Annapolis, 25th. January 1776.
My Lord,
The Delegates (of Maryland) in provincial Convention, as they state themselves, having entered into some Resolves, of which I have procured Copies, I think it incumbent upon me to transmit them to your Lordship as spedily as possible, and therefore send this Packet by Express to New York, in hopes that it will arrive safely there, and be forwarded thence, there being no opportunity of a conveyance by any Vessel from this Province at present, tho I have some expectation of being able to send a duplicate of this by a Brig for London, in the course of the ensuing Month.
The enclosed Declaration (No. 3) I am informed is to be immediately published ー so I have since heard are the Instructions (No. 2), but I know not if here, or at Philadelphia.
I am convinced of the sincerity of the Councils Assurances contained in their Address to me the 29th day of August ー a Copy of which I have had the Honour of transmitting to your Lordship, and again refer thereto among the inclosed (No 4) and, I must, my Lord, do the Members of the last Convention as they call it, and the People of this Province the Justice to say, I am satisfied they are so far from desiring an Independency that if the Establishment of it were left to their Choice, they would reject it with Abhorrance, so incompatible would such a State be with their real undissembled Attachment to, and Affection for His Majesty, His Family, and the Mother Country; And I am confident they would esteem the full Restoration of Peace and their former Intercourse with the Parent State, to be a most happy Event; an Event which, I doubt not, might be effectually produced, if they were replaced in the same State with respect to the Acts of Parliament that they possessed at the Conclusion of the last War.
My Station and Residence here affording me opportunities of Information, in Justice to the people of this province, as well as by the Duty & Regard I owe to my King and native Country. I think myself obliged to make this candid and faithfull Representation of their Principles and Sentiments, and shall be supremely happy in any pleasing prospect of Success attending every Exertion in my power to bring about an happy Reconciliation between Great Britain, & her Colonies, to the joint Honour and Welfare of both.
I am sorry to have occasion to Apologize for the passage of His Majesty's Post through this Province having been stopped by order of the Convention ー I can only say on that Head, My Lord, that I have reason to think those concerned therein, are since sorry for it. Their real Excuse is that it happened early in the Meeting of the Convention, before several of the most moderate Men were come up, and was resolved upon when the Minds of the People were extremely agitated by Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, giving Freedom to the Slaves in Virginia, our Proximity to which Colony, and our similar Circumstances with respect to Negroes augmenting the general Alarm, induced them to prohibit all Correspondence with Virginia by Land or Water. A Fortnight before that, the Post had been stopped in another Province, and Letters taken out, and opened; mine amongst others, and I have not had the Honour of receiving any Letters from your Lordships Office since your circular one of the 22nd & Mr [John] Pownall's of May the 27th
You will observe, my Lord, by the enclosed Paper (No 5) thatthe Corporation of this City are willing to cooperate with me in preserving its Peace, should any of His Majesty's Ships of War arrive here I hope they will continue in that Disposition, and it shall be my Endeavour to strengthen it throughout the Province, as earnestly as it is to persevere in my Duty to my Sovereign, and promote that Tranquility which abler heads than mine will, I hope, before Midsummer, point out the path leading to the Recovery of restoring Happiness to Millions ー which soon to see is the sincere Wish of, My Lord [&c.]