128 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION [1776.
company of militia in Charles county; proposals from Henry Hol-
lingsworth of Cecil county, to manufacture gun barrels; a petition
from John Brewer of the city of Annapolis ; and a petition from
the inhabitants of Prince George's county, on Potowmac river,
were severally read and ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. Jordan appeared in the house.
The convention being informed that Mr. Samuel Purviance, jr.,
was attending, agreeable to his recognizance entered into by order
of the council of safety on the 26th day of April last, Resolved,
That a committee be appointed to examine the papers laid before
the convention by the council of safety) relative to the conduct of
the said Samuel Purviance, jr., and report the charge arising there-
from ; and Mr. Hollyday, Mr. Goldsborough, and Mr. T. Johnson,
were elected by ballot a committee for that purpose.
Adjourned till 3 o'clock.
POST MERIDIEM.
Convention met.
A petition from the committee and inhabitants of the upper dis-
trict of Frederick county; a petition from the committee and oth-
ers, the freemen of the lower district of said county; a memorial
from captain Edward Veazey of the 7th independent company of
regular troops; and a remonstrance from the committee of obser-
vation for Talbot county, were severally read and ordered to lie on
the table.
Mr. Hollyday brings in and delivers to Mr. President a report
from the committee appointed to examine the papers laid before
the convention by the council of safety, relative to the conduct of
the said Samuel Purviance, jr., which was read a first and second
time, and follows in these words, to wit:
"By the committee appointed to examine the papers laid before
the convention by the council of safety, relative to the conduct of
Samuel Purviance, jr., of Baltimore town, &c.
"Your committee do report, that they have examined the papers
laid before the convention, from which it appears to your commit-
mittee, that the charge arising from the said papers falls under the
following heads :
"First, That the said Samuel Purviance, since the rising of the
last convention, hath usurped a power to direct the operations of
the military force of this province, (at a time when the council of
safety, to whom the same solely and properly belongs in the recess
of convention, was sitting, and might without inconvenience have
been applied to,) as appears by his letter of instructions to captain
|