Resolved, That the Committee of Safety do continue to exercise the powers with which they were vested by the several Ordinances of Convention, in the same manner as they were authorized to do during the recess of Convention.

Ordered, That Mrs. Goodrich, the wife of John Goodrich, who is now confined in the publick Jail, be admitted, with her small children, to have access to her said husband; but that she be not afterwards permitted to leave the City of Williamsburgh, without the further order of this Convention.

The Convention then, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee on the Declaration of Rights, and after some time spent therein, Mr. President resumed the chair, and Mr. Cary reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the said Declaration, but not having time to go through the same, had directed him to move for leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this Convention will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a Committee on the said Declaration.

A Petition of Christopher Calvert was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that he was possessed of a likely Negro man slave named Davy, who, being suspected of a design to make his escape to Lord Dunmore, was taken up and sent to Williamsburgh for trial; that he was afterwards sent up the country, where he has been, and still is, employed in some publick work; that, not being able to bear such a loss at this time, he prays the Convention will either pay him the value of the said slave, to be estimated by impartial judges, or return him, as shall be thought best.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee of Publick Claims; and they are to report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.

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 augmenting the Ninth Regiment of Regular forces, providing for the better defence of the frontiers of this Colony, and for raising four Troops of Horse, being read,

Ordered, That the same be put off till to-morrow.

Adjourned till to-morrow, ten o’clock.

Thursday, May 30, 1776.

A Petition of John Craig was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that he went out last fall from the County of Augusta, with some stock, in order to settle the new country called Transylvania;and finding it to be the custom of the inhabitants to enter their lands with those who styled themselves the Proprietors, he also repaired to them for that purpose, but when he came he found a number of people assembled, who were signing a paper drawn up by the said proprietors, the substance of which was, that an Assembly should be chosen by the freeholders, who should make laws for the benefit of the country, as nearly similar to the laws of England as the circumstances of the country would admit, and that a Governour should be chosen from time to time from among the proprietors, being then eight in number, who should have a negative on all laws, also to elect a Member to the General Congress; that there should be only one religion, and that conformable to the Church of England, in exclusion of all others; that the said plan was offered to the Petitioner to sign, but, being a stranger, he begged to be excused till he could be better informed; upon which one of them declared they would enter no land for those who did not sign; that one Dougherty, and others, who signed immediately, entered for the best of his lands; and praying the Convention will take his case into consideration, and grant him such relief as may be judged reasonable.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee on the state of the Colony.

Resolved, That the execution of the former Resolutions of this Convention, for engaging such Indian Warriors of the neighbouring tribes as are willing to march to the assistance of this Colony, be postponed till the 20th of July next; and that they be not then carried into execution, unless the same shall be judged expedient by Thomas Walker and John Harvie, Esquires.

The Convention then, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee on the Ordinance for augmenting the Ninth Regiment of Regular forces, providing for the better defence of the frontiers of this Colony, and for raising four Troops of Horse; and after some time spent therein, Mr. President resumed the chair, and Mr. Cary reported that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the said Ordinance, and had made a further progress therein, but, not having time to go through the same, had directed him to move for leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this Convention will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a Committee on the said Ordinance.

The Orders of the Day, for the Convention to resolve itself into a Committee on the Declaration of Rights, and on the state of the Colony, being read,

Ordered, That the same be put off till to-morrow.

Adjourned till to-morrow, ten o’clock.

Friday, May 31, 1776.

The President laid before the Convention two Reports from the Committees of the Counties of Caroline and Spottsylvania, who were directed to inquire into the property of the vessels formerly seized by Captain Taylor, and supposed to be British property; which were read, and ordered to be referred to Mr. Blair, Mr. Holt, and Mr. Randolph, who are to report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.

The Orders of the Day, for the Convention to resolve itself into a Committee on the state of the Colony, on the Ordinance for augmenting the Ninth Regiment of Regulars, providing for the better defence of the frontiers of this Colony, and for raising four Troops of Horse, and on the Declaration of Rights, being read,

Ordered, That the same be put off till to-morrow.

An Ordinance to amend an Ordinance entitled An Ordinance for establishing a mode of making Tobacco Payments during the discontinuance of the Inspection Law, was read a second time, and ordered to be committed to Mr. Gray, Mr. Dandridge, Mr. Mercer, and Mr. Garland.

The President laid before the Convention a Letter from Major-General Lee, and also a Letter from Brigadier-General Howe; which were read, and ordered to lie on the table.

The President laid before the Convention sundry Proceedings of the Convention of the Province of Maryland, respecting their permission to Governour Eden to depart the said Province unmolested, with his effects, and a Passport for that purpose; together with a copy of an Address to the said Governour, and a Letter from the President of the said Convention to the President of the Committee of Safety here, desiring a like Passport from Virginia; which being read,

Resolved, That this Convention will immediately resolve itself into a Committee on the said Letter, Proceedings, Resolutions, and Address.

The Convention accordingly resolved itself into the said Committee; and after some time spent therein, Mr. President resumed the chair, and Mr. Cary reported that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the said Letter, Proceedings, Resolutions, and Address, 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, unanimously, That the Committee of Safety be directed to write a Letter to the President of the Convention of Maryland, in answer to his Letter of the 25th inst., expressing the deepest concern at the proceedings of that Convention respecting Governour Eden, and our reasons for not becoming accessory thereto, by giving him a passport through this Colony, or the Bay adjoining; that we would with reluctance, in any case, intermeddle in the affairs of a sister Colony, but in this matter we are much interested, and the Convention of Maryland, by sending their proceedings to the Committee of Safety here, have made it the duty of the Convention to declare their sentiments thereon.

That, considering the intercepted Letter from Lord George Germaine to Governour Eden, in which his whole conduct and confidential letters are approved, and he is directed to give facility and assistance to the operations of Lord Dunmore against Virginia, we are at a loss to account for the Council of Safety of Maryland their having neglected to seize him,