perty, some of which were made use of, and others destroyed, by the said John Connolly, having been previously valued by the said Gibson and Smallman, on oath, to the sum of 314l. 1s. 9d., Virginia currency. And that they had come to the following Resolutions thereupon; which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same were again twice read and agreed to:

Resolved, That so much of the Petition as relates to the claim of the said Alexander Ross and William Tompson be rejected.

Resolved, That such other part of the Petition as relates to the said Alexander Ross is reasonable, and that the sum of 107l. 1s. 9d. ought to be allowed and paid to the said Ross, by the publick, deducting 55l. 10s., which appears at present to be due to the country from the said Ross, for Provisions furnished by John Connolly to four men of the Eighteenth Regiment of Royal Irish, remaining in Fort Pitt, to which the said Ross was Commissary.

Mr. Mercer, from the persons to whom the Ordinance for amending an Ordinance, intituled An Ordinance for providing Arms and Ammunition for the use of this Colony was committed, reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had the same under their consideration, and had directed him to report the same without any amendments.

Ordered, That the said Ordinance be fairly transcribed and read a third time.

Ordered, That Colonel Woodford, of the Second Regiment, have leave of absence from the service, for such time as shall be agreed on between Colonel Howe and himself.

The Convention then, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee on the Ordinance for raising an additional number of Forces for the defence and protection of this Colony, and for amending an Ordinance, entitled An Ordinance for raising and embodying a sufficient Force for the defence and protection of this Colony; and after some lime spent therein, Mr. President resumed the chair, and Mr. Cary reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the said Ordinance, had gone through the same, and made several amendments thereto, which he was ready to report when the Convention should be pleased to receive the same.

Ordered, That the said Report be received on Tuesday next.

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 continuing and amending an Ordinance appointing a Committee of Safety; for establishing a General Test; to amend an Ordinance, intituled An Ordinance for regulating the election of Delegates and ascertaining their allowances, and also for regulating the election of Committee-men in the several Counties and Corporations within this Colony, and for other purposes therein mentioned; and for establishing a mode of making Tobacco Payments during the discontinuance of the Inspection Law;—being read,

Ordered, That the same be put off till Tuesday next.

Adjourned till Monday, half after ten o'clock.

Monday, January 8, 1776.

The President laid before the Convention a Letter from the Committee of Correspondence for the County of Dinwiddie, informing the Convention that Thomas Irving, an inhabitant of the Town of Petersburgh, was a Deputy Postmaster in the said Town, and was then an agent for Neil Jamieson, who had appeared to be inimical to this country; that they wish not to appear officious, or to act without proper authority, but are of opinion it is improper that the said Irving should continue Postmaster, by which means he may have an opportunity of opening letters, and conveying intelligence of the most dangerous nature; and desiring the Convention would be pleased to give such directions as they shall think proper.

Ordered, That the said Letter do lie on the table.

An Ordinance for amending an Ordinance, intituled An Ordinance for providing Arms and Ammunition for the use of this Colony, which had been fairly transcribed, was read a third time.

Resolved, That the said Ordinance do pass.

Ordered, That the Treasurer do advance any sum, not exceeding 1,000l., for the immediate relief of the poor distressed Inhabitants of the Borough of Norfolk, who have been sufferers by the destruction of that Town; and that the Committee of Safety do provide, in the best manner they are able, for their removal to the more interior and more secure parts of the Colony.

The President laid before the Convention, for their opinion, the cases of two Vessels taken by Capt. Richard Barron in Hampton Roads, and carried up York River. The first is the Brig Fanny, the property of Joseph Hewes, Esq., of North-Carolina, whereof John Cunningham is master; who, being examined, declares, that he sailed about a year ago with the said Brig from North-Carolina, with instructions from his owner to land her cargo in the Island of Antigua, and there or elsewhere to take any freights that might offer; that, having landed his cargo accordingly, he took a freight to Grenada, and from thence another to Cork in Ireland, where he was offered a freight to Boston, in Government service, which he refused; that he was likewise offered a freight in the same service to Gibraltar, which be would have accepted, but the contractor declined employing him, not caring, as he said, to trust an American; upon which he would have returned to North-Carolina in ballast, but a man-of-war arriving, he was informed that all American Vessels would be stopped, to evade which, he agreed to accept a freight of provisions from Government for the troops at Boston; that he sailed from Cork, the 18th of October, in company with seven sail of Transports, with three regiments of Soldiers destined for Quebec, as he was told, whom he parted with the night after he sailed; that, having sprung his mast, he came into the Capes, intending to Norfolk, to get a new one, and then to proceed to Boston, but was taken on his way to Norfolk by Capt. Barron; that he shipped one Mr. Wogan, a native of Capel, in Ireland, who took his passage for Boston, to collect some money there, and then to proceed to Philadelphia, as he said; that by the bills of lading, dockets, and intercepted letters, it appears the cargo of the said Vessel is as followeth: on Government account, one thousand and fifty barrels of pork, four hundred firkins of butter, four half-barrels of tongues, two hogsheads and four hampers of potatoes, and one barrel of parsnips; and, on private account, and designed as presents for the officers in Boston, several parcels of beef, butter, cheese, tongues, and potatoes.

The other Vessel is the Brig Industry, James Sampson master, an inhabitant of Philadelphia, from whence he had gone to sea many years in the employ of Messrs. James and Drinker, merchants in that city; that, about five years ago, he sailed from thence in the said Brig, whereof himself, his Mate, William Simpson, and Laundrice Cuthbert, of Pennsylvania, are owners, and has been trading in many parts, chiefly in the Mediterranean Sea, till lately, when, inclining to return, he came to the Island of Grenada, with intention to take a freight from thence to Philadelphia; but being told a man-of-war at Newcastle would prevent his passage to that City, and that the Port of Norfolk, in this Colony, was open, he engaged the following freight for Norfolk, to wit: twenty-five puncheons of rum for Messrs. Kerr and Company, and ten hogsheads of rum and two hogsheads of sugar for Messrs. Roper and Boyd; and also laded on board sixty-five hogsheads of rum, three barrels of sugar, two casks of Malaga wine, and five or six blankets, the manufacture of Tunis, which are the property of himself and Mate. Upon consideration whereof, the Convention are of opinion, and do resolve, that the cargo on board the Brig Fanny is lawful prize, and justly forfeited to this Colony, and that the same be disposed of under the direction of the Committee of Safety; and that the Brig Industry and her cargo shall not be water-borne below Cumberland Town, where the same now is.

Mr. Banister, from the Committee to whom the Memorial of Sampson and George Matthews was referred, reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the said Memorial, and that it