according to the recommendation of the General Congress, and more so for the Convention’s having promoted his passage to assist in our destruction, under a pretence of his retiring to England, which, we conceive, from the above letter, he is not at liberty to do; that, supposing he should go to Britain, it appears to us that such voyage, with the address presented to him, will enable him to assume the character of a publick agent, and, by promoting divisions and disunion among the Colonies, produce consequences the most fatal to the American cause; that as the reasons assigned for his departure, “that he must obey the Ministerial mandates while remaining in his Government,” are very unsatisfactory, when the Convention declare that in his absence the Government, in its old form, “will devolve on the President of the Council of State,” who will be under equal obligations to perform such mandates, we cannot avoid imputing those proceedings to some undue influence of Governour Eden, under the mask of friendship to America, and of the Proprietary interest in Maryland, whereby the Members of that Convention were betrayed into a vote of fatal tendency to the common cause, and we fear to this country in particular, and feel it an indispensable duty to warn the good people of that Province to guard against the Proprietary influence.

Resolved, That the foregoing Resolution be forthwith published in the Virginia Gazette.

Adjourned till to-morrow, ten o’clock.

Saturday, June 1, 1776.

A Petition of the Inhabitants westward of the Laurel Hill was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that the contested boundary between Virginia and Pennsylvania hath subjected them to the greatest inconveniences and oppressions, and created the most dangerous animosities, tending to make divisions among the people; and that, while both Governments claim a jurisdiction in the same place, the laws of neither can be enforced; and praying a boundary may be established, that they may know what laws they are to pay obedience to.

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

It being represented to the Convention, that the District Committee for the Counties of Northampton and Accomack, being informed that the last Convention had directed five Companies of Regular forces to be raised in the said Counties, proceeded to appoint the proper Officers for the same, and that in consequence thereof many men were inlisted in each of the said Companies, and employed in the publick service till the Ordinance directing the forces to be raised for the defence and protection of this Colony came to hand, when, finding that only four Companies were to be raised in those Counties, they immediately disbanded the fifth:

Ordered, That the Officers and men so appointed and inlisted be paid for the time they were employed in the publick service.

A Petition from the Committee for the County of Chesterfield was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that, agreeably to the directions of a former Convention, they had subscribed and paid to the Treasurer of their County one shilling per poll for the purchase of Gunpowder for the use of the said County, the greatest part of which had been actually laid out for that purpose, and the Powder now in the possession of the Militia Officers; and praying that the same may be taken on the publick account, and the money repaid to the contributors.

Resolved, That the Ammunition purchased by the several County Committees, out of the levy imposed by them on the people, or by private subscribers, be taken and paid for by the publick, at the price the same cost, if such Committees, or subscribers, are willing to part with the same; and the persons who paid for it be reimbursed their several advances on that account; and that the Committee of Safety, or the Executive power of Virginia, may allow so much of such Ammunition to remain in the respective Counties as they may judge proper for the security of such County, having regard to the internal as well as external situation thereof; and where any such Ammunition shall have been expended for the publick use, that the original cost thereof be also reimbursed by the publick.

A Petition of the Inhabitants of Port Royal, the Counties of King George, Caroline, and Westmoreland, was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that in the year 1748 a Ferry was established from Roy’s Landing, in Caroline, to Gibson’s, in King George County, and that in the year 1752, a free Ferry was established, to be kept by the inhabitants of Port Royal, for the mutual advantage of themselves and the. people trading thereto; that after the ferry had been maintained by the town for about eight years, the proprietor of Roy’s entered into an agreement with the inhabitants to set over all foot passengers gratis, on condition the free boat should be put down; that after that time, for a term of about sixteen years, the proprietors of Roy’s kept their boat at the publick landing of the said town, instead of the warehouse landing, not through stipulation, but through choice, the town land being much more convenient to the publick, in general, and also to the proprietors; that notwithstanding, regardless of the publick convenience, Mr. James Miller, the present proprietor of Roy’s, hath, through caprice or selfish motives, removed the ferry to Roy’s, greatly to the injury, and in direct opposition to the remonstrance of the people of Caroline, and others interested therein; that they have been driven by necessity to apply to Mr. Francis Conway, the present proprietor of Gibson’s, to set up a boat to convey them and their commodities to the town landing, as formerly, which he has done, and farmed the same to Mr. James Bowie, who owns the wharf so convenient to the Petitioners; but that as Mr. Bowie entertains some doubts of the propriety of the measure, they humbly submit their grievance to the consideration of the Convention, and pray that a ferry from the town landing to Gibson’s, in King George County, may be established.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee of Propositions and Grievances; that they inquire into the allegations thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.

Mr. Cary, from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, reported, that the Committee had proceeded to the examination of Thomas Mitchell, who was apprehended on suspicion of being inimical to the rights of America, and that it appeared that the offence with which he was charged comes under the cognizance of a Court of Commissioners; and that they had come to the following Resolution there-upon; 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 Thomas Mitchell be sent to the Court of Commissioners for the County of York, there to be tried.

A Petition of sundry assistants to Merchants, and other natives of Great Britain, was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that finding themselves incapable of proceeding in the business to which they have been bred and employed, they obtained permission from the Committee of Safety to depart this Colony for their native country, in consequence of which they procured a passage, and had actually embarked on board a vessel, when an order came for the detention of the vessel for the use of the country, by which they were deprived of the only means which offered of availing themselves of the passport which had been granted them; that, previous to their embarkation, they had cancelled, by mutual consent, their contracts with their employers, and had made sale of their clothes and other necessaries, in order to procure proper accommodations on their voyage, which they are unable, in the present situation of the country, to procure again; that thus deprived of the means of procuring employment and subsistence by an honest pursuit of those labours in which they have been heretofore employed, and far removed from their friends and connexions, they pray permission may be granted them to embark for their native country.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee of Propositions and Grievances; that they inquire into the allegations thereof, and 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 Declaration of Rights, 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.