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That the said bills of credit shall be redeemed and sunk on or before the first day of January, 1786, by taxes, or other legislative provision.

That this convention bind their constituents, and pledge the faith of this province, for the redemption of the said bills, on or be fore the said first day of January, 1786.

Resolved, That the freeholders of each county in this province, and other freemen having a visible estate of forty pounds sterling, or qualified by law to vote for burgesses, do on the second Tuesday of September next, meet together at the court-houses of their respective counties, (except as herein after excepted) and do there, under the inspection of their respective delegates in this present convention, or any three or more of them, to whom it is recommended to attend for that purpose, by a majority of voices of such of the said electors as shall be present, elect, of the most discreet and sensible of those who are qualified as aforesaid to vote, a committee of observation for each county respectively, for the term of one year then next following, to consist of the following numbers; that is to say, for St. Mary's county, twenty-four; for Charles county, thirty-two; for Calvert county,fifteen; for Prince-George's county, thirty-three; for Anne Arundel county, thirty-four; for Frederick county, fifty-three; for Baltimore county, thirty-seven; for Har ford county, eighteen ; for Worcester county, twenty-one ; for Somerset county, twenty-one; for Dorchester county, ninteen; for Caro line county, fourteen; for Talbot county, sixteen; for Queen-Anne's county, twenty-one ; for Kent county, twenty-two; for Cecil county, sixteen. And that from and after such election, the committees of observation in being, at and immediately before such election, in each county respectively, be and are hereby declared to be dissolved.

That the committees so to be elected, or a majority of any seven or more of them, met together, shall have full power and authority to carry into execution the association and resolves of the continental congress and conventions of this province, so far as the same relate to the commercial opposition to the measures of the British ministry, in which the united colonies are engaged; and to censure any person or persons, who within their respective counties shall be by them adjudged to have been guilty of any breach or breaches thereof, in such manner and degree as hath been or shall be directed by the said congress and conventions. And shall further have full power and authority, on probable proof that any per son has been guilty of any high and dangerous offence, tending to disunite the inhabitants of this province in their present opposition,

or to destroy the liberties of America, to cause such person to be apprehended, and forthwith sent, together with the charge against him, to the council of safety on that shore where the offence shall be committed, who shall proceed to examine into the charge, and if the same shall be sufficiently proved, pronounce sentence thereou, that such person be imprisoned, in such place and manner; and for such time, as shall be adjudged, not beyond the rising of the next convention, who, if they think proper, may take further order therein; or that he depart this province within a certain time to be limited.

That all persons pay obedience to and acquiesce in the determi nations of such committees of observation and council of safety, and that no person whatsover, other than the said committees and council, persume to inflict any punishment for any such breaches or offences. And on the same day, or the next, to which the said delegates are empowered to adjourn, the said electors also choose by ballot, five of the most discreet and sensible of such freemen, as aforesaid, of their county, to be delegates for the same, in any provincial convention to be held for this province, within one year then next following, with full power and authority to such delegates, or any three or more of them, to appear and act for such county, in such convention; and to consent and agree to, and bind such county to preform and execute all such matters and things as such convention or a majority of the counties of this province shall determine to be necessary for the preservation of the liberties of America.

And in case any of the said delegates shall die, or refuse to act, the said committee of observation for the respective county shall have full power to appoint by ballot one of the said committee, to be delegate for the said county, with the like power and authority, in the place of any such delegate who shall die or refuse to act; provided that no such appointment shall be made, unless two third parts of such committee shall be present.

That each committee of observation shall, as soon as conveniently may be after their appointment, choose by ballot five of their members, to be a committee of correspondence for their county, for the said time of one year, with power to any two or more of them to act as such.

That as the small-pox is now at Queen's-town, and it will in all probability be dangerous to the inhabitants of Queen Anne's county to assemble there for electing the committee of observation and delegates for that county, the election of the committee of observation and delegates for the said county shall be held at the house of George Hanson, instead of the court-house of that county.

That for the ease and convenience of the people of Frederick county, there be three different places of election; that the said county be divided into three districts, to wit, upper, middle, and lower; the upper district to be bounded by the south mountain, and the lines of the county westward of the south mountain: the middle district to bounded from the mouth of Monocacy with Potowmack to the south mountain, with that mountain to the temporary line, with the lines of the county to the head waters of Patuxent, and with the lines of the lower district to Potowmack; the lower district to be bounded with Potowmack to the mouth of Monocacy, then with Monocacy to Bennett's creek, and with the creek to the head waters of the Patuxent; that there be elected in the lower district one delegate, two persons to act as a committee of correspondence, and seventeen as a committee of observation : that in each of the other districts there be elected two delegates and eighteen persons to act as a committee of observation, and that three persons be elected in the middle district to act as a committee of correspondence. That the elections for the upper district be held at Elizabethtown, those for the middle district at Fredericktown, and those for the lower district at Hungerford's; and that no person residing or voting in one shall be admitted to vote in either of the other districts.

