An Ordinance making further provision for the defence and protection of this Colony, was read a second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the whole Convention.

Resolved, That the Convention will immediately resolve itself into a Committee on the said Ordinance.

The Convention accordingly resolved itself into a Committee on the said Ordinance; 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 Ordinance for making further provision for the defence and protection of this Colony, and had gone through the same, and made several amendments thereto; 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 said Ordinance, together with the several Amendments, be fairly transcribed, and read a third time.

The Orders of the Day, for the Convention to resolve itself into a Committee on the Ordinance for establishing a Board of Commissioners to superintend and direct the Naval affairs of this Colony, on the state of the Colony, and for a call of the Convention, being read,

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

Adjourned till to-morrow, ten o’clock.

Wednesday, June 26, 1776.

Mr. Blair, from the Committee appointed to consider the Reports made by the Committees of Caroline and Spottsylvania Counties, respectively, in relation to divers vessels supposed to be British property, and as such seized by Captain Taylor, commander of an armed vessel fitted out at the charge of this Colony, reported, that the Committee had accordingly had under their consideration the said several matters; and that it appeared to them, from the several depositions taken before the said Committee of Caroline County, that a moiety of the Sloop Olive is, and at the time she was seized was, the property of a certain Harry Lyburn, an inhabitant of this Colony, and that the other moiety belonged to Messrs. Dunlop & Crosse, merchants, in Glasgow, but was claimed as the property of James Dunlop, a partner of that Company, under a purchase by him set up prior to the said seizure, as may more particularly appear by the said depositions, to which your Committee beg leave to refer.

That it further appeared, that the said James Dunlop is a resident of this Colony, and that, before the said purchase, he, as a partner of Dunlop & Crosse, owned one-sixteenth of their moiety of the Olive.

That it further appeared, from the report of the said Committee of Spottsylvania County, the papers therein referred to, and other evidence, that the Sloops Lark and Speedwell, at the time of their being seized, were the property of Messrs. William Cuninghame & Company, merchants, in Great Britain; and that the Sloop Susannah, at the time of her seizure, belonged to Messrs. Bogle, Somervell, &; Company, merchants, in Glasgow; that James Robeson, William Henderson, and William Reid, who reside in this Colony, are in some small degree concerned as partners of the said William Cuninghame & Company; and that Gavin Lawson and Robert Gilmour, residing in America, have some interest in the Sloop Susannah, as partners of the said Bogle, Somervell, & Company; but that, in case of confiscation, the five American owners aforesaid do not think it worth while to ascertain their respective small proportions, in order to entitle themselves to an exemption.

That it further appeared, that James Lindsay, as Skipper of the Speedwell, is entitled to credit with the said Cuninghame & Company for £75, being the amount of his wages; but that there is an unsettled account against him on the books of the said Cuninghame & Company.

That it further appeared, that the sails belonging to the Sloop Speedwell were lodged in Mr. William Reid’s warehouse some time before the capture, and therefore, not being below high-water mark, were not seized nor included in the inventory returned; and that, in like manner, all the furniture of the Sloop Olive, except standing rigging, one anchor, and cable, had been laid up in Mr. Dunlop’s storehouse in Port-Royal; only the articles contained in the said exception having been seized.

That it further appeared, that among the articles contained in the inventory of stores, &c., belonging to the Sloop Susannah and the Sloop Lark, are three Negroes, viz: Davy and Ned, belonging to the former, and Priamus, to the latter; and that they 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 pretended purchase of a moiety of the Sloop Olive by the aforesaid James Dunlop, was fraudulent and void; the same having been transacted with a view of screening the said Sloop from confiscation, under the Resolution of Congress of the 23d of March last.

Resolved, That the Sloop Olive, together with her standing rigging, anchor, and cable, be sold; and that the money arising from the sale, after the expenses thereof are defrayed, be divided into thirty-two parts, sixteen of which to be paid to the said Harry Lyburn, and one to the said James Dunlop; and that the remaining fifteen be subdivided into three parts, two of which to be paid to the Treasurer, for the use of this Colony, and the other to the captors.

Resolved, That the Sloops Lark, Speedwell, and Susannah, together with their tackle, apparel, and furniture, slave, and slaves, to them respectively belonging, as contained in the inventory returned thereof, be sold; and that out of the money arising from the sale the expenses thereof be first discharged; and that there be then paid to James Lindsay so much as shall, upon liquidating his account, appear to be the balance due to him for wages, and that two-third parts of the residue thereof be paid to the Treasurer for the use of this Colony, and the other third part to the captors.

The Plan of Government for this Colony was read a second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the whole Convention.

Resolved, That this Convention will immediately resolve itself into a Committee on the Plan of Government for this Colony.

The Convention accordingly resolved itself into the said Committee; and after some time spent therein, Mr. President resumed the chair, and Mr. Digges reported that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the Plan of Government for this Colony, and had made some 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 Plan of Government.

The Orders of the Day, for the Convention to resolve itself into a Committee on the state of the Colony, for a call of the Convention, and for the Convention to resolve itself on

with the following arms and accoutrements, that is to say: a carbine with bucket and straps, a pair of horseman’s pistols and holsters, a tomahawk, a spear, a good saddle well fixed with girths and surcingle, and curb bridle.

And be it further ordained, That instead of the Corporals, Trumpeters, and private Troopers, furnishing their own horses, arms, and accoutrements, according to the directions of the said recited Ordinance, and receiving the pay therein allowed, the said horses, arms, and accoutrements, shall be furnished at the expense of the publick, and the pay of each Corporal and Trumpeter shall be reduced to two shillings, and of each Trooper to one shilling and six pence per day, which shall commence from the time of their inlistment. And to preserve equality, as near as may be, in the kind of horses, that the price of each horse be limited to thirty pounds; and each trooper shall moreover be allowed a bounty of twenty shillings upon his inlistment to serve until the 1st day of December, 1778, unless he be sooner discharged by the executive powers of Government, in which case he shall receive one month’s pay.

And be it further ordained, That there shall be allowed a Major-Commandant over the whole six troops, who shall be appointed by the General Convention or General Assembly, and be allowed the pay of ten shillings per day, to commence from the time that the whole troops shall be completed, or he shall be called into service; and that the several officers and troopers shall be allowed the like tents, rations, and forage, as are allowed to the Infantry.

And be it further ordained, That every Cadet who shall enter into the service, with the approbation of the Captain of the respective Troop which he is willing to join, and furnish himself with a good horse, and the arms and accoutrements herein directed, shall be allowed the pay and provisions of a private soldier, and one tent for every four Cadets.

And be it further ordained, That there shall be allowed a Quartermaster to every two Troops, who shall be paid five shillings per day; a rough-rider, or horse-breaker, for each Troop, who shall be discharged after the horses are properly trained, at the pay of five shillings per day; and a drummer for each, who shall be furnished with a horse and accoutrements at the publick expense, at two shillings per day, besides their rations and forage.