Richmond County (Virginia) Committee

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At a Committee elected for the County of Richmond, meeting by an adjournment from the 10th of this instant, at the Court-House of this County, on the 12th of May, 1775, present Landon Carter, Esquire, Chairman, and a very full bench of the Members:

The Committee appointed on the 10th instant, having brought in their Report, according to the order of that day, the same was received and read, and is as follows:

Your Committee, taking into consideration, according to order, the late Address of his Excellency the Governour to the Council, on the 2d of this instant, and the Proclamation issued in consequence of their advice on the 3d instant, think themselves indispensably bound to their constituents to vindicate them from the groundless aspersions, and very unjust accusations with which a part of this community are therein charged, and which are only calculated to induce a belief that the people of this Country are meditating a plan to change the present form of Government. They have, therefore,

Resolved, 1st. That the late commotions in some parts of this Country, alluded to in the Address and Proclamation, arose from a full conviction of a cruel and determined plan of Administration to enslave these Colonies, which has been manifested in various instances, and of which the late proceedings of his Excellency, in removing the Powder from the Magazine, with the several circumstances attending the same, appear evidently to be a part.

2d. That our repeated and dutiful applications for redress of grievances, our patient endurance under a long course of irritating and oppressive measures, and our most solemn declarations "that our utmost wish was a restitution of the rights which we enjoyed until the year 1763," are convincing proofs of our attachment to the Constitution, our loyalty to our Sovereign, and our love of order.

3d. That the whole of his Excellency' s conduct respecting the unhappy disputes between the Colonies and the British Ministry, especially the groundless and injurious charges alleged against the people of this Colony, in his Address to the Council, and in his Proclamation of the 3d of this instant. (May,) are unjustifiable and inimical, and therefore he has justly forfeited the confidence of the people of this Colony.

4th. That the Members of His Majesty' s Council who advised the above-mentioned Proclamation, acted inconsistently with that wisdom, justice, and generosity which ought to characterize them as legislators, judges, and natives of the most distinguished in the Colony; and we do declare, that we find ourselves deeply affected that those who should be mediators between the executive power and the people, should concur in fixing a stigma on their fellow-subjects, so unjust and so undeserved.

5th. That in order to remove these atrocious aspersions, and to convince the world of our firm attachment to the Constitution as it existed before the year 1763, we hereby solemnly pledge ourselves to support it at the hazard of our lives and fortunes.

Every Resolve contained in the foregoing being distinctly read, and separately considered, was passed nemine contradicente.

Ordered, That these proceedings of this day, as soon as may be convenient, be transmitted to the Press for the satisfaction of the publick.

WILLIAM SMITH, Clerk pro tem.