cation thereof, and making a proper and reasonable allowance to the several persons so to be appointed, for their trouble and expenses in conducting either branch of business to him or them assigned. And the said Committee of Safety shall have full power and authority to displace and remove from his office any person so by them appointed, either for misconduct or neglect of duty. And the said Treasurer is hereby required to pay all such sums as he may be directed, by such warrants, out of the publick money in his hands.

And be it further ordained, That the said Committee of Safety shall have full power and authority, at such times and places as they may think necessary and convenient, to call all such persons who may receive any publick money for carrying into execution the purposes of this Ordinance, to a strict account; and, upon examining their accounts, and finding them justly stated, certify the same, and, if necessary, to give proper acquittances and discharges.

And whereas it may be necessary, for the publick security, that the Forces to be raised by virtue of this Ordinance should, as occasion may require, be marched to different parts of the United Colonies, and that the Officers should be subject to a proper control: Be it therefore ordained, by the authority aforesaid, That the Officers and Soldiers under their command shall, in all things not otherwise particularly provided for by this Ordinance and the Articles established for their regulation, be under the control, and subject to the order, of the Committee of Safety.

And whereas, in this time of danger, it is probable, from the exposed situation of this Colony, and the many navigable Rivers and Creeks therein, that the attempts of the enemy will be made on different parts thereof: For the better security and defence of the inhabitants: Be it further ordained, That the Regiments to be raised and augmented by virtue of this Ordinance shall be stationed in such parts of the Districts hereinafter mentioned as the Committee of Safety may judge most proper, that is to say: Between the Rivers of Potomack and Rappahannock, two Regiments; between Rappahannock and York River, two Regiments; between York and James River, two Regiments; and on the south side of James River, two Regiments; and the said Committee of Safety shall have full power and authority, from time to time, to call the said Regiments, or such parts thereof as they may think proper, to any place within this Colony, to repel the invasion or attacks of the enemy; provided the Forces so ordered shall return to their respective stations so soon as the emergency shall cease; any thing in this, or any former Ordinance, to the contrary notwithstanding.

And for preserving proper rank, and establishing equal pay, among all the Officers of the Continental Army: Be it ordained, That all commissions already granted, or hereafter to be granted, by the Committee of Safety, in pursuance of this and a former Ordinance of Convention, to any regular Officer, be, and the same are hereby declared void as soon as such Officer, or any other in his stead, shall be appointed or commissioned by the General Congress; and the pay of every such officer shall, from the time of such appointment, and notice thereof to the Committee of Safety of this Colony, be the same as shall be settled by the said General Congress, any thing in this or the said Ordinance to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.

And whereas so much of the Ordinance, intituled An Ordinance for raising and embodying a sufficient Force for the defence and protection of this Colony, as relates to the performance of battalion duty by the Minute-men, is found to be inconvenient: Be it further ordained, That so much of the said Ordinance as requires the said duty, be, and the same is hereby repealed.

And be it further ordained, That, where the Officers of Minute-men heretofore appointed have failed Jo make up their Companies, and shall not complete the same within thirty days after the passing of this Ordinance, the Committee of the County where any such failure hath happened are required to appoint other Officers to such Companies, in manner following, that is to say: where a Captain has not enlisted the number of twenty-five, a Lieutenant eighteen, and an Ensign twelve, in all such cases, the said Committee shall appoint other Officers in the room of such Officers failing to enlist such number of men; unless the failure of making up any Company has been occasioned by the men of the said Company enlisting into the Regular service; and the several Minute Captains are required, once in every month, to make return of the number of men enlisted into their Companies to the Commanding-Officers of their respective Districts, to be by them transmitted to the Committee of Safety.

And be it further ordained, That, if any Officer of a Minute Company shall enter into the Regular service, the Committee of the County to which his Company belongs shall appoint another Officer to supply such vacancy; also, when any of the Minute-men shall enlist into the Regular service, the Officer to whose Company such Soldier belonged shall forthwith proceed to recruit and enlist others in their room. And if any Minute Company shall be ordered into service before the same is complete, the same, if amounting to eighteen, shall go under the command of the Lieutenant; and if under that number, to be commanded by the Ensign of the said Company.

And be it further ordained, That each Minute-man who shall furnish himself with a good musket, or other gun, to be approved of by his Captain, shall be allowed by the publick ten Shillings per annum, as a consideration for the use thereof, and shall be liable to a fine of twenty Shillings for not appearing with the same when called on duty.

And be it further ordained, That in lieu of the Oath to be taken by the Officers and Soldiers, either of Regulars or Minute-men, as directed by the Ordinance, intituled An Ordinance for the better government of the Forces to be raised and employed in the service of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, that the following Oath be by them hereafter taken, (except by the people called Quakers and Menonists, who are required to make a solemn Affirmation to the same effect,) to wit: "I, A B, do swear, that I will be faithful and true to the Colony and Dominion of Virginia; that I will serve the same to the utmost of my power, in defence of the just rights of America, against all enemies whatsoever; that I will, to the utmost of my abilities, obey the lawful commands of my superior Officers, agreeably to the Ordinances of the Convention and the Articles of War, to which I have subscribed, and lay down my arms peaceably, when required so to do, either by the General Convention or General Assembly of Virginia. So help me God.&qout; Which Oath shall be administered to the General and Field-Officers of the Regulars by the Committee of Safety, and to the other Commissioned-Officers by the District or County Committee by whom such Officers shall be appointed; and shall be administered to the other inferior Officers, and Men, by a Justice of the Peace, or any County or Corporation Committee-man, within twenty-four hours after the time of enlistment.

And whereas, by a new election of Committee-men throughout this Colony, pursuant to an Ordinance of the last Convention, the power of the Deputies elected to form the District Committees is supposed to be at an end: Be it therefore ordained, That the Committees of the several Counties and Corporations within this Colony, where the same hath not been already done since their last election, shall appoint such a number of their members respectively, as, in the former Ordinance for raising the Forces, is limited and directed, to meet in District Committees, who shall do and perform what remains to be done by such Committees respectively, for carrying into execution this and the former Ordinance; and so, as often as a dissolution of any Committee, and a new election of others, shall take place, they shall proceed in like manner, to the new election of Deputies, to represent them in District Committee.

Provided always, and be it further ordained, That where it shall be necessary to appoint a new Captain or Subaltern Commissioned-Officer of Minute-men, upon the death or resignation of one formerly nominated, or on his failing to raise the number of men required by this Ordinance, in that case, the appointment of such Officer shall be made by the Committee of the County or Corporation wherein the Company was to be raised; and that all vacancies among the Field-Officers of the Minute-men shall be filled up by the District Committees, having regard to a regular succession of the Officers, according to their rank.

And whereas, by the former Ordinance, the Committee of Safety are restrained from granting Commissions to the Officers in the Minute service until a return is made of the completion of the Battalions throughout the Colony, which