150 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION [1776.

council of safety for the time being, take the whole number con-
tracted for on the account and for the use of the public.

The petitions of Patrick Obryan and John Brown, late farmers
of his lordship's Quit-rents in Queen-Anne's county, were seve-
rally read and ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Ringgold brings in and delivers to Mr. President, a report
From the committee appointed to examine into the expenditure of
the money placed in the hands of Mr. William Lux, as agent for
the ship Defence, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.

A petition from George Adams was read and ordered to lie on
the table.

Agreeable to the order of the day, the convention resolved itself
into a committee of the whole, to consider of the late intercepted
letters to governor Eden, the proceedings of the continental con-
gress, and of the council of safety of this province, thereupon;

Mr. Plater in the chair. After some time spent therein, Mr. Presi-
dent resumed the chair, and Mr. Plater reported from the com-
mittee several resolutions, which were read and agreed to, and
thereupon,

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this convention, that the coun-
cil of safety of this province, upon the subject of the late intercept-
ed letters to governor Eden, duly and properly exercised the pow-
ers delegated to them.

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this convention, that upon
the evidence before them of the correspondence which his excel-
lency governor Eden has, from to time, held with administration,
it does not appear that such correspondence has been with an un-
friendly intent, or calculated to countenance any hostile measures
against America.

Whereas, by a late intercepted letter from lord George Germain,
one of the secretaries of state, to his excellency the governor, it
appears that a great armament of land and sea forces were in rea-
diness to proceed to the southward, in his lordships's expressions,
"in order to attempt the restoration of legal government in that part
of America," but in effect to invade and subdue the southern colo-
nies; which armament was to proceed in the first place to North
Carolina, and from thence either to South Carolina or Virginia, as
circumstances of greater or less advantage should point out; if to
the latter, it might have very important consequences to this pro-
vince; and therefore in the said letter his excellency is called on
well to consider of every means, by which he may, in conjunction
with lord Dunrnore, give facility and assistance to the operations
of the said armament. And whereas, the governor must, if he re-