where he resides, unless any other place of delivery is agreed upon by the parties? The previous question was called for and put, whether the above question be now put? Carried in the negative. FOR THE NEGATIVE.

Mr. Jordan,
Reeder,

Mr. Beatty,

Mr. Tho. Wright,
Earle,

J. Tilghman,

Chamberlaine,

Thomas,

Murray,

The convention proceeded to ballot for a council of safety, and John Hall, George Plater, Charles Carroll, barrister, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Thomas B. Hands, Benjamin Rumsey, Thomas Smyth, James Tilghman, and Joseph Nicholson, junior, Esquires, were duly elected for that purpose.

On reading and considering the account and letter of Amos Garrett, supervisor of the salt petre works in Harford county, Ordered, That the treasurer of the western shore pay to the said Amos Garrett the further sum of fifty pounds on account of his salt petre works aforesaid.

Whereas, many farmers and planters are indebted in sums of money bearing interest, and from their being no market for the tobacco, wheat, and other usual produce of their farms and plantations since the tenth day of September last, they have not been enabled to pay the interest accrued since that time, and from a continuance of the cause may probably continue disabled to pay the interest which may accrue on their debts for some time to come; it is therefore Resolved, That all interest which hath accured since the tenth day of September last, or shall accure before the tenth day of July, 1777, shall and may be payable in indian corn, wheat, tobacco, flax, hemp or cotton, or linen or woollen cloth, which was

That this convention never intermeddled, nor was disposed to interfere with the affairs of Virginia, but hath at all times shewn a due and proper respect to the convention of that colony, and all occasions must have evinced their sincere and tender regard for the people thereof; and this convention cannot be of opinion, that the convention of Virginia could believe that this convention promoted governer Eden's passage "to assist in their destruction under a pretence of his retiring to England."

That this convention, and the council of safety for the time being, where the only proper and adequate judges of the propriety and expediency of suffering governor Eden to depart out of this province, and have proceeded in that matter upon evidence which was satisfactory to themselves, and to which the convention of Virginia were strangers.

That had the convention of Virginia been in possession of the evidence upon which the council of safety and this convention proceeded, they could not have been at a loss to account for the council of safety their declining to seize governor Eden, or for the convention having promoted his passage (not as is unjustly insinuated in the resolution of the Virginia convention, to assist in their destruction, but really) to England, whither this convention hath the best grounds to believe he would go by the first opportunity. Nor can the address alluded to in the said resolution of the convention of Virginia, in the opinion of this convention, be considered as enabling, nor was it meant to enable governor Eden to assume the character of a public agent, nor can this convention discover how the said governor would thereby be enabled to promote divisions and disunion amongst the colonies; but the same was presented as a testimony due to the governor of the sense this convention entertained of his fair and impartial representations of the principles, motives, and views of the people of this colony, so far as the same had come to their knowledge.

That although this convention was sensible that in the absence of the governor the government in its old form would devolve to the president of the council of state, and although such president should be under equal obligations with the governor to perform the ministerial mandates, yet was the convention fully satisfied that it would not be equally, if at all, in the power of the president to perform such mandates; and therefore this convention cannot but consider the imputing their proceedings "to some undue influence of governor Eden under the mask of friendship to America, and of the proprietary interest to Maryland," as groundless and unjust; nor is this convention able to discover how their vote for the departure

of governor Eden from this province could have any evil tendency to the common cause, or to Virginia in particular.

That as the convention of Virginia hath by their said resolution appealed to the good people of this province against their convention, and by their publication of the said resolve hath endeavoured to injure this convention in the good opinion of the united colonies at large, it became the indispensable duty of this, though they are anxiously desirous to cultivate union and harmony with their sister colonies, thus to vindicate their proceedings, and those of the council of safety, which this convention did approve of, against the groundless and unjust imputations contained in the said resolution of the convention of Virginia, and conscious of the uprightness of their own intentions, and the rectitude of the measures they adopted, do wholly deny, and can cheerfully join in the appeal to their constituents, and to all men acquainted with the affairs of Maryland, against the charge of proprietary influence.

On reading the resolutions relative to the resolve of the convention of Virginia, the question was put, That the words, and do, in the last resolve, between the word did and the word approve, be struck out of the said resolve? Resolved in the affirmative.

