At a Council held at the Government House on Wednesday the 11th day of October 1775 ー

Present

His Excellency the Governor

The Hono'ble Thomas Smith Esq[r] Reported from the Committee appointed Yesterday an Adress to His Excellency the Governor which was Read and contains as follows (vizt.)

August 31st 1775;

To His Excellency The Governor

The Address of His Majesty's Council of Bermuda. ー May it please Your Excellency

We His Majesty's most faithful Subjects the Council of Bermuda have considered Your Excellency's Speech of Yesterday with all the Attention which the Importance of the matter recommended to us so justly demands. ー

We assure Your Excellency We are still Affected with the deepest and most unfeigned Concern for the Robbery committed on the Powder Magazine, and tho' we are happy in reflecting that every Method was immediately taken for the Detection of the Perpetrators of that most atrocious and execreable Act ー which the united Wisdom of the Legislature could suggest, Yet we at the same time Sincerely lament that the Offenders have hitherto remained undiscovered. ー

We join with Your Excellency in Opinion that in our present defenceless State (arising principally from that most villainous Robbery) the utmost care shou'd be taken of the Cannon, but we rather beg leave to Advise that Your Excellency would be pleased [to] use Your Influence with Capt: Tollemache to continue here 'till he can be relieved by some other Vessel of War, and we are the more strongly induced to give this Measure a preference to that recommended by your Excellency, as a large, arm'd Sloop (supposed to be from some of the North American Colonies) has for several Days past been seen hovering about our Coast, ー This Circumstance is truly alarming and gives us the greatest reason to imagine that some Attempt may be made against the Island, which, (should it even be with a Vessel of but small Force) for want of Powder and from the ruinous Condition our Fortifications are now in, we should be unable to defeat; We therefore flatter Ourselves that Captain Tollemache will readily comply with a request of this Nature from your Excellency, as it must not only tend to secure the Cannon alluded to in Your Excellency's Speech but also the Cannon on the several Forts and Fortifications, which we conceive to be in imminent Danger for the Reasons we have just mentioned. ー By Order of the Board. ー

October 11th 1775. ー

The said Address being Approved of,

It was Signed by the president of the board and by him Presented to His Excellency ー His Excellency was thereupon Pleased to acquaint the board that a Copy of their Address accompanied with a Letter from himself should be delivered to Captain Tollemache to Morrow Morning

The Board Then Adjourned. ー