit declarations of many independent and respectable members of both Houses of Parliament) to say, prevail extensively in this age, with men in office.

With respect to the proposition of Lord North, above-mentioned, insultingly called, by ministerial tools, the olive branch, we are of the opinion that it offers no kind of redress (even if the Colonies should submit) of any one of the many grievances under which they now labour; for in the only instance in which a seeming redress is proposed, (that of taxation,) the Parliament of Great Britain is to settle the quantum to be raised by each Colony, and the application thereof, the Colonies determining only on the mode of levying. This by no means is relief to them, but in fact puts them in a worse situation than ever, as they thereby will fully acknowledge the absolute power of the British Parliament; and we are still to have the sword hung over our heads, ready to fall on such as shall in any instance disoblige the Minister, or refuse to obey his dictates. Lord North himself declared his intention was only to divide the Colonies, and thereby the more easily subdue them. The selecting out Governour Pownall’s speech alone, approving the motion, when so many excellent speeches were made exposing the measure, and setting its treachery and absurdity in a clear and evident light, is a certain proof of the design of the King’s officers here to mislead the good people of this Colony.

By order of the Committee:

LE ROY PEACHY, Clerk.

LANCASTER COUNTY (VIRGINIA) COMMITTEE.

The Committee of the County of Lancaster, on the 25th day of May, 1775, taking into consideration his Excellency Lord Dunmore’s Address to the Council, and their recommendation and Proclamation issued in consequence thereof, hold they are necessarily bound to justify themselves and their constituents from such cruel imputations and assertions, and that such Proclamation must tend to excite a belief of an intention to change the Government, or raise convulsions in the state.

That the behaviour of some of the people in this Colony, alluded to, originated in a full assurance of the determined bloody plan to enslave the Colonies, manifested in various instances and ungracious encroachments, and more particularly and immediately in his Excellency’s clandestine