Resolved, That the following declaration be entered on the journal of this convention.

A DECLARATION OF THE DELEGATES OF MARYLAND.

To be exempted from the parliamentary taxation, and to regulate their internal government and polity, the people of this colony have ever considered as their inherent and unalienable right,

without the former, they can have no property; without the latter, no security for their lives or liberties.

The parliament of Great Britain has of late claimed an uncontrollable right of binding these colonies in all cases whatsoever : to enforce an unconditional submission to this claim, the legislative and executive powers of that state have invariably pursued for these ten years past a steadier system of oppression, by passing many impolitic, severe and cruel acts for raising a revenue from the colonists; by depriving them in many cases of the trial by jury; by altering the chartered constitution of one colony, and the entire stoppage of the trade of its capital; by cutting off all intercourse between the colonies; by restraining them from fishing on their own coasts; by extending the limits of, and erecting an arbitrary government in the province of Quebec; by confiscating the property of the colonists taken on the seas, and compelling the crews of their vessels, under the pain of death, to act against their native country and dearest friends; by declaring all seizures, detention, or destruction of the persons or property of the colonists, to be legal and just.

A war unjustly commenced hath been prosecuted against the united colonies with cruelty, outrageous violence, and perfidy; slaves, savages, and foreign mercenaries have been meanly hired to rob a people of their property, liberties and lives, a people guilty of no other crime than deeming the last of no estimation without the secure enjoyment of the former; their humble and dutiful petitions for peace, liberty and safety, have been rejected with scorn; secure of and relying on foreign aid, not on his national forces, the unrelenting monarch of Britain hath at length avowed, by his answer to the city of London, his determined and inexorable resolution of reducing these colonies to abject slavery.

Compelled by dire necessity, either to surrender our properties, liberties and lives, into the hands of a British king and parliament, or to use such means as will most probably secure to us and our posterity those invaluable blessings,

We the delegates of Maryland, in convention assembled, do declare, that the king of Great Britain has violated his compact with this people, and that they owe no allegience to him; we have therefore thought it just and necessary to empower our deputies in congress to join with a majority of the united colonies in declaring them free and independent states, in framing such farther confederation between them, in making foreign alliances, and in adopting such other measures as shall be judged necessary for the preservation of their liberties: provided, the sole and exclusive rights of

regulating the internal polity and government of this colony be reserved to the people thereof. We have also thought proper to call a new convention, for the purpose of establishing a government in this colony. No ambitious views, no desire of independence, induced the people of Maryland to form an union with the other colonies. To procure an exemption from parliamentary taxation, and to continue to the legislatures of these colonies the sole and exclusive right of regulating their internal polity, was our original and only motive. To maintain inviolate our liberties, and to transmit them unimpared to posterity, was our duty and first wish; our next, to continue connected with, and dependent on Great Britain. For the truth of these assertions, we appeal to that Almighty Being who is emphatically styled the searcher of hearts, and from whose omniscience nothing is concealed. Relying on his divine protection and affiance, and trusting to the justice of our cause, we exort and conjure every virtuous citizen to join cordially in defence of our common rights, and in maintainance of the freedom of this and her sister colonies.

The president laid before the convention several letters from the honorable, the president of the congress, of the 25th and 29th of June, and of the 4th instant, and sundry resolutions of that respectable body, which were taken into consideration, and thereupon Ordered, That colonel Smallwood immediately proceed with his battalion to the city of Philadelphia, and put himself under the continental officer commanding there, and be subject to the further orders of the congress.

Ordered, That the independent companies stationed in Talbot, Kent, Queen Anne's, and St. Mary's counties, immediately proceed to Philadelphia, and put themselves under the command of colonel Smallwood, subject to the further orders of the congress.

Ordered, That vessels be immediately procured to transport such of the said troops as are on the western shore to the head of Elk.

Resolved, That the council of safety take such measures as they may think best, to supply the said troops with carriages and provisions on their march to Philadelphia.

Resolved, That the said battalion and independent companies be deducted from the number of the militia required by congress of this colony to compose the flying camp.

Ordered, That copies of the letter from congress of the 4th inst. and of the above resolutions, be transmitted by express, to the se