the Ordinance for appointing Commissioners to superintend and direct the Naval affairs of this Colony, being read,

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

Adjourned till to-morrow, ten o’clock.

Thursday, June 27, 1776.

The Officers of the several Minute-men and Militia lately called into duty, under the command of Colonel Samuel Meredith and Colonel Charles Lewis, being detached to various parts, so that they cannot assemble for electing a Surgeon and Adjutant, Chaplain and Quartermaster, for each Battalion, according to the former Resolution:

Resolved, therefore, That the said officers be appointed by the Committee of Safety.

Mr. Gray, from the Committee to whom the Ordinance entitled 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 committed, reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had the same under their consideration, and had 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.

Ordered, That the said Ordinance, together with the several Amendments, be fairly transcribed, and read a third time.

Mr. Cary, from the Committee appointed, presented to the Convention, according to order, an Ordinance to enable the present Magistrates and Officers to continue the administration of justice, and for settling the general mode of proceedings in criminal and other cases till the same can be more amply provided for; which was read the first time, and ordered to be read a second time.

The Convention then, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee on the Ordinance for establishing a Board of Commissioners to superintend and direct the Naval affairs of this Colony; 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 gone through the same, and made several amendments thereto, which he was ready to report when the Convention should be pleased to receive the same.

Ordered, That the said Report be received to-morrow.

The Convention then, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee on the Plan of Government for this Colony; and after some time spent therein, Mr. President resumed the chair, and Mr. Cary reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had the same under their consideration, 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 the said Committee.

The following Resolution was proposed to the Convention, read, and ordered to be referred to the next session of the Convention or General Assembly.

Whereas many Inhabitants of the upper parts of the country have crops of Tobacco ready prized, which they might have an opportunity of selling for foreign markets if the same were brought to some place near navigation, where it is judged it might be safely deposited, and effectually guarded from the enemy, by the cruisers and row-galleys provided for protection of the several rivers:

Resolved, therefore, That the Courts of the several Counties of . . . . . . . . shall appoint one fit person to attend at each of the publick Warehouses within their respective Counties, (where the proprietors of such warehouses shall consent to have the same used for storing Tobacco,) from the . . . . . day of . . . . . . . . next, until the . . . . . day of . . . . . . , 1777, who, having taken an oath before such Court well and faithfully to discharge his duty, and to keep just accounts of all Tobaccoes by him received into and delivered out of the said warehouse, shall constantly attend (Sundays and holydays excepted) at the warehouse to which he shall be appointed, and receive and enter in a book to be kept for that purpose, the marks and numbers of all hogsheads of Tobacco which shall be brought to and stored in the said warehouse, with the owners’ names, giving a receipt to the person bringing the same, expressing such mark, number, and owner’s name, and shall also deliver such hogsheads to the owner, or to his order, in writing, when required; and the owner, or person authorized to receive the same, shall pay to such receiver . . . . . . per hogshead, for his own trouble and care, and . . . . . . per hogshead, for the use of the proprietor of such warehouse for the rent thereof, to be paid on the delivery of such Tobacco out of the warehouse. Provided always, that the publick shall not be answerable for any losses or damages which may happen to the Tobacco or warehouses, by fire or otherwise.

The Orders of the Day, for the Convention to resolve itself into a Committee 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, nine o’clock.

Friday, June 28, 1776.

Mr. Richard Lee, from the Committee of Publick Claims, reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration a Memorial and two Petitions to them referred, 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 Memorial of Colonel William Preston, praying to be allowed for his services as Commander of the Militia of the County of Fincastle, from the 24th of May to the 7th of November, 1774, the time the said Militia were kept imbodied, be rejected.

Resolved, That the Petition of Lucretia Pritchett, Executrix, and William Churchill, Executor, of Joseph Pritchett, deceased, praying to be allowed for Minny, a Negro man slave belonging to the estate of the said Joseph Pritchett, who behaved with uncommon bravery in an engagement with a piratical tender, and was killed by the enemy in attempting to board her, is reasonable, and that the sum of £100 be allowed to the said estate for the said slave.

Resolved, That the Petition of Samuel Pritchett, praying to be allowed £8, Virginia currency, being the sum specified in a bill of the sort known by the distinction of James River Bank Notes, which, together with his house, were consumed by fire, and which the publick must have the benefit of, if considered as his loss, is reasonable, and that the Petitioner be allowed the sum of £8 by the publick for the same.

Mr. Archibald Cary, from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the information respecting David Ross, and 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 information against the said David Ross be heard before this Committee on the second Monday after the meeting of the next Convention or Assembly; and that the said Ross be discharged out of custody, on giving bond and security, in the sum of £5,000, to appear at the next meeting of Convention or Assembly, to answer the said information on the day fixed for hearing the same; and that he doth not in the mean time give intelligence to, or in any manner aid or assist the enemy.

Mr. Cary, from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the Petition of sundry persons, Natives of Great Britain, to them referred, 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 said Petition is reasonable; and that the Petitioners have leave to depart this country after taking an oath not to bear arms against America, nor give intelligence to the enemy during the present war; that they do not carry out of the country more than £50 each, nor more provisions than may be sufficient for the voyage.

Resolved, That, previous to the departure of the said Petitioners, every package and article by them intended to be carried away, as also the vessel in which they intend to embark, be carefully searched, under the orders and inspection of the Chairman and two Members of the Committee for the County from which they embark, in order to prevent the