Resolved, That for encouraging the manufacture of salt-petre, a sum not exceeding one thousand pounds common money be advanced, on proper security, for erecting one or more salt-petre works, to be repaid in good merchantable salt-petre at the rates herein after mentioned: and that for all good merchantable salt-petre manufactured in this province and delivered to the order of the council of safety, before the first day of October, 1776, there shall be allowed at the rate of half a dollar per pound, according to the resolves of the continental congress.

That a sum not exceeding one thousand pounds common money, be appropriated for erecting and working a powder mill on the account of this province; and that the said two sums of one thousand pounds each, be under the management of the council of safety.

Resolved, That the committee of observation in each county appoint one or more person or persons in their respectve counties, to receive all sums of money, which shall be voluntarily given, to be applied towards the arming and defending this province, or towards erecting manufactories of any kind, or for the immediate relief of such of the inhabitants of this province as are or may become necessitous, from the present general calamities; which per-.

sons shall give receipts for the money by them respectively received, and keep and return accounts thereof to the treasurer of their respective shore, specifying and distinguishing from whom the same shall have been received, and if any, what part thereof shall have been given for either of the said purposes, particularly and the said money shall be paid to the said treasurer, and may be applied and laid out by the council of safety, or that part of it residing on each shore respectively, for the purposes before mentioned; having regard, in the application, to the intention of the donors, and promoting the subsistence of the necessitous, rather by erecting manufactories, and the employment of such'as labour therein, or in work of any kind, than by immediate gifts; it being the opinion of this convention, that such charities may be rendered much more extensively beneficial, by having the same placed under a general direction; and that the council of safety may also, on proper security and terms they approve of, advance a sum not exceeding one thousand pounds common money, for erecting and carrying on one or more salt works in this province.

Resolved, That the committee of observation in each county, as soon as may be, transmit to the branch of the council of safety for their respective shore, a particular account of all arms and ammunition purchased in their county, pursuant to resolves of the convention in December last, and of all sums of money subscribed and actually paid in or contributed, and by whom, for the purchase of the said arms and ammunition; and that each branch of the council of safety order the treasurer of their shore to pay to such person as shall be appointed by each of the said committees, on their respective shore, the amount of the money so paid in and actually expended in the purposes aforesaid, before the transmitting of such account, that the same, as well as all other money paid in, not expended as aforesaid, may be returned to the subscribers or contributors thereof.

Resolved, That the honourable Matthew Tilghmam and John Beale Bordley, Esqs., and Robert Goldsborough, James Hollyday, Richard Lloyd, Edward Lloyd, Thomas Smyth, and Henry Hooper, Esqrs., residents of the eastern shore, and the honourable Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Esq., and Thomas Johnson, jun., William Paca, Charles Carroll, barrister, Thomas Stone, Samuel Chase, Robert Alexander, and Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Esqs., residents of the western-shore, or any nine of them, be a council of safety for this province.

That every member of the council of safety, before he enters on the execution of his office, having subscribed the assocation, take before some justice of peace, the following oath, to wit.

"You, A. B. do swear, that any matter or thing which shall come to your knowledge as a member of the council of safety, and which you shall know is by a majority of the council ordered to be kept secret, you will not divulge, unless in a convention of delegates, or to the members of the council of safety, or with the leave of the convention, or of a majority of the council of safety. So help you GOD." And that the clerk of the council of safety, or of either of the said branches thereof, shall before he enters on execution of his office, before some justice of the peace, take an oath in the same form, except, instead of the words "as a member of the council of safety," inserting, "as clerk of the council of safety," or "as clerk of the eastern or western shore branch of the council of safety," as the case may be.

Resolved, That the resolution made by the convention of this province, held at the city of Annapolis in December last, "That no person ought to kill any lamb dropt before the first day of May yearly, or other sheep after the first day of January then next, under four years of age," be repealed, so far as it relates to the killing of lamb; but it is earnestly recommended, that the continental resove respecting the killing of sheep be most strictly observed.

Resolved, That in all suits and actions now depending or commenced within this province, where there is no real dispute, the suitors and attornies proceed, with all convenient speed, to settle the same by judgment, reference, or other amicable way; and that all suits and actions now depending or commenced (where there are real disputes, and which cannot be settled in an amicable manner, or tried with justice to the parties) ought to stand and remain, during these times of public calamity, in their present state and condition, or be continued until otherwise ordered by act of assembly, or some future convention; save and except only that bail may surrender their principals in their own discharge, and for want of other bail, that the principal may be committed; and that hereafter proper provision ought to be made, by act assembly, for reinstating, re-establishing, and prosecuting the business of the courts, and for barring the act for the limitation of suits.

Resolved, That in all suits and actions now depending or commenced, the depositions of any witness or witnesses, taken before two justices of any county court, or one of the justices of the provincial court of this province, in presence of the adverse party to him that requires such depositions to be taken, if upon due notice he thinks fit to be present, or upon notice doth refuse to be present, (the notice being proved) ought to be received as good evidence in any of the courts of this province, as if such evidence were personally

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