Also Letters from Governour Martin to Benjamin Boote, dated 10th July, 1775.

From Governour Martin to Colonel Cotten, 21st July, 1775.

Likewise an Address from Rowan County to Governour Martin.

From the Committee of Mecklenburgh to the Committee of Camden, a Letter of Intelligence.

From the Committee of Rowan to the Committee of Camden, a Letter of Intelligence.

And Dunn and Boote’s Protest and Advertisement. Which were filed.

On motion, Ordered, That the election of Delegates to attend the Continental Congress, at Philadelphia, in September next, Come on next Saturday.

The Order of the Day being read, for taking under consideration the state of the Province, and the expediency of employing a Military Force for its defence against foreign and domestick invasions:

Resolved, That the same be deferred till Thursday next.

Whereas, some doubts may arise respecting the construction of the fourth article of the Continental Association relating to exportation:

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Congress, that no Ship or Vessel shall clear out, or take on board any part of their Cargoes after the tenth day of September, 1775, but that Vessels actually laden or their Cargoes on board lighters, and cleared out before that day, may sail at any time after.

Mr. Caswell from the Committee appointed to take into consideration and report a state of the Publick Funds, reported as follows, viz:

Whereas, in order to make a proper and correct state of the Publick Funds, it would be necessary your Committee should have recourse to the publick accounts, which are in the hands of the Treasurers, and to the estimates of publick allowances and journals of the Assembly, which cannot conveniently be had here: they have therefore proceeded on the best information they have been able to obtain, and find that there are divers large sums of money due from sundry Sheriffs and other collectors, a great part of which, in the opinion of your Committee, will be lost to the publick, unless some method is immediately fallen upon to enforce the payment of the same, which your Committee earnestly recommend to the attention of the Congress.

That there are also divers sums of money due from the publick to individuals, and no money in the hands of the Southern Treasurer on the contingent fund to discharge the same: what may lie in the Northern Treasury on that fund your Committee have not been able to inform themselves.

That since the passing a resolution in the Assembly that the Rum Duties, and the one Shilling Tax for sinking the old Bills should cease, the law imposing the same having had its effect, sundry sums have been paid for such duties to the Collectors and to the Sheriffs for the said tax. Your Committee are of opinion that the money received on the former should be returned to the persons from whom the same was received, and also that the latter be either returned to the persons from whom received, or allowed them in the payment of any future tax. All which is submitted to the consideration of the Congress.

R. CASWELL, Chairman.

Ordered, The same lie for consideration until Saturday next.

The Congress taking into consideration the Letter from the Committee of Intelligence of Charlestown, the Remonstrances of Benjamin Boote and John Dunn, and the Petitions of Frances Dunn and Dorothy Boote, and the several Papers relative thereto:

Resolved, That the President of the Congress, by Letters addressed to the Committee of Intelligence of South-Carolina, thank them for their friendly interposition in behalf of this Province, by receiving and securing the persons of John Dunn and Benjamin Boote, thereby disappointing the endeavours of those men to defeat the American Association, in support of their just rights and privileges; and requesting of the said Committee to detain the persons of the said Dunn and Boote within that Province, till the inhabitants of North-Carolina, by their Delegates, again meet in Convention, or till they make such recantation of their principles as shall be satisfactory to the Committee of Charlestown; that this Province will on a similar occasion be ready to render a similar service to their worthy neighbours of the South Province. In the mean time that they pledge the credit of this Province to reimburse the expenses which they may be at by reason of such detention; and express at the same time that we have the fullest confidence, that the same humanity which has distinguished the proceedings of that Province, will actuate them in this instance.

Resolved, That no person whatsoever, charged as being an enemy to the American cause, shall be carried out of this Province privately, or by any act of violence, except by the directions of a Committee duly empowered to take cognizance of the offence with which they are charged, and who shall, upon fair and candid hearing thereupon, think such measures prudent, just and necessary; but as the particular circumstances which attended the seizure of Boote and Dunn, rendered a previous application altogether impracticable to any Committee appointed for the purpose of examination, we acknowledge ourselves under the greatest obligations to the persons who have rendered the signal service to this Province, of removing from amongst them men who were exerting their utmost endeavours to defeat the attempts of the virtuous inhabitants of this Province to preserve inviolate the rights of the British Constitution.

Ordered, That William Hill, William Gray and Zedekiah Stone be added to the Committee of Conference.

The Congress adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine o’clock.

Wednesday, August 30, 1775.

The Congress met according to adjournment.

The Congress adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine o’clock.

Thursday, August 31, 1775.

The Congress met according to adjournment.

The Order of the Day being read, for taking under consideration the state of the Province, and the expediency of employing a Military Force for its defence against foreign and domestick invasions:

Resolved, That His Majesty’s faithful and loyal subjects’ in this Colony are reduced to a dangerous and critical situation, by the attempts of a British Ministry to carry into execution by force of arms several unconstitutional and oppressive. Acts of the British Parliament, for laying Taxes, and for altering and changing the Constitution and internal police of the United Colonies, in violation of the natural rights of the Colonists.

Resolved, That hostilities being actually commenced in the Massachusetts-Bay by the British Troops under the command of General Gage, and a number of the inhabitants of that Colony actually destroyed, the Town of Boston having been long occupied as a Garrison Town, and, as if in an enemy’s country; the inhabitants thereof treated with a severity not to be justified towards declared enemies; re-enforcements being also threatened and every day expected to add to the misery of that wretched people, and to execute the cruel determined measures of Administration against this and the rest of the United Colonies:

And whereas, his Excellency Governour Martin, hath taken a very active and instrumental share in opposition to the means which have been adopted by this and the other United Colonies for their common safety, as well to disunite this from the rest, as to weaken the efforts of the inhabitants of North-Carolina to protect their lives, liberties and properties against any force which may be exerted to injure them; or for the express purpose of compelling us to submit to the operation of the acts:

That therefore, for the express and sole purpose of securing and defending this Colony, and preserving it in safety against all attempts to carry the said acts into execution by force of arms, this Colony be immediately put into a state of defence.

Resolved, That this Congress think it absolutely necessary for the support of the American Association and