Saturday, June 29, 1776.

An Ordinance for establishing a Board of Commissioners to superintend and direct the Naval affairs of this Colony, having been fairly transcribed, was read a third time, and the blanks therein filled up.

Resolved, That the said Ordinance do pass.*

The President laid before the Convention a Letter from Captain John Neaville, on the subject of Indian Affairs; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

The Plan of Government for this Colony was read a third time.

Resolved, unanimously, That the said Plan of Government do pass.†

issued pursuant to this Ordinance, one of whom shall constantly attend the same, and use the utmost care, attention, and diligence, that the number and amount of the said notes, according to their respective denominations aforesaid, be not exceeded, nor any fraudulent practice used by the printer, his agents, servants, or any other person; and the signers of the said notes shall, each of them, receive of the said Treasurer the sum of 7s. 6d. for every thousand notes by them signed, the numberrs thereof the sum of 5s. for every thousand notes by them numbered, and the overlookers of the press the sum of £15 each, for their services.

And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That all the Treasury notes to be issued by virtue of this Ordinance, shall be redeemable on the 1st day of January, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four, and shall then be taken in, paid, and discharged, by the Treasurer for the time being, appointed as aforesaid, and shall be burnt and destroyed by the Committee appointed by the Ordinance before mentioned and referred to; and that the Treasurer for the time being shall pay away the same, and receive the taxes imposed for the redemption thereof, for which services, and the paying away all such other sums of money as shall from time to time be issued, receiving the taxes imposed for the redemption thereof, and performing the whole business of Treasurer, he shall be allowed and receive a salary of £700 per annum.

And be it further ordained, That all such notes, and also those issued or to be issued pursuant to the said recited Ordinance, shall be received and pass as a lawful tender in payment of any debt, duty or demand whatsoever, so long as the same shall continue in circulation. And if any person or persons within this Colony shall, during the time the said Treasury notes are to remain current as aforesaid, offer to sell, or exposo to sale, any goods or chattels, lands or tenements, whatsoever, and shall deny or refuse to sell the same, or demand a greater price, unless he be paid for the same in gold or silver coin, and not in the said notes, or if any person or persons shall exchange gold or silver coin for the said bills, and demand or take any allowance for the difference of the value thereof, or shall offer to buy or sell bills of exchange at a greater or higher difference of exchange for the said Treasury bills than for gold or silver coin, or shall use any other device, means or method whatsoever, whereby the credit of the said notes may be impaired, every person so offending shall forfeit and pay after the rate of twenty-five per centum upon the value of the goods or chattels, lands or tenements, so offered or exposed to sale, or of the money so exchanged, or of the bills of exchange so bought or sold, to be recovered by the informer, to his own use, before a Justice of the Peace, where the penalty does not amount to more than 25s.; and where it shall exceed that sum, the said penalty shall be one-half to the Executive power, in trust, for the use of the Colony of Virginia and to be paid to the Treasurer for the time being, appointed as aforesaid, and the other half to the informer, and shall and may be recovered, with costs, by action of debt or information, in any court of record within this Colony.

And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That if any person or persons shall forge or counterfeit, alter or erase, any such Treasury note, or shall tender in payment, by way of barter or otherwise, to any person whatsoever, or shall demand a redemption of any such note at the Treasury, knowing the same to be forged or counterfeited, altered or erased, every person so offending, if lawfully convicted thereof, shall suffer death without benefit of clergy.

And be it further ordained, That the moneys to be raised by the duties or taxes imposed by this Ordinance, shall stand, be, and remain, as a security for the redemption of the said Treasury notes so to be issued. And the Treasurer, for the time being, appointed as aforesaid, is hereby required to apply all such money as shall come to his hands, by virtue of this Ordinance, for and towards the redemption of the said Treasury notes, and to none other use, intent, or purpose, whatsoever; and the said Treasurer shall account with the Convention, or General Assembly, for the same. And if the said taxes shall prove deficient in the redemption of the said Treasury notes so to be issued, the whole estates, real and personal, of the inhabitants of this Colony, shall be, and are hereby, pledged as a security for making good such deficiency, by some future Ordinance of Convention, or act of the Legislature.

And be it further ordained, That Robert C. Nicholas, Esq., Treasurer, or the Treasurer for the time being, shall give bond, with such security as shall be approved by the Executive power, in the sum of £100,000, payable to the Supreme magistrate, or the members who form the Executive power, in trust, for the use of the publick, conditioned for his faithful accounting for and paying all such sums of money as shall be received by him from time to time by virtue of this Ordinance; and in case of the death, resignation, or disability, of the said Treasurer, the Treasurer to be appointed in his stead shall give the like security before he enters on the execution of his said office.

