The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-29
i, S n,7,,ne indeed, in; supposins thai

Fcc mention. II. the month OF Ahatch last,
yoa1,.' have been represented, we know
MT: mt from the foregoing specimens. 1T.
is ia he presumed in no very. taVoraple
light. These meetings. my 81 unless
it can he supposed that VIZ" VIZ. county
could entirely lose sight d : sscullls
and most essential interests, We're rem
sare1A absoiute1vT necessary, first by the
diasclntion. and afterwards oE repeated
1,roroeations. OF the General Assembly.
= IInnn7 inn,lirv into the state OF the colo
M IN was found that there had been
aimnet = total inattention to the training
ana distributing of our militia Various
s,,hsec1ent "a acts of our legislature,
+ nerflatory Of the law OF I''s mad eX-1.
pired; the act providing asa'nse lnva-
Sims and instructions was near eAplr-
ing, and it was uncertain Mhetner an
opportunity would be glVel ee se1elle sl.sl
tt,sr view Of our situation, 1t was found
frat our inhabitants were exposed to the
sirs,,rsions Of a barbarons and savage
.enery From the best accounts received
from Great Britain there was too much
70. son to be convinced that Ills NlaJes-.
tv,s ministry were prosecuting the most
rigorous and arbitrary measures towards
sub1uEati ting the whole continent OF Amerl-
ca to their despotic RUE "nlch meas
ures, it was more than pronaoie, nao oeen
Suggested from hence and the other COLO
.,Jes Mat scheme. the most diaboli-
fco1 had reen meditated, and generally
recommended, by a person OF great lnflu-
ence. to offer freedom toour slaves, and
+,,rn them against their masters The
convention, to guard against these dam
gers. not clearly seen INTO before that
time. recommended a strict attention
ia fine militia law of 1885, but thinking
this defective in any essential points.
considering that, under thrs law, the
whole militia were not ohllsed to exer-
else so frequently as might. pc neces-
sary it was recommended lnat Eolun-
tecr companies should be formed in each
county. for the better defense and pro-
lection Of the whole country. These
srrnceeflings. according to an usual style,
it ia more than probable have been rep
resented as designed to oppose govern
Ynent; whereas, we are persuaded that
nothing was farther from the intentions
of the convention. A review of their
resolutions must convince every unpreju-
diced mind that the utmost respect was
pnid to His Majesty and his legal gov
eminent, and that the convention had
much pleasure in expressing their obli-
ga lions to your lordship for your late
services. The truth is. my lord. that His
Me- ;esty's dutiful subjects in this colony.
have the utmost attachment to their
sovereign; they admire, they love the Con-
stitntion and will risk everything most
dear and valuable in support of it. These
are principles imbibed in their infancy,
and their constant care is to inculcate
them upon the minds Of their children;
tley mediate or design nothing in the
least offensive But if it is expected that
S.hey should sit down supinely, and sub
nit to yokes which neither they nor their
forefathers were able to bear, they must
acknowledge that they have the sensi-
bi1jty and feelings of freemen, actuating
them to a proper and justiflable defense
Of those rights which are guaranteed by
tho laws and principles of the Constitu-
ton. Il
We have my lord. made the strictest
ard minutest inquiry into the causes @f
the late disturbances. We find, from
the examination of many respectable
merchants, natives ct Great Britain, re-
siding in different parts of this colony,
and from other gentlemen of character.
that the country was in q perfect state
Of TRANQUILITY till they received an ac-
count Of your lordsllip's removal Of the
gunpowder from the public magazine. to
one Of His Majesty's ships of war. and
OF your Irritating and most unjustiflabe
threats. sf
The Inhabitants of this country. my
Lord, could not be strangers to the
many attempts in the northern colonies
to disarm the people, and thereby de-
prive them Of the only means Of de-
tending their lives and property. We
know, from good authority. that the like
measures were generally recommended
by the ministry, and that the export of
powder from Great Britain had been
prohibited Judge. then. how very
alarming a removal OF 3 the small stock
which remained in the public magazine
for the defense Of the country, and the
stripping the guns Of their locks, must
have been to any people who had the
smallest regard for their security. The
manner and time OF doing 1t made no
small addition to the general apprehen-
sion Of your Lordships views. The rea-
son assigned by your Lordship for TAX
ing this step we should have thought
the most likely, at any other time. to
have directed very different conduct.
We should have supposed that we'll
grounded apprehension of an insurrec-
ton of the slaves ought to have called
forth the utmost exertions to suppress
It.: The world will probably judge your
Lordship's method of doing this, the
least likely to effect the necessary pur-
pose.
NOI IHE h1lS1 } 11lC1 LII
Your Lordship having represented this
powder as the Kings peculiar property,
supposing it to have been brought from
one. of his ships. we have made inquiry
into that matter, and cannot find that
there ever was any powder brought
either from the Rippon or any other
man-of-war; so that we presume your
Lordship must have been misinformed
as to this fact, since the powder was
removed as it was not relied on in your
answer to the address Of the corpora
ton of the city Of Williamsburg. Be
this, however as It may, we conceive
the case would not be materially alter
ed. We must remind your LordshlpE
that, by very ancient law OF thisss
country, enacted SO long since as ting
thirty-second year Of the reign OF hif
Majesty King Charles the Second. roe
raising a public revenue, and for ths
better support Of this governmenf
amongst other provisions. an import z
one-half pound Of new gun powder ann
three pounds Of leaden shot, or one shH
ling and three-pence sterling, was II
posed on oil ships or vessels comirg
into this colony. In the ninth year ps
the reign Of Queen Anne, the ttRpost FL
one shilling and -three-pence on the tqn'
mage of vessels was continued, for ppm
duties. It is evident. my Lord, that Ife
original and chief design Of this pa
49,, wa g ~ prOyide from tkll6