At a convention of DELEGATES, chosen by the several counties of the province of Maryland, at the city of Annapolis, on Wednesday the 8th of May, 1776. The honorable CHARLES CARROLL, Esq., barrister, was cho sen president. Ordered, That Gabriel Duvall be continued clerk to the convention, and that he qualify himself as such by taking oath that he will faithfully, diligently, and honestly discharge the office of clerk to the convention of Maryland, and that he will not disclose or reveal the secrets thereof. Ordered, That Mr. Allen Quynn be continued messenger, and Mr. Robert Reynolds door keeper to the convention, and that they severally qualify themselves as such by taking the oath of office and secrecy as above directed to be taken by the clerk. Ordered, That the resolve of secrecy entered into at the last session of convention be observed this session. Convention adjourns till to-morrow morning, nine o'clock. THURSDAY, May 9, 1776. Convention met. All members present as on yesterday. The proceedings of yesterday were read. Col. George Plater, a member for St. Mary's county, appeared and took his seat in the house. Mr. Sudler appeared in the house. A remonstrance from the committee of observation for the lower district of Frederick county, relating to the payment of public taxes; a petition from the lieutenants of the second independent company of regular troops, praying to be removed from said company; a petition from William Faris of the city of Annapolis; and the proceedings of the committee of observation for Tabot county, against Alexander Wickham, were severally read and ordered to lie on the table. Certificates of the qualification of the clerk, messenger and door keeper, were produced and filed. The proceedings of the council of safety, in consequence of intercepted letters from lord George Germain to Robert Eden, Esq., deputy governor of Maryland, were laid before the convention, read, and ordered to lie on the table. On reading a second time the representation of the committee of Talbot county of the case of Alexander Wickham, Ordered, That the said Alexander Wickham be committed to the custody of a guard, to be appointed by col. William Smallwood, until the convention shall take order in the premises, and that the guard from the independent company commanded by captain Hindman, be discharged of the said Alexander Wickham. Adjourned till three o'clock. POST MERIDIEM. Convention met. Mr. Rumsey, Mr. Hall, Mr. Paca, Mr. Love, Mr. Lloyd, and Mr. J. T. Chase, appeared in the house. A memorial from Francis Baker of Talbot county, praying a remission of the sentence pronounced against him at the last session of convention, which forbids him to offer himself for any office of trust, was read and ordered to lie on the table. On reading a second time the petition of lieutenants Uriah Forrest, William Bowie, and Benjamin Brooks, of the second independent company of regular troops, Ordered, That captain John Gunby appear before this convention, or in the recess thereof before the council of safety, on Monday the 20th instant, to answer the charge exhibited against him in said petition. Ordered, That summonses issue to Henry Jackson and lieutenants William Bowie and Benjamin Brooks of Somerset county, captain James Handy of Worcester county, and Mr. Robert Cummins of Baltimore county, to appear before this convention, or in the recess thereof before the council of safety, on Monday the 20th instant. On reading a second time the petition of William Faris, Resolved, That a committee be appointed to examine into the facts set forth in the said petition, and report thereon to the convention; and that Mr. Griffith, Mr. Joseph Dasheill, and Mr. Hawkins be a committee for that purpose. Ordered, That Alexander Wickham be allowed the sum of three shillings and six pence per day during his confinement for subsist ence. Convention adjourns till to-morrow morning, 9 o'clock. FRIDAY, May 10, 1776. Convention met. All members present as on yesterday. The proceedings of yesterday were read. Mr. Beall appeared in the house. Mr. Griffith brings in and delivers to Mr. President a report from the committee appointed to examine into the facts set forth in the petition of William Faris, which was read and ordered to lie on the table. A petition from Robert Wood of Frederick county, relating to the erecting a sheeting and slitting mill; the proceedings of the committee of observation for Prince George's county, on the 6th inst.; a petition from James Hutchings, of Queen Anne's county, against the conduct of Samuel Purviance; a petition from the Pomonkey company of militia in Charles county; proposals from Henry Hollingsworth 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 therefrom; and Mr. Hollyday, Mr. Goldsborough, and Mr. T. Johnson, were elected by ballot a committee for that purpose. Adjourned till 3 o'clock. Convention met. POST MERIDIEM. A petition from the committee and inhabitants of the upper district of Frederick county; a petition from the committee and others, 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 observation 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 commitmittee, 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 |