Commanding Officer of the Continental Troops in Virginia, requested to prevent profane swearing, all manner of gaming, and every other vice and immorality among the officers and soldiers under his command, The practice of gaming and profane swearing will ever be considered as an exclusion from all publick offices or employments in Virginia

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Tuesday, June 25, 1776.

Ordered, That Mr˙ Newton be added to the Committee of Publick Claims.

Whereas gaming, at best, is but an idle amusement, when carried to excess is the parent of avarice, dissipation, profaneness, and every other passion which can debase the human mind, and is therefore forbidden by the Continental Association, as more peculiarly improper at this time, when our important struggle for liberty and freedom renders the practice of the most rigid virtue necessary to sustain us under and carry us through the conflict; that this pernicious and destructive vice may not prevail among the officers and soldiers of our Army, the morals of the youth therein preserved from corruption, and they restored, untainted, to their worthy parents, who have cheerfully spared them from domestick endearments to the assistance and protection of their country:

Resolved, unanimously, That it be earnestly recommended to the General or Commanding Officer of the Continental Troops in this Colony, to take such steps as to him shall appear most proper for preventing profane swearing, all manner of gaming, as well as every other vice and immorality among the officers and soldiers under his command; and that it be, and is hereby, declared to all who are or may be candidates for offices, civil or military, in the pay of this Colony, that the practice of gaming and profane swearing will ever be considered as an exclusion from all publick offices or employments.

Ordered, That Mr˙ Starke do deliver a copy of the foregoing Resolution to the Commanding Officer of the Continental Troops in this Colony.

An Ordinance to amend an Ordinance entitled 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, having been fairly transcribed, was read a third time, and the blanks therein filled up.

Resolved, That the said Ordinance do pass; and that the title thereof be, An Ordinance to supply certain defects in a former Ordinance of this Convention for raising six Troops of Horse.

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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.