And be it further ordained, That in case of the death, resignation, or disability of the said Robert Carter Nicholas, Esq., to act in his said office, it shall be lawful for the Executive power, if the Convention or Legislature are not sitting, to appoint another fit and able person to be Treasurer in his room, who shall be authorized to act in all things pertaining to the said office till the meeting of the next Convention or Legislature.

*An Ordinance for establishing a Board of Commissioners to superintend and direct the Naval Affairs of this Colony.

Whereas the Naval preparations of this Colony will be carried on with greater expedition and success if proper persons are appointed, whose business it shall be particularly to superintend and direct the same: Be it therefore ordained by the Delegates of VIRGINIA, now met in General Convention, and it is hereby ordained by the authority of the same, That Thomas Whiting, John Hutchings, Champion Travis, Thomas Newton, Jun., and George Webb, Esquires, be, and are hereby, appointed and declared a Board of Commissioners for the purposes hereinafter mentioned; and the said Board shall, as soon as possible, assemble at such convenient time and place as may be appointed by the person first named of the said Board, and being so assembled and having taken an oath to be administered to the member first named, by any two other members, and afterwards by him to the rest of the Board, well and faithfully to execute the duties of his or their office, shall proceed to the election of a person to preside over the Board; who shall be called First Commissioner of the Navy. And the Board shall also appoint a Clerk, and such other assistants as they may judge necessary, who for their services shall receive such salary or reward as may be judged reasonable and adequate thereto by the General Convention or Legislature. And the Board shall have power to adjourn from time to time, and to such place as they may think fit or convenient. And if any exigency should require an intermediate meeting of the Board, the First Commissioner, and in case of his absence, any other member of the Board, may convene the same, and proceed to business in the same manner as if such meeting had been holden at the time to which it was adjourned. Provided, always, That a majority of the Board shall have full power and authority to enter upon and execute the duties to them by this Ordinance assigned; and in case of the death, sickness, or absence of the First Commissioner, may choose any other of their members to preside pro tempore.

And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the business of the said Board shall be to superintend and direct the building of all vessels, whether such as are employed for the immediate annoyance of the enemy, or for expediting the transportation of troops over rivers; to manage the outfits of the same, furnish them with necessary ordnance, victualling, provisions, and naval stores; to take under their care the publick ropewalk already erected, or to erect other ropewalks and dockyards, as occasion may require; to contract with workmen, builders, or other persons, for these purposes; to provide as large quantities of timber for ship-building as to them shall seem fit; to audit and pass all accounts of the expenditure of money, howsoever incurred in the naval department; to recommend proper persons to the Governour and Council, or the Executive power, to fill vacancies in the Navy or marines, who are to be approved or commissioned by him or them; to inform themselves of the state of the Navy, as often as possible, by requiring proper returns and reports from the officers thereof; to draw warrants upon the Treasury for the sums of money necessary for the purposes aforesaid; to keep an accurate list thereof; to cause their proceedings to be fairly recorded; to hold them in readiness to be laid before the Convention or Legislature, whenever thereto required; to remove or suspend all officers in the naval department, upon neglect of duty or misbehaviour; and generally superintend and direct all matters and things to the Navy relating. Provided, always, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to empower the Board to alter, or in any manner affect, any contract heretofore made by the Committee of Safety with builders or other persons, to build vessels without application to them for that purpose made by the Legislature, (in which case they shall determine upon the dimensions, form, size, and burden of the same,) to draw warrants upon the Treasury at pleasure, without having them countersigned by the Executive power, or to interfere in any manner with the jurisdiction of the Court of Admiralty.

And be it further ordained, That the Board shall forthwith provide for, and superintend the building, preparing, and outfitting of the two row-galleys directed to be built for the defence and protection of the Counties of Northampton and Accomack, and of the boats necessary for the commodious transportation of troops over the several navigable rivers.

And be it further ordained, That no member of this Board, after he shall have accepted the said office, and undertaken to perform the duties thereof, shall hold any military office whatsoever, or be capable of sitting or voting as a Member of the Legislature; and that each of the Commissioners, by this Ordinance appointed, shall receive twenty shillings for each day’s attendance at, or travelling to or from the Board, in full satisfaction for his services and expenses.

† The CONSTITUTION or FORM of GOVERNMENT agreed to and resolved upon by the Delegates and Representatives of the several Counties and Corporations of VIRGINIA.

Whereas George the Third, King of Gredt Britain and Ireland, and Elector of Hanover, heretofore entrusted with the exercise of the kingly office in this Government, hath endeavoured to pervert the same into a detestable and insupportable tyranny, by putting his negative on laws the most wholesome and necessary for the publick good:

By denying his Governours permission to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation for his assent, and when so suspended, neglecting to attend to them for many years:

By refusing to pass certain other laws, unless the persons to be benefited