That, about the middle of April last, the said Miller delivered up the keys of the magazine to the Governour, and he then left there twenty one barrels and a half of powder, including the three unsifted; three hundred and forty two new muskets, lately cleaned, and in complete order; others that wanted but small repairs, and a large number of old muskets, and other small guns, almost useless, and many other articles, which he could not enumerate.

It further appears to the Committee, from the depositions of the said Miller, and John Dixon, Esquire, Mayor of this City, that they were in the magazine (soon after the powder was said to be taken away) with his Excellency, who then mentioned, that he had taken away fifteen barrels of powder. They then saw eight barrels which they understood was powder; one being open, appeared to be dust of powder; and, at the same time, they observed that the cleaned muskets were without locks; and the said Miller says his Excellency rebuked him for not taking notice of that circumstance; and the said Dixon said he observed some persons had been in the magazine over night, as he saw many arms lying in the yard of it; and his Excellency then told him, he had ordered the powder to be buried in the magazine yard; for though it was but dust, yet, as he understood some persons went into the magazine for arms in the night with a light, they might set fire to the powder and injure the magazine.

Your Committee farther report, that before they proceeded to examine any witnesses, they waited on his Excellency, to request that he would be pleased to direct the keeper of the magazine to give them access thereto; and having received the keys three days after the first application, they immediately proceeded to inspect the magazine, and found therein nineteen halberts; one hundred and fifty-seven trading guns, in pretty good order, but very indifferent in the kind; fifty-one pewter basons; eight camp kettles; one hundred and eight new muskets without locks; about five hundred and twenty-seven old muskets, the barrels very rusty, and the locks almost useless; twelve hundred cartouch boxes; fifteeen hundred cutlasses with scabbards; one hundred and seventy pistol holsters, and one hundred and fifty old pistols, or thereabouts, with and without locks; fifty mallets; two bundles of match rope; two hundred canteens; thirty-five small swords, in bad order; one tent and ten poles; one hogshead of powderhorns; one hundred and twenty-seven bayonets; and one hundred knapsacks in the smith’s shop, and that part of the magazine called the armory; also one half barrel of dust and rotten powder; one half barrel and a quarter of unsifted powder, tolerably good, in the powder room, that has no communication with the armory; also, five half barrels of loose powder, buried in a hole in the magazine yard, the top of which (in quantity about two half barrels) was totally destroyed by the late rains, the rest very damp, but quite sound; this, his Excellency acknowledged to your Committee, was buried there by his orders. The deficiency, this Committee suppose, is owing to the fifteen half barrels which Captain Collins moved from the magazine, as acknowledged in the Governour’s message to this House.

And your Committee farther report, that the morning before they entered upon this business, some persons unknown had broke into the magazine, and taken out arms, part of which, upon the application of some of the members of this House and other gentlemen, were restored. And finding the respect paid by the people to the members of this House, your Committee thought it most likely, to prevent farther depredations, to request some gentlemen of the Town to guard the magazine till application could be made to his. Excellency for leave of access thereto, which your Committee immediately did, informing his Lordship of the steps they had taken therein; which he did not object to.

That the doors and windows of the magazine now want repairs, which, being done, your Committee are of opinion that it will be sufficiently secure, it never having proved otherwise since its first erection, now sixty years past, until since the powder was taken by order of the Governour aforementioned.

Your Committee also proceeded to inquire what arms and ammunition had been, from time to time, deposited in the magazine, and the disbursements thereof, but could obtain no certain information respecting the same, the late keeper being out of the Colony, and his predecessor dead; nor can your Committee find, although they have examined several persons most likely to be acquainted with such facts, and applied personally to His Majesty’s Receiver-General for that purpose, that any powder had been lodged in the magazine from on board the Rippon man-of-war, or any of His Majesty’s ships.

Ordered, That the said Report do lie upon the table, to be perused by the Members of the House.

Resolved, That a Message be sent to His Majesty’s Council acquainting them, that since his Excellency the Governour hath been pleased to remove from the Palace, the House are exceedingly apprehensive that the publick Arms therein are too much exposed, and beg to be informed whether in their opinion some proper method cannot be taken to secure as well these Arms as those in the publick Magazine.

Ordered, That Mr. Braxton and Mr. Treasurer do carry the said Message to the Council.

A Petition of sundry persons of the community of Christians called Baptists, and other Protestant Dissenters, whose names are thereunto subscribed, was presented to the House and read; setting forth, that the toleration proposed by the bill ordered at a former session of General Assembly to be printed and published, not admitting publick worship, except in the day time, is inconsistent with the laws of England, as well as with the practice and usage of the primitive churches, and even of the English church itself; that the night season may sometimes be better spared by the Petitioners from the necessary duties of their callings; and that they wish for no indulgences which may disturb the peace of Government; and therefore praying the House to take their case into consideration, and to grant them suitable redress.

Ordered, That the said Petition do lie upon the table.

Mr. Braxton presented to the House, according to order, a Bill for appointing an Agent; and the same was received and read the first time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a second time.

The other Order of the Day being read,

Resolved, That this House will, to-morrow, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House, to take into consideration the Governour’s Answer to the joint Address of the Council and this House.

Wednesday, June 14, 15 Geo. III, 1775.

Richard Bland, Esq., one of the Delegates from this Colony to the General Congress at Philadelphia, acquainted the House that a petition of several persons in that part of the County of Augusta, which is on the west side of the Alleghany Mountain, addressed to the President and Gentlemen of the Continental Congress, having been presented to them, setting forth that the petitioners had grievously suffered by the devastations of the Indians in the late war; that, to avoid captivity by an enemy so insidious, cruel, and savage, many of the petitioners having been obliged to desert their habitation and retire to Forts, so that they could not till the ground, now wanted bread, and supported themselves chiefly by the spontaneous productions of the earth; that the promising appearance of a plentiful crop had encouraged them to bear these afflictions without repining, and to hope for better times; but that those fair prospects would probably be delusive, unless effectual measures were pursued to avert the calamities with which they were threatened; that Lord Dunmore, after the expedition against the Indians, promised to meet them at Pittsburgh in the spring, and conclude a peace, and then restore the hostages delivered to him, and discharge the captives; that the Indians had been uneasy for some time because the treaty was deferred; that the Delawares particularly were very much dissatisfied, and repented that they had not joined the Shawanese in the war, since they found the white people were not to be depended on; that the commandant in that quarter for Government had instructions, as the petitioners were informed, to assemble the Indians at that place so soon as he could, when the hostages and prisoners would be delivered up; and that the petitioners,