Resolved, That the said Josiah Parker be appointed Major to the Fifth Regiment.

The Convention then proceeded, by ballot, to the appointment of a Major to the Sixth Regiment; and it appearing, from the report of the Committee, that the greatest number on the ballot was in favour of James Hendricks, Esq.; but there not being a majority of the whole Convention, on the question being put,

Resolved, That the said James Hendricks be appointed Major to the Sixth Regiment.

The Convention then proceeded, by ballot, to the appointment of a Major to the Seventh Regiment; and it appearing, from the report of the Committee, that there was a majority of the whole Convention in favour of William Nelson, Esq.,

Resolved, therefore, That the said William, Nelson be appointed Major to the Seventh Regiment.

Resolved, That Matthew Donavon, Esq., be appointed Major to the Ninth Regiment.

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, entitled 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 to-morrow.

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

Saturday, January 13, 1776,

A Petition of sundry Inhabitants of the Counties of Norfolk and Princess Anne was presented to the Convention and read; setting forth, that from the commencement of the present unhappy disputes between the British Parliament and the Colonies, they have been uniformly active in promoting the measures recommended by the General Congress and Convention, for the preservation and defence of their rights and liberties; that, in consequence of this conduct, many of them had been reduced to the cruel necessity of abandoning their aged parents, their wives and children, and leaving them to the mercy of a lawless, plundering soldiery, and the more savage slave; that their plantations had been ravaged, their wives and children stripped almost to nakedness, their very bed-chambers invaded at the silent hour of midnight by ruffians with drawn daggers; their houses not only robbed of plate, money, and every thing valuable, but wantonly reduced by fire to ashes; their persons treated with every indignity that elated insolence and cruelty could suggest; some of their friends dragged into confinement, and now languishing under the hands of oppression; that they lamented the tardy and equivocal conduct of some of their luke-warm friends, by which Lord Dunmore had been encouraged to begin these depredations, which, with some concealed as well as open and avowed enemies, he continued to commit so long with impunity; that whilst our troops keep possession of Norfolk, they enjoy a state of safety, but the possibility of their being dislodged presents a dreadful prospect of the renewal or the exercise of greater cruelties; that they can but endeavour to guard against such calamities in future; that they apprehend the friends, to their country are much inferior to its enemies, among the leaders of the people in the two Counties; that they have every thing to fear from those who have thereby been induced to bear arms against their country, should they have it in their power; that many of their friends have been obliged to abandon their homes, which has put it out of their power to bear testimony against many who had been apprehended and justly deserved punishment; and praying that a strict inquiry might be made into the conduct of those who had appeared inimical to this Country, and that they might be removed to some distant part of the Colony, or so disposed of as to prevent their doing further mischief, and earnestly recommending that the slaves who had borne arms should be transported to the West-India Islands.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee of Safety.

Ordered, That no member absent himself from the service of this Convention without leave.

Ordered, That the Brig Corlet be detained until the mariners' wages are paid; and, on refusal of the Captain to pay the same, that the Committee for the County of Elizabeth City be empowered and directed to make sale of so much of the sails and apparel of the said Brig as will satisfy the same.

Ordered, That Major Spotswood have leave to be absent from the service for such time as shall be agreed on between Col. Howe and himself.

Ordered, That Mr. Taylor and Mr. Banister have leave to be absent from the service of this Convention, for the remainder of this session.

Resolved, That the Treasurer of this Colony pay to Capt. Samuel McDowell the sum of eight hundred Pounds, to be by him applied to the payment of the Wages of the Company that served under him in the late expedition against the Indians, and also a Ranging Company; on his giving bond, with sufficient security, for the due and faithful application of it to the purpose aforesaid, and rendering a just account thereof to Joseph Cabell, Esq., when required.

The Orders of the Day—for the Convention to resolve itself into a Committee on the state of the Colony, and on the Ordinance 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 to-morrow.

Mr. Mercer, from the Committee to whom the representation of the Committee of the County of Isle-of-Wight was referred, reported, that they had inquired into the conduct of the said John Goodrich therein named, and that it appeared to them that the said John Goodrich had drawn on him, and two of his sons, the resentment of Lord Dunmore, by assisting the country in the importation of Gunpowder, who caused them to be seized and confined; but, upon their engaging to be no further concerned in that business, the said John Goodrich, and his son John, on the parole of the former to appear on board Lord Dunmore's ship every tenth day, or oftener, if required, the said John Goodrich has since resided at his plantation in Nansemond, and has been on board his Lordship's ship four times, agreeably to his engagement, passing in his vessel unmolested by any of the Navy; that the said John Goodrich acknowledged he intended to move some Corn from his plantation, in the County of Isle-of-Wight, to his plantation in Nansemond; but says, the quantity was but a few barrels, which his family was in want of, and that he had no conveniency of carrying it but by water. And that they had come to the following Resolution thereupon; which he read in his place, and after wards delivered in at the Clerk's table, where the same was again twice read, and agreed to.

Resolved, That the said Joseph Goodrich hath been active in favour of this Colony, and hath suffered considerably on that account; that nothing in his conduct appears to be inimical to the common cause; but that no Grain, or other article of provision, should be water-borne in the neighbourhood of the enemy.

The President laid before the Convention Letter from Col. Henry, of the First Regiment; which was read, and ordered to He on the table.

Mr. Mercer, from the Committee appointed to inquire into the conduct of John Goodrich, William Goodrich, and John Goodrich, Jun., relating to the importation of Powder, and other articles for the use of this Colony, reported, that the Committee had accordingly inquired into the same, and that it appeared to them that the Linens imported into this Colony, on board the Schooner Fanny, were on the joint account of the said John Goodrich, John Goodrich, Jun. and Bartlet Goodrich; that it further appeared from the