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join with the other colonies in such military operations as may be judged proper and necessary for the common defence, until such a peace can be hapily obtained.

At the same time we assure you that we have an entire confidence in your abilities and integrity in the discharge of the great trust reposed in you, we must observe to you as our opinion, that in the relation of constituent and representative, one principal security of the former is, the right he holds to be fully informed of the conduct of the latter: we can conceive no case to exist, in which it would be of more importance to exercise this right than the present, nor any in which we can suppose the representative would more willingly acquiesce in the exercise of it. We therefore instruct you, that you move for and endeavor to obtain a resolve of congress, that the votes given by the colonies on every question agitated in congress, shall appear upon the journals thereof; and if such resolve be obtained, that you, at the expense of this province, procure copies of the said journals, except such parts thereof as relate to military operations, and measures taken to procure aims and ammunition, and from time to time lay the same before the convention of this province, shewing the part you, as representatives of the province, take in such qestions.

And we further instruct you, to move for and endeavor to obtain a resolve of congress, that no person who holds any military command in the continental or any provincial regular forces, or marine service, nor any person who holds or enjoys any office of profit under the continental congress, or under any government assumed since the present controversy with Great Britain began, or which shall hereafter be assumed, or who directly or indirectly receives the profits or any part of the profits of such command or office, shall, during the time of his holding or receiving the same, be eligible to sit in congress.

Convention adjourns till to-morrow morning half after 9 o'clock.

FRIDAY, January 12, 1776.

Convention met. All members present as on yesterday, except Mr. S. Chase, Mr. Jordan, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Gilpin. The proceedings of yesterday were read.

Mr. President communicates to the convention several resolutions of congress, which were read and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Ware has leave of absence.

Adjourned till 3 o'clock.

POST MEREDIEM.

Convention met.

Mr. Hollyday brings in and delivers to Mr. President, a report from the committee appointed to prepare and report a scheme for the emission of bills of credit, to defray the expenses of defending this province, and other purposes therein mentioned, which was read the first time and ordered to lie on the table.

A report from the committee appointed to receive proposals relating to the establishment of manufactories of any kind within this province, was read and considered; and thereupon Resolved, That six hundred pounds in bills of credit out of the public treasury, be advanced to Mr. William Whetcroft of the city of Annapolis, for the term of two years, without interest, he giving bond with good security to repay the same; the said William Whetcroft to contract to build and complete, within the space of six months, at his own risk, a rolling, sheeting, and slitting mill, within twenty miles of Baltimore town, or in any other part of the province that this convention shall appoint; and therefrom to supply the public and individuals with slit or sheet iron, at the price the same, at the time of sale thereof, can be purchased in Pennsylvania or Virginia, and that it shall never exceed the sum of thirty-five pounds common money per ton. The said William Whetcroft also to slit, roll, or make into sheet or flatted iron, any quantity thereof, the property of the public, brought to the said mill, at the rate of five pounds per ton; and any quantity thereof, the property of private persons, being inhabitants of this province, at the rate of six pounds per ton, if brought to the said mill.

Ordered, That no commission issue to Mr. John Thomas, first major of the South River battalion in Anne Arundel county, he having declined that office; or to any of the officers of Mr. John Burgess' company; or to Mr. William Gambrill, a lieutenant of Mr. John Boone's company, during the sitting of this convention, but that the same be referred to the council of safety.

The convention proceeded to ballot for the rank of counties and colonels, when the rank was settled as follows:

Somerset 1, Cecil 2, Dorchester 3, Talbot 4, Queen Anne's 5, St. Mary's 6, Anne Arundel 7, Harford 8, Baltimore 9, Worcester 10, Prince George's 11, Charles 12, Kent 13, Caroline 14, Calvert 15, Frederick 16.

In Somerset county. Col. George Dashiell of the first battalion, 1; col. Thomas Hayward, 17.

Cecil county. Col. Charles Rumsey, 2; col. John Veazey, 18; col. George Johnson, 30.

Dorchester. Upper battalion, 3; lower battalion 19.
Talbot. Col. Christopher Birkhead, 4.

Queen Anne's. Col. Richard T. Earle, 5; col. Thomas Wright, 20.

St. Mary's. Col. Jeremiah Jordan, 6; col. Richard Barnes, 21. Anne Arundel. Col. John Hall, 7; col. Thomas Dorsey, 22;

col. John Weems, 31.

Harford. Col. Benjamin Rumsey, 8; col. Aquilla Hall, 23. Baltimore, 9.

Worcester. Col. Peter Chaille, 10; col. William Purnell, 24. Prince George's. Lower battalion, 11; upper battalion, 25. Charles. Col. Josias Hawkins, 12; col. William Harrison, 26. Kent. Lower battalion, 13; upper battalion, 27.

Caroline. Col. William Richardson, 14; col. Philip Fiddeman, 28.

Calvert. Col. Benjamin Mackall, 4th, 15.

Frederick. Col. Zadock Mugruder, 16; col. John Murdock, 29; col. John Stull, 31; col. Charles Beatty, 33; col. Baker Johnson, 34; col. Jacob Good, 35; col. Samuel Beall, 36; col. James Johnson, 37.

Convention adjourns till to-morrow morning half after 9 o'clock.

SATURDAY, January 13, 1776.

Convention met. All members present as on yesterday. The proceedings of yesterday were read.

