The President laid before the Convention a letter from col. [Robert] Howe, enclosing a letter from capt. Bellew, of his majesty's ship the Liverpool, desiring to be informed if he still persisted in his resolution to restrain his majesty's ships from supplies of provision, with his answer thereto; which being read, were referred to the committee of the state of the colony.

The Convention then, according to the order of the day, resolved itself into the said committee; and after some time. spent therein, Mr. President resumed the chair, and Mr. [Archibald] Cary reported, that the committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the state of the colony, and had come to the following resolution, which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the clerk's table, where the same was again twice read, and agreed to.

Resolved, That col. Howe be informed, in answer to his letter of the 25th, that this Convention are fully sensible of the hardships many innocent persons on board his majesty's ships may be exposed to, for want of regular supplies of fresh provisions, which we would not wish to withhold, unless compelled by the duty we owe to the country, loudly calling upon us to use every exertion for the defence of its inhabitants. That capt. Bellew, who probably is a stranger to us and our situation, should be informed, that this country hath ever, till of late, considered the officers and men of his majesty's navy as their friends, and have always had great pleasure in shewing them every mark of hospitality and civility; but many very recent and unwarranted instances of the hostile behaviour of some of the navy, towards our inhabitants, justify us in suspicions we would not otherwise entertain. Who are the innocent and helpless whose blood capt. Bellew would not wish to shed, we cannot, from his expressions, determine; but they carry with them the strongest implication, that the effusion of the blood of some of our countrymen is the object of his voyage to this country. That the Convention have the warmest wishes to find themselves mistaken in these apprehensions; and if capt. Bellew can condescend to satisfy them, or col. How[e], that he is come to Virginia on a friendly errand, this Convention will take every opportunity of paying proper respect to a gentleman in his station, and use every means in their power to make his stay here as agreeable as possible; but that if, on the contrary, capt. Bellew's design is to further the views of our enemies, and assist in prosecuting those unjustifiable and cruel measures already set on foot in this country, he must excuse the inhabitants of Virginia if they totally decline contributing towards their own destruction.