EXTRACT OF A LETTER TO A GENTLEMAN IN LONDON, DATED MANCHESTER, SEPTEMBER 8, 1775.

You ask a line of politicks from me. Alas! I can only sincerely lament the present miserable state of publick affairs, and deprecate the mischiefs and distractions that must arise from the weak, oppressive, vindictive system of our American politicks. The friends of American freedom, however respectable, are outnumbered every where, and the Ministry seem to have the cry in their favour. Toryism prevails in this part of the country, and even jacobites and non-jurors are become loyal, and address the King: witness the Manchester Address. I did not attend this business, or (as you will believe) sign the courtly paper, filled as it is with falsehoods and fictitious loyalty. The proposed Association has been sadly managed; their papers dispersed only amongst the avowed friends of Ministry with us, who make them the pretext for addressing. All the houses in Manchester, who have ever had any commerce with America, refused to sign the Address, as impolitick and ungrateful.

PEYTON RANDOLPH TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Richmond, September 6, 1775.

DEAR SIR: I have it in command to transmit to you the thanks of the Convention of Virginia, for the faithful discharge of the important trust reposed in you as one of their Delegates to the Continental Congress. Your appointment to an office of so much consequence to America, and incompatible with your attendance on this duty, was the only reason that could have induced them not to call you to the Convention. Your brother Delegates were unanimous in their acknowledgments; and you will believe it gives me the greatest satisfaction to convey to you the sentiments of your countrymen, and at the same time to give you every testimony of my approbation and esteem.

The Convention appointed Patrick Henry Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Observation to be raised, which is to consist of one thousand men, to be divided into two Regiments. Mr. William Woodford commands the second. The Lieutenant-Colonels are Christian and Scott. Besides these, the Colony being divided into sixteen Districts, each District is to raise five hundred men, who are to be trained, paid, and disciplined, and are to be paid during the time of training and while in actual service. Patrick Henry is excluded from the Congress, the Convention having resolved that no officer in command in the military shall be a member of the Congress, Convention, or Committee of Safety. Mr. Pendleton and Mr. Bland both resigned, and in their room Colonel Nelson, Mr. George Wythe, and Colonel Frank Lee, are appointed Delegates to the Congress.

I am much obliged to you for your letters. That relating to the action of the men of war and transports did not come to hand till the account had been in Virginia some time.

I shall be much obliged to you to remember me to Edward, from whom I expect to hear by the next post.

I am your most obedient servant,

PEYTON RANDOLPH.

NEW-YORK COMMITTEE.

Wednesday, September 6, 1775.

The Committee met. Present: Henry Remsen, Chairman, and thirty-five Members.

Information being received that Captain Isaac L. Winn had left this port, with a cargo of Rum and Sugar, supposed for Boston,

Ordered, That Captain Winn be desired to return immediately with his Vessel.

Ordered, That William Walton, William Denning, John Broome, and Daniel Phenix, be a Committee to confer with Mr. Livingston on the business he mentioned to the Chairman, or any three of them.

Mr. McAdam produced to this Committee a Letter from Boston, dated July 18, 1775, ordering (by direction of Alexander Grant, of London) sundry articles to be shipped to Jamaica; which being shipped accordingly, per the Jane, Captain Bascomb, were taken by the ship-of-war Kingfisher, and sent to Boston.

Ordered, That John Broome, Isaac Sears, James Beekman, John Morton, Cornelius P. Low, Francis Bassett, and Jeremiah Platt, or the major part of them, be a Committee to examine into Mr. McAdam’s affairs, and report to this Committee.

Captain Hawley and Captain Jennings, of Fairfield, appeared in Committee.

Draught of a Letter to the Committee at Fairfield, read and approved of.

SAMUEL BAYARD, JUN., TO NEW-YORK CONGRESS.

New-York, Secretary’s Office, September 6, 1775.

SIR: I received the favour of your letter upon the subject of the publick records under my care, and am, with you, duly sensible of the great importance of them to the Province, and the fatal consequences to private property which would arise from their destruction. How far any such event may be probable at this time, I cannot form any judgment; and you must be sensible, Sir, of the difficulty of my situation, when, if I should, in the exercise of my discretion, depart from the line of my duty, I might subject myself to very disagreeable consequences.

Whenever the removal of the records is absolutely necessary, I shall not fail to continue my care of them, and hope my attention to their security will evince my desire to discharge the trust reposed in me with the strictest fidelity. And with respect to the place where they should in that case be deposited, I can only say, that as it is out of my power to tell from what quarter danger may arise, so it