[Extract]

Yesterday I put the Question after three hours debate for Stopping the Ship & Lawford's Channel's by means of Sinking Schooners, & it was carried in the affirmative 32 against 14. ー I could not have thought after the clear & Sensible declarations made by Capt Thos. Tucker who twice Surveyed the breadth & depth of each Channel that so great a Majority would have been found in favour of a measure which he & many other Skilful Men have declared, will prove ineffectual & will be attended with a vast expence & which had been in May or June last [been] discountenanced by a much larger Majority ー I Said nothing till the Question had been put & carried ー then I observed that although so great a Majority had appeared for the Question, I was not ashamed to own that I remained in my former opinion, that I had listned to the debates with great attention but had heard nothing new, nothing [&] nothing that would induce me to alter my Sentiments ー that if the Barr Should be effectually Stoped up, this Town & the most valuable part of the Country would be ruined, if ineffectually, the projectors, would be Standing Subjects for ridicule & contempt ー that the effectual Stopping the Bar besides vastly depreciating the value of our Lands would not protect us against the Arm of England if She was Seriously disposed to Stretch it over us that many of these who had Spoke & more who had Voted for the Measure had judged as blind Men do of Colours ー I Should rejoice to find my Self mistaken in my own judgement, but that as the history of so important an Act would be transmitted through the World & to posterity I was desirous that it Should be known (although I was not obliged to give my Vote) on which Side of the question I had been ー I was desirous also that my Children Should. know it & finally that however I might appear from Such declarations to be an Adversary the Committee Should find me a generous one ー I would not oppose the question of the project Since it had been Resolved upon by a Majority. ー but that I could not believe the people at large would be pleased with it. ー

Now for the execution of this mighty work ー a Committee is appointed among whom are the most Strenuous votaries ー Mr Tenant, Mr. Jno. Edwards & Collo [George Gabriel] Powell, with three or four others whose Names I cannot recollect ー it behoves them at least to make Some attempt, but already the good Parson Says the Council of Safety must first take the Man of War which lies in Rebellion Road ー in aword I believe he had not Sat down & counted the Cost nor had he well considered consequences before he had determined upon the measure & that it will like many other of his Schemes fall to the Ground. ー

I am just returned from General Commee. after a-sitting from ½ past 8 to near 3 oClock ー three Hours of the time was Spent on a Motion that the general Commee. do Resolve that it is necessary to authorize the. Commee for Stopping up the Ship & Lawfords, Channels to take destroy or drive away the Ships of War near Sullivan ts Island ー the Sub Commee had represented the impracticability of carrying the first intended measure into execution while those Ships lay there after much debate I put the question ー which was lost 33 to 16 ー down went the Remora 2 as the parson calls it, to the Channels & up went his passions & Ill breeding ー Gentlemen who were against the measure for attacking the Man of War, consented to Submit the Subject to a new Debate on Friday ー this is a kind of sporting which is not warranted by good Sense or Sound policy ー If the proposed measure was a good one, it ought not to have been opposed ー if bad ー it ought not to have the chance of a Second experiment ー this Strange versatility confirms my observations that many had judged of the Scheme as blind Men do of Colours & that we were reduced to the circumstances of Boys who had wantonly embarked in a Boat & launched into deep Water without a paddle ー if the proposition for attacking the Men of War Should be agreed to, upon a reconsideration on Friday, I very much doubt whether the Resolution will be carried into effect ー if a Serious attempt is made there will be bloody work ー the Tamar is as well prepared as Such a Crazy Boat can be ー the Cherokee is fitted for defence & so is a fine Schooner which the Man of War lately Seized for that very purpose.

We have just received intelligence that the Georgians have Seized Seven Thousand pounds of Gun Powder on board of Rainiers Vessel for the use of the Colonies ー