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Monday, June 24, 1776.
Mr˙ Richard Lee, from the Committee of Publick Claims, reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration several 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 Petition of Peter Wilson, a soldier in Captain John Lewis' s Company, for a further allowance of pay for seventy-five days more than he was returned for in the roll, which was omitted by mistake of the said Captain, is reasonable; and that the Petitioner be allowed the sum of £5 12s˙ 6d˙ for the same.
Resolved, That the Petition of James Shanks, praying to be allowed for his services thirty-eight days as Packhorse-master on the late expedition against the Indians, is reasonable; and that the Petitioner be allowed the sum of £4 15s˙ for his services.
Resolved, That the Petition of Abraham Hite, the younger, praying an additional allowance for his services as Commissary of Provisions for the Northern Department On the late expedition against the Indians, is reasonable; and that the Petitioner be allowed the further sum of five shillings per
Resolved, That the Petition of William Talbott, a soldier of the Militia, of Charles-City County, who was wounded in the arm and shoulder in an engagement with two of the enemy' s tenders at Sandy-Point, praying to be allowed the Surgeon' s account against him, for visits and dressing his wounds, is reasonable, and that the Petitioner be allowed £16 13s˙ 3d˙, the amount of the said account.
Resolved, That the Petition of Edward Cowper, praying to be allowed for the damages he sustained by means of the enemy having burnt His Houses, killed and taken away a considerable number of Cattle and other Stock, be rejected, it being no publick claim.
Resolved, That the Petition of Joseph Boot, a soldier and artificer in the service during the last war, who was wounded in several parts of his body, whereby he is rendered incapable of getting support by labour in his present declining state, and praying relief, is reasonable; and that he be allowed £5 for his present relief, and £5 per annum during his life.
Resolved, That the Petition of George Beckett, a soldier in Captain Lee' s Company, of the Third Virginia Regiment, who, by an overstrain in lifting pieces of wood for the use of the said Company, received a hurt which renders him incapable of walking, and consequently of getting a livelihood by labour, and praying relief, is reasonable, and that he be allowed the sum of £5 per annum during his life towards his support.
The Convention then, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee on the Ordinance to amend an Ordinance intituled An Ordinance for augmenting the Ninth Regiment of Regular forces, providing for the better defence of the frontiers of this Colony, and for raising six Troops of Horse; 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 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.
Whereas divers Petitions from the Inhabitants on the Western frontiers have been presented to this Convention, complaining of exorbitant demands made on them for Lands claimed by persons pretending to derive titles from Indian deeds and purchases:
Resolved, That all persons actually settled on any of the said Lands ought to hold the same, without paying any pecuniary or other consideration whatever to any private person or persons, until the said Petitions, as well as the validity of the titles under such Indian deeds and purchases, shall have been considered and determined on by the Legislature of this country; and that all persons who are now actually settled on any unlocated or unappropriated Lands in Virginia, to which there is no other just claim, shall have the pre-emption, or preference, in the grants of such Lands.
Resolved, That no purchases of Lands within the chartered limits of Virginia shall be made, under any pretence whatever, from any Indian Tribe or Nation, without the approbation of the Virginia Legislature.
Mr˙ Richard Lee, from the Committee of Publick Claims, reported, that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration a claim of Captain Joseph Haynes, Lieutenant Daniel Smith, and Ensign John Smith, to them referred; and that it appeared to them that the said Joseph Haynes, in the month of June, 1774, received orders from Colonel Abraham Smith, of Augusta, to raise as many men as the short notice would admit, and march to the North fork of the South Branch of Potomack River, to protect the inhabitants of that place, who at that time were threatened with an invasion by the Indians; that the said Haynes, within six days after receiving the orders, marched with thirty men to the place aforesaid, leaving his Ensign to proceed with the remainder that were inlisted as soon as they could be convened, who two days after joined him with twelve men; that the said Colonel Smith, thinking these forty-two men, with the officers, would be a sufficient reinforcement for the garrison, ordered the Captain not to inlist
Resolved, That the said Claimants have been already allowed by the Commissioners full pay, agreeably to law, for the time they served on the Shawanese expedition.
Resolved, That the following additional allowance be made to the said Claimants, for the thirty-eight days they were on duty on the South Branch of Potomack River, to wit: To the said Joseph Haynes, as Captain, 2s˙ 6d˙, amounting to £4 15s˙; to the said Daniel Smith, as Lieutenant, 1s˙ 6d˙ per day, amounting to £2 17s˙; and to the said John Smith, as Ensign, 3s˙ 6d˙. per day, amounting to £6 13s˙; being the difference between the allowance made them by the Commissioners and this Committee for the said services.
Mr˙ Archibald Cary, from the Committee appointed, reported a Plan of Government for this Colony; which was read the first time, and ordered to be read a second time.
Ordered, That no Claim or Petition be received by the Convention after this day, before the recess.
An Ordinance to amend an Ordinance intituled An Ordinance to provide for paying the expenses of the Delegates from this Colony to the General Congress, which had been fairly transcribed, was read a third time, and the blanks therein filled up.
Resolved, That the said Ordinance do pass.
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.
Resolved, That a sum of Money, not exceeding £1,000, be advanced to Thomas Walker & Co˙, on their entering into bond, with sufficient security, to repay the same in Pig-iron, to be delivered at Westham, in the County of Henrico, at the price of £7 10s˙ per ton.
Ordered, That it be an instruction to the Committee of Propositions and Grievances, who are directed to prepare and bring in an Ordinance for amending an Ordinance intituled An Ordinance for raising and imbodying a sufficient force for the defence and protection of this Colony, that they
receive a clause, or clauses, to exempt the County of Accomack from being allotted in divisions, and drafted, pursuant to the directions of an Ordinance of the last Convention.
Resolved, That Samuel Jordan, Gentleman, be appointed a Commissioner for receiving and paying away the sum of £5,000, pursuant to a Resolution of this Convention of the
A Petition of Samuel Prichard was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that, being possessed of eight Pounds, Virginia currency, contained in one bill of what is called the James River Bank Paper, his dwelling-house and grist-mill were consumed by fire, and the bill aforesaid destroyed therein; that he is by this misfortune reduced to great distress, and praying relief so far as respects said bill.
Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee of Publick Claims; that they inquire into the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.
Adjourned till to-morrow, ten o' clock.
June 24,Resolutions prohibiting the purchase of Lands within the chartered limits of Virginia, from any Indian Tribe or Nation, without the approbation of the Virginia Legislature
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day for twenty-six days, the time he served in that office, amounting to £6 10s˙, exclusive of the allowance already made him by the Commissioners for those services.
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any more, till he should receive orders for so doing from the County Lieutenant; that the Captain applied to the County Lieutenant for permission to recruit eight men, who were then ready to inlist under him, to complete his Company, that he might be entitled to a Captain' s pay, who told him not to inlist any more without further orders, and assured him that he should draw full pay as Captain, notwithstanding his Company was not complete; that the Commissioners have allowed the said Joseph Haynes Lieutenant' s pay, the said Daniel Smith Ensign' s pay, and the said John Smith Sergeant' s pay, for thirty-eight days, the time they were in service on the South Branch, and the same for the number of days they served on the expedition against the Shawanese, which last-mentioned time there were forty-nine privates in-listed, two of whom were returned as deserters, and one as a spy, as appears by the roll; 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:
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14th instant, in the room of William Cabell, Esq˙, who is inconveniently situated for the purpose of carrying the same into execution.