On motion, Resolved, That the nomination of field-officers for Kent county be referred to the next session of convention.

Several resolutions of congress were read, and ordered to lie on the table.

The following persons were elected by ballot field-officers to the militia in Prince Geoge's county, to wit.

The lower battalion. Mr. Joseph Sim, colonel; Mr. Thomas Contee, lieutenant colonel; Mr. Thomas Sim Lee, 1st major; Mr. John Rogers, 2nd; Mr. John F. A. Priggs, quarter master. Upper battalion. Mr. Joshua Beall, colonel; Mr. Robert Tyler, lieutenant colonel; Mr. Addison Murdock, 1st major; Mr. George Lee, 2nd; Mr. William Turner Wootton, quarter master.

The convention took into consideration the report from the committee appointed to prepare and report a scheme for the emission of bills of credit, to defray the expenses of defending this province, and other purposes therein mentioned, and came to the following resolutions thereon.

That for the defence of this province, calling in and exchanging

the bills of credit emitted by virtue of the resolves of the last convention, for the encouragement of manufactories within this province, and for other purposes resolved upon in convention, bills of credit of the denomination of dollars and parts of a dollar, to the amount of five hundred and thirty-five thousand one hundred and eleven dollars and one-ninth part of a dollar, be printed and struck with all convenient speed, under the care and direction of such persons as shall be appointed by the council of safety for that purpose, in manner and form following, to wit, "This bill of

shall entitle the bearer hereof to receive gold or silver, at the rate of four shillings and six-pence sterling per dollar for the said bill according to a resolve of the provincial convention of Maryland, held at the city of Annapolis, the 7th day of December, 1775."

That the plates for striking the said bills of credit, be procured to be cut in copper, by some skilful person in the city of Philadelphia, at the expense of this province, by the deputies of this province in congress, or some two of them, and shall have such devices and marks as the said deputies or such two of them shall direct, and the number and denomination of the said bills shall be the following and no other, to wit; sixteen thousand bills of eight dollars each, sixteen thousand bills of four dollars each, sixteen thousand bills of two dollars and two third parts of a dollar each, thirty-two thousand bills of two dollars each, thirty-two thousand bills of one dollar and one third part of a dollar each, thirty-two thousand bills of one dollar each, thirty-two thousand bills of two third parts of a dollar each, forty thousand bills of half dollar each, forty thousand bills of one third part of a dollar each, forty thousand bills of one sixth part of a dollar each, and forty thousand bills of one ninth part of a dollar each.

That the said deputies or any two of them also purchase and provide a sufficient quantity of proper paper, on which to print and strike the said bills of credit, and that they or some of them do as soon as conveniently may be, transmit the said plates and paper to the council of safety aforesaid, and that the said council of safety do forthwith cause the said bills of credit to be printed and struck, under the direction of two discreet and sober freemen of this province, to be by them appointed to that service, who shall be called supervisors.

That the said supervisors shall use the best of their care and diligence that the said bills, according to their respective denominations aforesaid, and according to the manner and form aforesaid, be forthwith printed and struck, and that the number of the denominations thereof be not exceeded, nor any clandestine or fraudu

lent practice be used by the printer, his apprentices, servants, and others concerned in the printing or striking thereof.

That the printer and all his apprentices and servants which he shall employ in the said work, before he or they enter upon the same, take before some justice of the peace, in the presence of one or both of the said supervisors; the following oath, to wit: "I A. B. do swear that I will truly, faithfully and honestly perform the duty of printer of the bills of credit directed to be printed by a resolve of the convention of Maryland, held at the city of Annapolis the seventh day of December, seventeen hundred and seventy-five, and that I will not advisedly print or stamp a greater number of blank bills of credit than in that resolve mentioned, nor of any other denomination than therein expressed, except such sheets as may be so blotted, unfair, or imperfect in printing or striking thereof, that the same shall be unfit for use. So help me GOD."

That the said printer shall not by himself, his servants, or any other person by him employed, print, strike, stitch, or bind the said bills, or any of them, but in the presence of one or both of the said supervisors. And in every intermission of the work, the said supervisors shall safely and securely lock up the press and stamps with which the work shall be performed, and the impressions which shall be then made, in the room in which the printing and binding shall be done, and the keys of such room shall keep in their possession; and when all the said bills shall be printed and struck, the plates shall be delivered by the printer to the said supervisors, and by them to the convention, or in its recess to the council of safety. That Charles Wallace, John Davidson, Nathan Hammond, Richard Tootell, James Brice, John Brice, Thomas Brook Hodgkin, John Duckett, Robert Lloyd Nichols, Samuel Sharp, Richard Tilghman, jun., Henry Banning, Peregrine Tilghman, William Perry, Jeremiah Banning, and Joseph Bruff; be signers of the said bills.

That the said supervisors, as soon as the said bills shall be printed, struck, stitched, and bound, shall deliver three fourth parts thereof in value to the treasurer of the Western shore appointed by the last convention, and the other fourth part thereof to the treasurer of the eastern shore appointed by the last convention; and the said treasurers shall deliver out to the signers residing on their respective shores, such and so many of the said bills to be immediately numbered and signed by them, as may be sufficient to answer any probable and immediate demand on them for the same, not exceeding twelve thousand dollars; and each of the said bills shall be numbered and signed by some two of the said signers, and returned again after being numbered and signed, to the respective treasurers;

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