That sundry Inhabitants of Baltimore County were, and are averse to clearing, opening, and straightening, said Roads, and intended to petition the Legislative Body of this Province for a repeal of the law authorizing the same, or an alteration thereof, in such parts as they apprehended aggrieved them; but being prevented by the unhappy disputes subsisting between the Colonies and Great Britain, from making application for redress of such apprehended grievances, to the Assembly of this Province, they have been led into an unlawful and unwarrantable opposition to the collection of the publick Taxes, which the necessary embargo laid on our ports has tended greatly to increase.

That a great number of the said Inhabitants have paid the said Taxes, and they being imposed by virtue of sundry sets of the Assembly, your Committee are of opinion, the residue of the said Inhabitants are in duty bound to pay those already assessed, as they clearly had it in their power to discharge them, the ports being open, and a price offered for all manner of country produce, till, the 10th of September last.

That the remainder of the said money, directed by the said acts of Assembly to be levied, ought, by the Justices of the said County, pursuant to the said acts, to be assessed; but if trade and commerce should not be restored in such manner as to enable the people of the said County to discharge the said taxes, that the legislative authority for the time being ought, in such circumstances, to suspend the payment of the same (except such part thereof as shall be assessed for the paying for the building of the Poor-House and Inspection-House in said County,) or take order therein in such other way as to them shall seem most expedient.

That it is the opinion of this Committee, that the Money appropriated for loan, to the Inhabitants of Baltimore County, for clearing and opening Roads, by act of Assembly, and delivered out by the Commissioners for emitting bills of credit to the Supervisors of said Roads, or so much thereof as hath been unexpended, and all sums levied, or hereafter to be levied, on the Inhabitants of said County, for the purpose of repaying the same, shall be paid into the hands of the said Commissioners, to be by them let out upon interest, (except so much thereof as hath been expended, in the same manner as by the said act they are directed to let out on interest the bills of credit of this Province; and that the said sum of money, so collected, or to be hereafter collected, of the said Inhabitants—except so much thereof as hath been expended) with interest thereon accruing, ought to be appropriated to such use of the said County as shall be ordered and directed by the legislative authority, for the time being.

That the Supervisors of the said Roads, in said County, shall, respectively, render to the said Commissioners, by them to be laid before the legislative authority for the time being, a true, full, and fair account, on oath, of all moneys by them, respectively, laid out and expended, by virtue of the said act of Assembly, and to whom, and for what the same shall have been paid and expended.

That the sum of money collected, or to be collected in said County, for the building of a Prison and Court-House in Harford County, &c, ought to be paid into the hands of the Commissioners of Harford County, aforesaid, and be by them put out on interest, for the use of the same County, until the dispute in the same County, relative to the place where said Prison and Court-House, &c, shall be erected and built, be hereafter determined by the legislative authority for the time being.

All which is submitted to the consideration of the honourable House.

After consideration of the same, the question was put, That the House concur therewith?

Resolved, in the affirmative.

Convention adjourns till tomorrow morning, half after nine o'clock.

Wednesday, January 17, 177G.

Convention met. All Members present, as on yesterday, except Mr.J. Dashiell and Mr. Ware. The Proceedings of yesterday were read.

On motion, Resolved, That the residue of the sum of Money directed by act of Assembly to be assessed and levied on the Inhabitants of Harford County, for building the Court House, Prison, &c, be, pursuant to said act, assessed and levied by the Justices of said County, on the Inhabitants thereof; but, if trade and commerce shall not be restored, so as to enable the people of said County to discharge the said tax, the legislative authority, for the time being, will suspend the payment of the same, or otherwise order therein, as to them shall seem expedient.

That the money already collected, or hereafter to be collected for the same, shall be paid into the hands of the Commissioners of Harford County, aforesaid, and be by them put out on interest for the use of said County, until the dispute therein, relative to the place where said Court-House and Prison shall be erected, be hereafter determined by the legislative authority for the time being.

Ordered, That Edward Davis be discharged from further custody.

On motion, Resolved, That Captain Thomas Johnson, Junior's, and Captain William Hyde's Company of Militia, in the City of Annapolis, be Independent Companies, but subject to the same rules and regulations as the other Militia of this Province, where such rules and regulations will apply to their circumstances, as well when the said Companies are in actual service as otherwise. And, that Captain Richard Harwood, Junior's, William Brogden's, Edward Tillard's, John Wecms's, John Steward's, John Deale's, and Richard Chew's Companies of Militia, in Anne Arundel County, compose a Battalion, any thing in the Resolves of the last Convention, or the Proceedings of the Committee of Observation for Anne Arundel County, to the contrary notwithstanding.

On motion, Resolved, That there be a District in Frederick County, bounded on the east by Licking Creek, to include all that part of the said County which lies to the west of the said Creek.

That the freemen, and others, entitled to vote for Delegates in Convention, by the Resolves of the last Convention, meet at Skipton, in the said District, on a day to be appointed, and choose, by ballot, one discreet and sensible freeman, of the said District, to join the other Delegates from Frederick County, and vote in Conventions hereafter to be held for this Province.

That the said election be held under the inspection of such persons as may be chosen and appointed by (he freemen of that District for the purpose, and be conducted in the same manner, and under the same rules, as laid down by the last Convention for choosing Delegates.

That the freemen of the said District choose fifteen discreet and sensible men, of the same District, to be a Committee for the said District, any seven of them to act; and that the election be made agreeable to the Resolves of the last Convention.

On reading a second time the Petition from the Inhabitants of the City of Annapolis,

Resolved, That the same be referred for consideration till the next session of Convention.

Adjourned till three o'clock.

Post Mcrediem. Convention met.

Resolved, That this Convention do highly disapprove of the negligence of many of the People of this Province, in not paying off their levies, which ought to have been paid and discharged the last Summer; and much more so of the combinations in some few parts of this Province, against the payment of levies; such conduct evidently leading to throw this Province into the disorder, confusion, and anarchy, desired by the inveterate enemies, and dreaded by the real friends to American liberty.

Resolved, therefore, That this Convention will, if necessary, aid the officers with their utmost power, in the collection of the levies which ought to have been paid in the Summer past; yet those officers are requested not to distrain the effects of those whose extreme poverty disables them from paying.

Resolved, That the Justices of the several County Courts ought to assess the Inhabitants of their Counties, agreeable to the acts of Assembly of this Province; but, as the People may not be able, if the unhappy differences with Great Britain should continue, to pay the whole of the assessments for building Court-Houses, Churches, and