the several Counties and Corporations within this Colony, and for other purposes therein mentioned.

An Ordinance for amending an Ordinance, entitled An Ordinance for providing Arms and Ammunition for the use of this Colony, was read a second time, and ordered to be committed to Mr. Mercer, Mr. Adams, the members for Loudoun, Frederick, Augusta, Botetourt, Chesterfield, Henrico, Prince George, Dinwiddie, and Surry.

Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to inquire into the services of Mr. James Wood, who was deputed by the House of Burgesses at their last session, to go among the several tribes of Indians on the Western frontiers of this Colony, and invite them to the late Treaty held at Fort Pitt, and to report what those services deserve; and that Mr. Bland, Mr. Andrew Lewis, Mr. Thomas Walker, Mr. Peyton, Mr. Richard Lee, Mr. Henry Lee, Mr. Blackburn, Mr. Clapham, the Rev. Mr. Thruston, Mr. Bassett, and Mr. Banister, be of the said Committee.

The Orders of the Day—for the Convention to resolve itself into a Committee on the state of the Colony; and on the Ordinances for raising an additional number of Forces for the defence and protection of this Colony, and for amending an Ordinance, intituled An Ordinance for raising and embodying a sufficient Force for the defence and protection of this Colony; and for establishing a mode of making Tobacco Payments during the discontinuance of the Inspection Law;—being read,

Resolved, That the same be put off till to-morrow.

Ordered, That Mr. Read, Mr. Lawson, Mr. Cocke, Mr. Faulcon, Mr. Parker, and Mr. Thomas Tabb, be added to the Committee appointed to inquire whether the Salt lately brought into Hampton was imported agreeably to the terms of the Continental Association, and to consider and report a proper method for the distribution thereof.

Adjourned till to-morrow, half after ten o'clock.

Friday, December 29, 1775.

The President laid before the Convention a Letter from Col. Howe, enclosing a Letter from Capt. Bellew, of His Majesty's Ship the Liverpool, desiring to be informed if he still persisted in his resolution to restrain His Majesty's Ships from supplies of Provision, with his answer thereto; which being read, were referred to the Committee on the state of the Colony.

The Convention then, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into the said Committee; and after some time spent therein, Mr. President resumed the chair, and Mr. Cary reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the state of the Colony, and had come to the following Resolution; which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was again twice read, and agreed to:

Resolved, That Col. Howe be informed, in answer to his Letter of the 25th, that this Convention are fully sensible of the hardships many innocent persons on board His Majesty's Ships may be exposed to, for want of regular supplies of fresh Provisions, which we would not wish to withhold, unless compelled by the duty we owe to the country, loudly calling upon us to use every exertion for the defence of its inhabitants. That Capt. Bellew, who probably is a stranger to us and our situation, should be informed that this country hath ever, till of late, considered the officers and men of His Majesty's Navy as their friends, and have always had great pleasure in showing them every mark of hospitality and civility; but many very recent and unwarrantable instances of the hostile behaviour of some of the Navy towards our inhabitants, justify us in suspicions we would not otherwise entertain. Who are the innocent and helpless whose blood Capt. Bellew would not wish to shed, we cannot, from his expressions, determine; but they carry with them the strongest implication, that the effusion of the blood of some of our countrymen is the object of his voyage to this country. That the Convention have the warmest wishes to find themselves mistaken in these apprehensions; and if Capt. Bellew can condescend to satisfy them, or Col. Howe, that he is come to Virginia on a friendly errand, this Convention will take every opportunity of paying proper respect to a gentleman in his station, and use every means in their power to make his stay here as agreeable as possible; but that, if, on the contrary, Capt. Bellew's design is to further the views of our enemies, and assist in prosecuting those unjustifiable and cruel measures already set on foot in this country, he must excuse the inhabitants of Virginia if they totally decline contributing towards their own destruction.

Mr. Cary, from the Committee appointed, reported, that the Committee appointed for that purpose had proportioned the Salt taken by the cruisers at Hampton in pay of this Colony, amounting to 3,600 bushels, which necessary of life the inhabitants of sundry Counties are in great want of, occasioned by the many illegal seizures of vessels, laden with that article, by His Majesty's Ships of War, and sundry Piratical Vessels fitted out by Lord Dunmore.

Resolved, therefore, That 599 bushels of the said Salt be, with all convenient speed, sent up James River to Richmond, to the care of the Committee of the County of Henrico, for the use of the following Counties, to wit:

And that 1,260 bushels of the said Salt be sent, as aforesaid, to the care of the Committee of the County of Chesterfield, to be landed at Manchester, for the use of the following Counties, to wit:

And that 985 bushels of the said Salt be sent, as aforesaid, to Petersburgh, and Jordan's, on Appamattox River, for the use of the following Counties, and to be left to the care of the Committees of the Counties of Prince George and Dinwiddie:

And that 387 bushels of the said Salt be sent, as aforesaid, to Cumberland Town, and Newcastle, up York River, to the care of the Committees of the Counties of Hanover and New-Kent respectively, for the use of the following Counties, to wit:

And that 272 bushels of the said Salt be landed at Hampton, under the care of the Committee for the County of Elizabeth City, for the use of the following Counties, to wit:

And that 63 bushels of the said Salt be sent up James River, and landed at Berkeley, for the use of the County