Commanding Officers of the Militia of the several Counties through which the said Slaves are to be conducted, do also furnish such guard in their respective Counties.

Mr. Digges, from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, reported, that the Committee had, according to order, inquired into the information touching the election of Delegates for the County of King William, to them referred, and that it appeared to them, from the poll taken at the said election, by Owen Gwathney, Gent., Sheriff of the said County, that at the close thereof the number of votes stood as follows: For William Aylett 78, Richard Squire Taylor 73, Carter Braxton 39; and it also appeared, from the testimony of the said Owen Gwathney, that some time before the poll was closed Mr. Aylett declined standing a candidate, and made a publick declaration to that purpose, desiring Mr. Braxton might be elected; that, after Mr. Aylett’s resignation, he made proclamation several times for the freeholders to come in and vote before he closed the poll; that it further appeared, from the testimony of Benjamin Temple, that he, with many others who had voted at the election, applied to Mr. Aylett during the poll, and desired he would decline in favour of Mr. Braxton, which he accordingly did, and the people seemed generally well pleased that Mr. Braxton should be returned a Delegate, but that there was not a sufficient number who had not voted to have elected Mr. Braxton; and in case the poll had been continued, most of them would have voted for Mr. Taylor; that Mr. Dandridge Claiborne had been proposed as a sub-Delegate, but on hearing Mr. Taylor was a candidate, declined; that the poll was kept open as long as any person would come in and vote, and that the Sheriff, before he closed it, made publication several times for the freeholders to come and vote; and that, in any event, Mr. Taylor would have been elected; that it further appeared, from the testimony of Drury Ragsdale, that after Mr. Aylett declined there was a sufficient number, in his opinion, to set Mr. Braxton before Mr. Aylett; that many who did not vote after Mr. Aylett’s resignation looked on it to be unnecessary, considering Mr. Braxton as elected of course; that the poll was kept open a considerable time after the people declined going in to vote; that the deponent informed many, while the poll was taking, of the consequences of leaving Mr. Braxton out; that, for some time after the poll was began, Mr. Braxton’s friends were backward in giving their votes, but afterwards they exerted themselves to promote his interest; that the deponent, with Mr. Fox, the day after the election, was making a calculation how many persons were at the election who did not vote, and they made the number about forty-two, which would mostly have voted for Mr. Braxton and Mr. Aylett; but that, in any event, Mr. Taylor would have been elected; that it also appeared, from the testimony of James Quarles, that he did not vote at the election, on account of Mr. Aylett’s resignation; that he thought, until the day of the election, that Mr. Taylor offered only as a sub-Delegate, and many people in the Lower Parish thought as he did; that it further appeared, from the testimony of Archibald Govan, that he did not vote at the election, thinking Mr. Braxton could not get a sufficient number of votes to elect him; but in case he had voted, it would have been for Mr. Braxton; that on Mr. Aylett’s resignation in favour of Mr. Braxton, the people, in general, seemed to be well pleased; that before Mr. Aylett resigned, Mr. Braxton had not friends enough to set him before Mr. Aylett or Mr. Taylor; but some were of a different opinion; but that, in any event, Mr. Taylor would have been elected; and that the Committee had come to the following Resolution thereupon, which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk’s table, where the same was again twice read, and agreed to:

Resolved, That the said William Aylett and Richard Squire Taylor are duly elected Delegates for the said County of King William.

Ordered, That the Sheriff do amend the Certificate of the election of Delegates for the said County of King William, agreeably to the foregoing Resolution.

The Convention then, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee on the state of the Colony; and after some time spent therein, Mr. President resumed the chair, and Mr. Blair reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the state of the Colony, and 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 the Ninth Regiment of Regular forces, raised for the defence and protection of this Colony, and stationed in the Counties of Northampton and Accomack, be augmented, agreeably to the recommendation of Major-General Lee, by the addition of three Companies, to be raised in the said Counties; and that the Committee for the County of Northampton do proceed to appoint a Captain and the Subaltern Officers to one Company, and the Committee for the County of Accomack two Captains and the Subaltern Officers for two of the said Companies.

Resolved, That such of our friends as, having been made prisoners of war by Lord Dunmore, have been permitted by him to go on shore upon their parole, agreeably to the usage of nations, and decline now to return according to their engagement, ought to be compelled so to do; and the Commanding Officer is required to demand the same of Lord Dunmore, on his part.

On a motion made, Resolved, That this Convention will, on Monday next, again resolve itself into a Committee, to take into their further consideration the state of the Colony.

A Petition of the Inhabitants of that part of America called Transylvania, was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that they became settlers in that country in consequence of the advantageous report of their friends who explored it; and others have been allured, by the specious show of the easy terms on which the lands were to be granted, by those who styled themselves the Proprietors, have, at great expense, and many hardships, made settlements there, under an expectation of an undoubted title, which those gentlemen assured them they could make. That they are greatly alarmed at their late conduct, in advancing the terms of granting the lands from twenty to fifty shillings, sterling, and the exorbitant and increased fees of entry and surveying; and by the short period prefixed for taking up the lands even on those terms, they plainly evince an intention of rising in their demands; and that they are the more alarmed at such unjust and arbitrary proceedings, as they are lately informed, by a copy of a deed made by the Six Nations to Sir William Johnson and the Commissioners from this Colony, at Fort Stanwix, in the year 1768, for all the lands which lie on the south side of the Ohio, beginning at the mouth of Cherokee or Hogohege River, and extending up the said River to Kittaning; and as, in the said deed, the said confederate Indians declare the Cherokee River to be their true boundary with the southward Indians, they do, with great reason, doubt the validity of the purchase those Proprietors have made of the Cherokees, the only title they set up to the lands for which they demand such exorbitant sums of money. That they cannot help thinking the claim of Mr. Henderson and his Company as highly unjust; and as they are anxious to concur, in every respect, with their brethren of the United Colonies, in every measure for the recovery of their rights and liberties, as far as their infant settlement and remote situation will admit, they humbly expect and implore to be taken under the protection of the Convention of Virginia, of which they cannot but consider themselves a part, and either adopt such means for their relief as shall be judged most expedient, or, if it be apprehended that their case comes more properly before the Congress, that the Convention would be pleased to recommend it to their Delegates to espouse the same as the cause of this Colony.*

*To the Honourable the Convention of VIRGINIA.

The Petition of the Inhabitants, and some of the intended Settlere, of that part of NORTH-AMERICA now denominated TRANSYLVANIA, humbly showeth:

Whereas some of your Petitioners became adventurers in that country from the advantageous reports of their friends who first explored it, and others since, allured by the specious show of the easy terms on which the land was to be purchased from those who style themselves Proprietors, have, at a great expense, and many hardships, settled there, under the faith of holding the lands by an indefeasible title, which those gentlemen assured them they were capable of making. But your Petitioners have been greatly alarmed at the late conduct of those gentlemen, in advancing the price of the purchase-money from twenty shillings to fifty shillings, sterling, per hundred acres, and at the same time have increased the fees of entry and surveying to a most exorbitant rate; and, by the short period prefixed for taking up the lands, even on those extravagant terms, they plainly evince their intentions of rising in their demands as the settlers increase, or their insatiable avarice shall dictate. And your Petitioners have been more justly alarmed at such unaccountable and arbitrary proceedings, as they have lately learned, from a copy of the