examination, and had inquired for witnesses of the officers, in the neighbourhood of Norfolk, desiring them to have summoned such as they should be informed were acquainted with the conduct of the said Goodrich;but none have appeared; whereupon the Committee thought it unnecessary and unreasonable to keep him longer in suspense, and that he ought to be discharged from that accusation; but as he is under a general suspicion of being unfriendly to the interests of the Colony, the Committee are of opinion that he ought, previous to his discharge, to enter into bond, with sufficient security, in the penalty of £1,000, with condition not to give intelligence to, or in any manner aid or assist, the enemies of America.Which Report he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk’s table, where the same was again twice read, and agreed to.

On a motion made, Resolved, That the Committee of Safety do tender to the said John Goodrich, Jun., the oath prescribed by this Convention to be taken by suspected persons, by their Resolution of the 27th of Maylast; and in case of his refusal to take the same, that they cause him to be disarmed, agreeably to the said Resolution.

Mr. Digges, from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, reported, that the Committee had, according to order, inquired into the allegations contained in a letter from Richard Randolph, Esq., to Richard Adams, Esq., bearing date the 15th of Aprillast; and also the information of the said Richard Adamsto them referred; and that it appeared to them, from the testimony of Archibald Cary, Esq., that, at a session of Assembly held in the year 1772, several Clerks of County Courts had neglected to send down the publick claims from the Counties, among whom was the Clerk of Henrico; that the deponent was ordered by the House of Burgesses to send for them, but he proposed only sending to them for the accounts, which was agreed to, and the deponent directed the Sergeant-at-Arms to hire expresses to go for those accounts, who accordingly did so; that the Sergeant (Mr. Eppes) having made out his account for the expenses he had been at in sending for the Clerks, gave it to the deponent, who moved the House that the amount thereof might be levied in the Book of Claims for the said Eppes, and that the charge, amounting to£24 5s., should be debited to the four Clerks who had failed to send down their said accounts; that, as the deponent was going out of the House with the Book of Claims, which had been reported from the Committee, the said Richard Adamsfollowed him. and desired the deponent not to enter the article against the Clerk of Henrico, for that he would pay the said Eppeshimself, upon which the deponent desired the said Adamsto speak to the said Eppes, which he soon afterwards did, and, in the presence of the deponent, the said Adamspromised to pay the said Eppesbefore he left town, and the said Eppesinformed the deponent that the £3 which the said Adamshad assumed to pay to the Clerk of Henriconeed not be entered in the Book of Claims, and was therefore struck out of the account; upon which, an entry was made in the book, giving the said Eppescredit only for£21 5s., and the three other Clerks charged with the money to repay the publick, and no notice taken of the Clerk of Henrico;that on Saturdayafternoon, being a few days after these transactions, the deponent went out of town, and did not return until the Mondaymorning following; that some time after the House had sat that day, the Book of Claims passed, and he was ordered to carry the same to the Council for their concurrence, and on his way up he was informed by Mr. Hind Russell, Clerk to the Committee of Claims, that an alteration had been made in his absence in the said book; and upon looking at it, the deponent discovered the twenty-one was altered to twenty-four pounds, and the word Henricoentered in the margin of the book; that from the handwriting, the deponent found the alteration had been made by Jacob Bruce, an assistant to George Wythe, Esq., Clerk of the House of Burgesses, who, on being applied to by the deponent, told him he did it by direction of the said Richard Adams;that the deponent knowing that no person had a right to make an entry in the book but by order of the House, inquired whether any such order had been made, and informed the House of the transaction, but did not make any motion respecting the alteration, for which he was blamed by several Members sitting near him, but he informed them he had done his duty in giving the information to the House, and they might take such steps as they thought proper.

That it also appeared from the testimony of Richard Bland, Esq., that several County Court Clerks having neglected to transmit to the Clerk of the House of Burgesses the list of their tithables for laying the publick levy, were sent for in custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms, among whom was the Deputy to Mr. Thomas Adams, Clerk of Henrico, at that time in England.The Sergeant’s fees were to be levied for him in the Book of Claims, and relevied upon the delinquents, to reimburse the country. That after the Book of Claims had been reported to the House (but whether it had passed or not the deponent cannot recollect) Archibald Cary, Esq., Chairman to the Committee, informed the House that an alteration had been made in the Book of Claims during his absence from the House, by which the country was charged the sum of £3, due to the Sergeant as his fees, for sending for the Clerk of Henrico, which was not relevied upon the Clerk, as it ought to have been; and that he had reason to believe that this alteration was made by Mr. Richard Adams, brother to Mr. Thomas Adams, the Clerk; which was an offence he thought ought to be inquired into, and properly censured by the House.

That Mr. Richard Lee, who frequently acted as Chairman of the Committee of Claims in the absence of the said Archibald Cary, thereupon told the House that the said Richard Adamsapplied to him to have the Sergeant’s fees due from the Clerk of Henricocharged in the Book of Claims, according to the usual course; that this charge had been omitted, upon his promising to pay the Sergeant for his brother before the rising of the Assembly; that the said Richard Adamswas called home unexpectedly to a sick family, and it was inconvenient for him to pay the money at that time, whereupon the said Richard Leedirected the alteration to be made, but the recharging the said fees to the Clerk of Henrico, according to the usual course, was omitted, through mistake and want of attention.

That the deponent, in order to put an end to the debate, informed the House that he was ready to pay the money down upon the Clerk’s table if required, or to pay it at any time to the Treasurer, for the said Adams, who, he was certain, would immediately repay it to him; upon which the House appeared perfectly satisfied, and no further notice was taken of the said information. That the deponent was always ready to have complied with his undertaking, and should certainly have performed it, had not the said Richard Adams, a short time after the rising of the Assembly, informed the deponent he had paid the money to the Treasurer, and that he has seen the Treasurer’s receipt acknowledging such payment.

That it further appeared, from the information of Richard Lee, Esq., that on the Saturday, and after Mr. Archibald Carywas gone out of town, Mr. Richard Adamsinformed him that he had just received a letter from Mrs. Adams, acquainting him that one of his children was very ill, and he should shortly leave town; that it was inconvenient for him to pay the £3 for the Clerk of Henricoat that time; and as the Assembly might rise before he returned, he desired the informant, who had acted as Chairman to the Committee of Claims in the absence of the said Archibald Cary, to go with him to the Clerk of that Committee and have the alteration made in the Book of Claims; but the Clerk being absent, they desired Jacob Bruceto make the alteration, which he accordingly did.

That it also further appeared, from the information of Mr. McDowell, and the testimony of Mr. Samuel Du-Val, that they were in Mr. Wythe’soffice when Mr. Richard Leeand Mr. Richard Adamscame up with the Book of Claims; and that Mr. Leedirected Mr. Jacob Bruceto make the alteration in the book, which he accordingly did.

That it also appeared, from the information of Robert Carter Nicholas, Esq., Treasurer, that Mr. Richard Adams, on the 18th of May, 1772, paid into his office £3, for the expenses of the Sergeant of the House of Burgesses in sending an express to the Clerk of Henrico.

That it also appeared, from the testimony of Jacob Bruce, that Mr. Richard Leeand Mr. Richard Adamscame into Mr. Wythe’soffice, where he was writing; that Mr. Leebrought with him the Book of Claims, which he opened before the deponent, and told him to alter a figure of one into a figure of four, and enter the word “Henrico” in the margin of the book, which he did.

That it also further appeared, from the testimony of Turner