Hancock decides to press on with the business at hand. After a gloomy letter from George Washington, who is commanding the Continental Army, appears by courier, it is read aloud by Charles Thompson, the Congressional Secretary, revealing Washington's low opinions of the abilities of his troops against coming British forces. This is followed by a resolution by Josiah Bartlett of New Hampshire is interrupted first by the excitement of the fire wagon passing by, and then by Richard Henry Lee arriving on horseback. He has delivered what he promised - a resolution for independence authorized by the House of Burgesses. Elated, Adams seconds the motion to open debate on the resolution. John Dickinson of Pennsylvania, a conservative who sees talk of independence as treason to the rightful reign of King George, immediately moves to table the debate. The vote is close, but debate is ultimately approved. The discussion begins with Dickinson taking the debate and framing it to Adams and Franklin as they overreacting to petty scabbles with the British government over their treatment. The debate gets more and more heated with time, ultimately ending with a fight between Dickinson and Adams, stopped by a fire in the air from the gun of Col. Thomas McKeon of Delaware. The fight ends, but the stress of the event causes Caesar Rodney to nearly swoon and collapse, with the stress of the debate and the cancer he is fighting. McKeon leaves to take Rodney home, but that leaves Delaware's vote in the hand of the conservative George Read.