said County in General Convention, and that such notice was published about ten days before the day of election, but was not generally known by the inhabitants of the said County; it appearing to your Committee that the inhabitants of two Precincts of the said County were almost wholly unacquainted therewith, and therefore did not attend on the day of election. It also appears to your Committee that Colonel Adam Stephen, who was Commander-in-Chief of the said County, had, previous to his appointing the day of election of Delegates, ordered a general muster of the Militia on the same day, at which a considerable number of people attended, and were exercised and kept under arms for several hours, and were then marched directly to the Court-House, and proceeded immediately to vote for Delegates to represent the said County in General Convention.

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that the election of Delegates for the County of Berkley was irregular, and that the freeholders of the said County, after due and regular notice being publickly given, ought to proceed to a new election of Delegates to represent them in General Convention.

A Letter from Ouconostota, the great Indian Warrior, was laid before the Convention, and read.

Ordered, That the said Letter, together with the other papers relative to Indian affairs, be referred to the Committee appointed to take into consideration the state of the Colony.

Adjourned till to-morrow, nine o’clock.

Friday, July 28, 1775.

Ordered, That Mr. David Mason and Mr. Read be added to the Committee appointed to prepare and bring in an Ordinance for raising and embodying a sufficient Force for the defence and protection of this Colony.

The Convention, according to the Order of the Day, went into an examination of the reports said to have been propagated to the prejudice of Richard Bland, Esquire, a Member of this Convention, and one of the Deputies appointed to represent this Colony in General Congress; and, after examination of the Rev. Samuel Shield, and the Rev. John Hurt, and many other witnesses, and a full inquiry into the same, do find the said reports to be utterly false and groundless, and tending not only to injure the said Richard Bland in his publick character, but to prejudice the glorious cause in which America is now embarked.

Resolved unanimously, That this Convention do consider it as their duty to bear to the world their testimony that the said Richard Bland hath manifested himself the friend of his Country, and uniformly stood forth an able asserter of her rights and liberties.

Ordered, That the President be desired to transmit a copy of the Proceedings of this Convention, relative to the said inquiry, to the General Congress.

On the motion of Mr. Bland,

Ordered, That it be an instruction to the Committee of Correspondence that they also transmit a copy of the said Proceedings to Arthur Lee, Esq., in London, and request him to make strict inquiry for the authors and propagators of the said reports in England.

The President laid before the Convention a Letter from the Officers of the Volunteer Companies in Williamsburgh, informing the Convention that they had resolved, immediately, to secure all the Publick Moneys in the hands of the Receiver-General, Naval-Officers, and other Collectors for His Majesty; that they had sent out detachments for that purpose; and desiring the opinion of the Convention relative thereto, as they should cheerfully submit to their determination on the subject.

Resolved, That this Convention will immediately resolve itself into a Committee to take the said Letter into consideration.

The Convention accordingly resolved itself into a Committee; and after some time spent therein, Mr. President resumed the chair, and Mr. Bland reported that the Committee had had the Letter from the Officers of the Volunteer Companies in Williamsburgh under their consideration, and had come to a Resolution thereupon, which he read in his place, and delivered in at the Clerk’s table, where the same was again twice read, and agreed to, as follows:

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that the Proceedings of the Officers of the Volunteer Companies in Williamsburgh, mentioned in their Letter to the Convention, though they arose from the best motives, cannot be approved, and that they be required to desist from carrying their Resolutions into execution.

The Order of the Day, for the Convention to resolve itself into a Committee on the state of the Colony, being read,

Resolved, That this Convention will, to-morrow, resolve itself into the said Committee.

Adjourned till to-morrow, nine o’clock.

Saturday, July 29, 1775.

The Order of the Day, for the Convention to resolve itself into a Committee on the state of the Colony, being read,

Resolved, That this Convention will, on Monday next, resolve itself into the said Committee.

On a motion made,

Resolved, That the several Inspectors of this Colony be directed to preserve the trash Tobacco at their respective inspections, for the purpose of making Saltpetre; and that they deliver the same, when required, to such person or persons as may be appointed for that purpose by the Committee of the County.

Resolved, That the several Inspectors of the Publick Warehouses in this Colony do, some time before the last of August next, and after advertising the same in the publick papers, at the Warehouses, and at the Court-Houses of their respective Counties, sell, for ready money, all transfer and other Tobacco, which may have lain one year in their respective Warehouses, and pay the money, arising from such sale, as the law directs.

Resolved, That the Chairman of the Committees of the several Counties do, without delay, procure all the Saltpetre and Sulphur which may be had, and that the same be paid for by the publick; and it is earnestly recommended to all persons in this Colony to be assisting in procuring those necessary articles, and cheerfully to deliver to the said Chairman what they may have in their families, except so much as may be necessary for medicinal purposes.

Adjourned till Monday, nine o’clock.

Monday, July 31, 1775.

The Order of the Day, for the Convention to resolve itself into a Committee on the state of the Colony, being read,

Resolved, That this Convention will, to-morrow, resolve itself into the said Committee.

Adjourned till to-morrow, nine o’clock.

Tuesday, August 1, 1775.

A Petition and Remonstrance from the Merchants of the Borough of Norfolk, and also Instructions from the Committee of the said Borough to their Delegates in Convention, setting forth the great hardships and inconveniences to which they should be reduced by the Resolution entered into by this Convention for stopping the exportation of Grain and Provisions after the fifth day of this month; and praying that the same might be rescinded, was presented to the Convention and read.

Ordered, That the said Petition and Remonstrance, together with the said Instructions, do lie on the table.

The Convention then, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee to take into consideration the state of the Colony; and after some time spent therein, Mr. President resumed the chair, and Mr. Bland reported that the Committee had had the state of the Colony under their consideration, but not having time to go through the same, had directed him to move for leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this Convention will, on Thursday next, resolve itself into a Committee to take into their further consideration the state of the Colony.

Adjourned till Thursday, nine o’clock.