civil liberty, exertions for its preservation, influenced by its purest principles, and conducted with all possible attention to form and ceremony, we hope will not be considered as an indignity or insult to any rank or station in the community.

“The proceeding which your Excellency reprehends, in your letter addressed to Charles Carroll, John Hall, and William Paca, Esqs., and communicated by them to our Board, arose from an impression that we, who are entrusted with the publick safety, should pursue with vigilance every effectual measure, though the danger to be guarded against may rest only in possibility.

“The intercepted letters from Administration to your Excellency, we own, furnish grounds for conjecture and apprehension only of your having held an injurious correspondence; and whilst we reflect on the general tenour of your Excellency’s conduct, the friendly disposition you have often manifested, and the several favourable and impartial representations you have made to Administration of the temper and principles of the people of this Province, we sincerely lament that the necessity of the times (which urge us to guard against every possibility of danger) forced us to a measure so disagreeable to and which may prove an unmerited treatment of your Excellency.

“We acknowledge, sir, we know of no information you have given Administration countenancing or encouraging the introduction of troops into this Province; nor do we know of any measures whatever to have been concerted or pursued by your Excellency injurious to this Province, or America.

“We thank your Excellency for your resolution of continuing in your station as long as permitted, or the ostensible form of the established Government can contribute to preserve the peace of the Province; and we cheerfully acquiesce in your Excellency’s assurance, that as the Convention is shortly to meet, they shall find you here.

“As far as our influence extends with that respectable body, it shall not be wanting to remove every obstruction to your peaceable departure, whenever your Excellency’s continuance here shall become inconsistent with your instructions, or your private affairs shall demand your return.

“With ardent wishes for a speedy reconciliation upon honourable and constitutional terms, we have the honour to be, with sincere respect, your Excellency’s most obedient humble servant. By order:

“CHARLES CARROLL, V. P.

“His Excellency Robert Eden, Esq., Governour of Maryland. ”

Afterwards, the gentlemen waited on his Excellency, with Mr. Hancock’s Letter and the Resolve of the Congress, which are to the following amount: (Nos. 6 and 7.)

“That information had come to the Congress that the Governour carried on a correspondence with the Ministry highly dangerous to American liberty, which was confirmed by some letters to him from Lord George Germaine, lately intercepted and sent up to Virginia, by which it appears to them that the publick safety requires his person and papers to be seized; that they recommend it to this Council of Safety to secure him and them immediately, and send them to Philadelphia; as also a certain Mr. Ross, who was supposed to be in this Province. ”

Mr. Hancock’s letter, accompanying and enforcing the said earnest request, was to the same amount; but the Governour not being favoured with copies of the letter or resolve, which he wished to have had, can only communicate this from memory.

The gentlemen then told his Excellency that the Virginia and Baltimore proceedings had been such towards them, that they looked on them to be at the bottom of this; that they were satisfied with what he had said, and in that reliance declined complying with the said resolve, intending to write fully to the Congress thereon. His Excellency gave them thanks for their good opinion of him, hoping they would not have any cause to repent it. The Baltimore boats went home that same day by order of the Council of Safety.

On Saturday, the 20th of April, his Excellency sent to the Council of Safety to request seeing some of them.

Messrs. Carroll and Tilghman, with Mr. Paca, waited on him about ten o’clock, when he voluntarily gave the Parole that he refused before, which is as follows: (No. 8.)

“Saturday morning.

“GENTLEMEN: I took the liberty of sending for you this morning, and hope the motive of my doing so will not be disagreeable.

“Your polite behaviour to me, and the confidence you have reposed in me, which evince your good opinion of my past and present conduct, deserve the best return I can make. I see that your personal safety and future respect from your constituents are involved in my meriting that opinion and not disgracing that confidence.

“Therefore, what you could not by requisition, however respectful, or your representation of probability, (a more disagreeable proceeding,) obtain from me, my parole not to leave the Province till the Convention met, I voluntarily now give you, and your conduct towards me justly entitles you to it. ”

A true copy.

His Excellency all along suspected General Lee at the bottom of this business, and so it turned out. S. Purviance denied at first, when summoned before the Council of Safety, that he had any private correspondence with General Lee; but the letter of the latter was produced, wherein he was directed to seize his Excellency, and is as follows: (No. 9.)

“Williamsburgh, April 6, 1776.

“DEAR SIR: I know not to whom I can address this most important note with so much propriety and assurance of success as to yourself. The crisis will not admit of ceremony and procrastination. I shall therefore irregularly address you in the language and with the spirit of one bold, determined, free citizen to another, and conjure you, as you value the liberties and rights of the community of which you arc a member, not to lose a moment, and, in my name, (if my name is of consequence enough,) to direct the commanding officer of the troops at Annapolis immediately to to seize the person of Governour Eden. The sin and blame be on my head; I will answer for all to the Congress. The justice and necessity of the measure will be best explained by the packet transmitted to you by the Committee of Safety from this place.

“God Almighty give us wisdom and vigour in this hour of trial!

Adieu, dear sir. Yours, most sincerely,

“CHARLES LEE.

“To Samuel Purviance, Esquire, Chairman of the Baltitimore Committee, Baltimore. ”

After this, his Excellency’s boat was a second time stopped by the same tender, by which three persons were near being drowned. Of this, however, his Excellency took little notice, for sake of quiet, though certainly a great insult, after the engagement he had voluntarily made, which, had he chosen it, this act released him from, as he premised in making it.

The Convention met on the — of——. The conduct of the Council of Safety respecting his Excellency and Mr. Samuel Purviance was approved; so was his Excellency’s past conduct, as appears by the following Resolves, viz: (Nos. 10 and 11.)

“In Convention, Annapolis, May 24, 1776.

“Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Convention that the Council of Safety of this Province, upon the subject of the late intercepted letters to Governour Eden, duly and properly exercised the powers delegated to them.

“Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Convention that, upon the evidence before them of the correspondence which his Excellency Governour Eden has, from time to time, held with Administration, it does not appear that such correspondence has been with an unfriendly intent, or calculated to countenance any hostile measures against America. ”

Mr. Purviance was censured, but very triflingly to what was expected, and most people thought he deserved.

His Excellency is likewise pleased to inform this Board that, in consequence of a motion in Convention, he was waited upon by six of the Members, who made from the Convention the following verbal proposal: (No. 12.)

“It is the intention of this Convention to preserve, as far as may be, the ostensible form of Government, in hopes it