Convention in committee of the whole on the state of the Colony

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Tuesday, May 14, 1776.

Ordered, That the Letter from Major-General Lee, together with the Resolution of the Officers, formerly laid before the Convention, be referred to the Committee on the state of the Colony.

The Convention then, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee on the state of the Colony, and, after some time spent therein, Mr˙ President resumed the chair, and Mr˙ Archibald Cary reported that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the state of the Colony, but, not having had 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 a Committee to take into their further consideration the state of the Colony.

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Mr˙ Richard Lee, from the Committee of Publick Claims, reported that the Committee have had under their consideration 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 Petition of Humphrey Hendrick, for further allowance for his services, in dressing and sighting Rifles for Captain Cocke' s Company of Regulars, is reasonable, and that the Petitioner ought to be paid the sum of £1 12s˙ 3d˙ more than the allowance already made him by the Committee of Safety for those services.

Resolved, That the Petition of Alexander Stewart, as a volunteer in Captain Moffatt' s Company, who was wounded in the thigh in an engagement with the Indians on the Ohio, and by means thereof rendered incapable at present of getting a livelihood by labour, is reasonable, and that he ought to be allowed the sum of £5 per annum, for four years, towards his support.

Mr˙ Richard Lee, from the Committee of Publick Claims, reported that the Committee have had under their consideration the Petition of James Turner and William Terry, to them referred, and had agreed upon a Report, and 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:

It appears to the Committee, that, upon application having been made by the Chairman of the Committee of Orange County, in the Province of North-Carolina, to the Commanding Officer of Halifax County, in this Colony, for assistance to suppress the Insurgents in that Province, the Petitioners, with two Companies of Militia, were ordered to march to their assistance, but before the Petitioners could get to the place of rendezvous, they were informed, by a letter from the Commanding Officer at Hillsborough, that such assistance would be unnecessary, and they returned home.

Resolved, That the said Petition is reasonable, and that the said James Turner ought to be allowed the sum of £22 3s˙ 6d˙, and the said William Terry the sum of £23 10s˙ 7d˙, as pay for themselves and their men, and for Wagonage, Provisions, and Ammunition, furnished them.

On a motion made, Resolved, That it be recommended to the Clergy of the Church of England, and to the licensed Ministers of all other denominations, that they preach Charity Sermons at their respective Churches and Meeting-Houses, and make collections for the relief of our poor distressed fellow-subjects who may be compelled, for the safety of this Colony, to remove from their habitations, and pay the contributions so collected to the Commissioners appointed to provide for their removal.

Ordered, That Mr˙ Richard Cary and Mr˙ Wilkinson be added to the Committee of Publick Claims.

Adjourned till to-morrow, ten o' clock.