for the faithful accounting for and paying all such sums of Money as shall be received by him from time to time, in virtue of this Ordinance; and in case of his death, resignation, or disability, the Treasurer to be appointed in his stead shall give such security before he enters into his said office.

And whereas it will greatly tend to preserve the credit of the Treasury Notes aforesaid to satisfy the publick that due proportions of them are annually paid into the Treasury and destroyed, Be it therefore further ordained, That Benjamin Waller, George Wythe, Thomas Everard, John Tazewell, William Norvell, Archibald Cary, Richard Adams, Benjamin Watkins, Richard Randolph, and John Syme, Esquires, be a Committee to superintend the burning of the said Notes; and they, or any three or more of them, are hereby empowered and required, once a year at least, and oftener, if they shall see occasion, to repair to the Publick Treasury, and having examined the Treasurer’s accounts of what Money he shall have received for the taxes and duties hereby imposed from the time of his preceding settlement, as well as the Money itself, they shall proceed to burn all of the Treasury Notes aforesaid as shall appear to have been so received, giving the Treasurer a certificate of the amount of the Notes so burnt, which shall entitle him to an allowance for the same in his accounts; and the Committee shall, from time to time, publish the amount of the Money so burnt, in the Virginia Gazette.

And be it further ordained, That William Langhorne, Henry King, John Scasbrooke Wills, William Norvell, Champion Travis, or any three of them, be, and they are hereby appointed Commissioners to examine, state, and settle, an account of the pay and provisions of the Volunteer Companies who have been lately called into actual service for the defence of the lower parts of the Country, making the same allowance as is settled by this Convention for the Regular Forces, and under the regulations of the late invasion law as to the number of men which is to entitle officers of certain rank to pay; excepting that Mr. Charles Scott, Commander-in-Chief of the said Volunteers at Williamsburgh, shall be allowed twelve Shillings and six Pence per day, from the time he was chosen to that command, and certifying the same as is directed in case of the Militia in the frontiers: and upon such certificates, the Treasurer, by warrant from the Committee of Safety, is required to pay the money so certified to be due. And each of the said Commissioners shall be allowed fifteen Shillings per day, for the time they shall be employed in settling the said accounts.

And be it further ordained, That in case of the death or inability of the said Robert Carter Nicholas, Esq., to act in the said office, it shall be lawful for the Committee of Safety, if the Convention is not sitting, to appoint another fit and able person to be Treasurer in his room, who shall have power to act in all things pertaining to the said office until the meeting of the next Convention thereafter.

VI. An Ordinance for providing Arms and Ammunition for the use of this Colony.

Whereas, in this time of imminent danger, it is found expedient, for the better defence of this Colony, to provide an ample supply of Arms and Ammunition, by encouraging the manufacturing the same within this Colony:

Be it therefore ordained by the Delegates and Representatives of the several Counties and Corporations within this Colony and Dominion of Virginia, now in General Convention assembled, and it is hereby ordained by the authority of the same, That a Manufactory for Arms be erected at or near Fredericksburgh, under the direction of certain Commissioners; and that a sufficient number of Artificers be employed in the said Manufactory, at the expense of the publick, and be constantly employed in manufacturing of Arms of such kind as shall be directed from time to time by the Committee of Safety, so long as the necessities of this Colony shall require.

And be it further ordained, That Fielding Lewis, Charles Dick, Mann Page, Jun., William Fitzhugh, and Samuel Selden, Gentlemen, or any three of them, be the Commissioners for superintending the said Manufactory; and that the Treasurer for the time being, appointed by or pursuant to an Ordinance of Convention, shall, out of the publick money which shall come to his bands under any Ordinance of Convention, advance the sum of two thousand five hundred Pounds to the said Commissioners, and such other sums as the Committee of Safety shall from time to time direct, taking sufficient security for the same, to be by them employed for the purposes aforesaid, and accounted for to the General Convention; and that the said Commissioners shall from time to time transmit to the Committee of Safety an account of the state and progress of the said Manufactory, and the quantity of Arms so manufactured.

And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the Committee of Safety shall have full power and authority to purchase in the neighbouring Colonies, or elsewhere, any number of stands of Arms, not exceeding three thousand, which they may judge necessary for the use of the Troops to be embodied for the defence of this Colony, and also any number of Gun Locks which may appear to them to be wanted for the Arms made at the aforesaid Manufactory, if a sufficient number of proper Locksmiths cannot be employed; and, also, that the said Committee do provide a sufficient quantity of Gun Flints and Cartridge Paper which they shall judge necessary.

And for the greater encouragement of persons to make Saltpetre and Sulphur, Be it further ordained, That the sum of three Shillings for every pound of good Saltpetre, and the sum of one Shilling per pound for any quantity, not exceeding twenty thousand pounds nett weight, of good Sulphur, which shall be manufactured and refined of materials of the natural produce of this Colony, and delivered to any Committee of a County or Corporation on or before the first day of October, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six, for the use of the publick, shall be paid to the proprietor thereof by the Treasurer aforesaid, upon a certificate from the Chairman of the said Committees, respectively; and the said Committees shall severally forward all such Saltpetre and Sulphur to some manufacturer of Powder, who shall give a receipt for the same, obliging himself to deliver for the publick use as much Powder, in exchange for the said Saltpetre and Sulphur, as shall be agreed on by the said Committees and Manufacturer.

And for the more immediate provision of Lead, Be it further ordained, That the Committee for the County of Fincastle shall and may contract with the proprietors of certain Lead Mines in that County for such quantities of Lead as may from time to time be judged necessary, and delivered at such place as shall be directed by the Committee of Safety; and in case of refusal of such proprietors, the said Committee of Fincastle shall and may agree with the said proprietors for the use of the said Mines, and employ proper persons and furnish necessary materials for the making of Lead, at the charge of this Colony.

VII. An Ordinance to provide for paying the expenses of the Delegates from this Colony to the General Congress.

Whereas the United Colonies of North-America, in this time of general danger, have judged it necessary, and accordingly resolved, respectively, to depute certain Delegates to meet in General Congress at Philadelphia, on the fifth day of September next, to consult on the state, and provide for the safety and welfare of the said Colonies:

Be it therefore ordained, That every Delegate who may be appointed to attend the said Congress, or any future General Congress, as a Representative for this Colony, shall be allowed for every day that he may attend therein the sum of forty-five Shillings, and for travelling to or returning from such Congress, at the rate of one Shilling per mile, besides all ferriages; which allowance shall be paid to the respective Delegates by the Treasurer for the time being, appointed by General Convention, out of any publick money which may be in his hands, by virtue of any Ordinance of Convention, not otherwise appropriated. And for the greater convenience of the said Delegates, the said Treasurer shall, advance to each Delegate, before his departure, any sum of money not exceeding two hundred Pounds; who, if it shall happen to exceed his allowance for attendance and ferriages as aforesaid, shall, on his return, refund such excess to the Treasurer.