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Mr˙ Cary reported to the House that their Address of Monday last had been presented to the Governour, and that his Excellency gave him a written answer thereunto; and he delivered the said answer in at the Clerk' s table, where the same was read, and is as followeth, viz:
Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses:
It is with real concern I can discover nothing in your Address that I think manifests the smallest inclination to, or will be productive of a reconciliation with the mother Country.
Resolved, That an Address be presented to his Excellency the Governour, informing him the publick Magazine is now in fit condition for the reception, of Arms and Ammunition, requesting his Lordship will be pleased to order the Powder, lately removed from thence by his Excellency' s command, to be returned, agreeable to his promise.
To represent that it appears to this House, by a report of a Committee appointed to inspect the Magazine, that there are no Arms there fit for service; that in these critical times an Indian war is not improbable, and an insurrection of slaves may possibly be encouraged solely by the want of publick stores of Arms and Ammunition, which is now become a fact of publick notoriety; that the Legislature
Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to draw up an Address, to be presented to the Governour upon the said Resolution.
And a Committee was appointed, of Mr˙ Mercer, Mr˙ Gary, and Mr˙ Braxton.
Mr. Cary Reported to the House
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of this Colony have long since established a very ample fund for this necessary purpose, by granting His Majesty one shilling and three pence sterling upon the tonnage of vessels, which appears for several years to exceed three thousand Pounds sterling per annum; that the House of Burgesses heretofore, trusting that Government would provide means so essential for the preservation of this Colony, have not interfered in this business; but this House, finding that though this want was known to Government more than twelve months past, no means have been adopted to provide against it, conceive it their duty to remind Government of this great grievance, and to request that two thousand stand of Arms, five tons of Powder, and twenty tons of Lead at the least, and a sufficient quantity of other articles, be immediately provided and lodged in the publick Magazine for the defence of this Colony, in case of any invasion or insurrection; assuring his Excellency that if the fund aforementioned shall prove insufficient, this House will cheerfully make further provision for these purposes.