Mr. [Patrick] Henry, from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, reported that the Committee had, according to order, proceeded to the examination of John Goodrich, who was apprehended on suspicion of hisbeing in[i]mical to the rights and liberties of America; and that it appeared, from the confession of the said John Goodrich,² that he went on board the Otter sloop of war at Norfolk to pilot her up to Baltimore, in order to destroy some vessels which were building there.

It also appeared, from the deposition of James Buchanan, that the deponent being on board his vessel, the schooner Polly, then on ground on the Swatch, saw a vessel which he took to be a pilot boat, but was afterwards informed by one of the pilots that it was captain Goodrich's boat, and that they were prisoners, for she was a king's tender; that when captain Goodrich came up, he ordered the deponent to deliver up his papers, which he did to the said Goodrich, who told him his schooner was a lawful prize, and that his master, captain Wright, was below, and would be in that night, on board whom the said Buchanan must go; that on the same night the schooner was boarded by an armed boat belonging to the said captain Wright, who put a prize master and some hands on board the said schooner, and plundered her of all her live stock, and took a gun and couteau from the deponent; that a sloop, supposed to belong to one Lottstrange, ran up the sound that night, which sloop the said Goodrich saw, and the men on board were desirous of taking, which the said Goodrich opposed, on account of her being an empty vessel, and harrassed by the committees, as the pilots told him the said sloop was not allowed to load, on account of violation the association; that capt. Wright, the next day, blamed him much for not making a prize of her, supposing there was cash on board; that when the schooner was on ground on the Swatch, Goodrich desired captain Wright to discharge the deponent and his schooner, as she was old, and could not be got off without much delay, and her cargo was of little value to them, which Wright positively refused, and swore he should proceed round to Norfolk; that the said Goodrich afterwards hailed a vessel belonging to Captain Adderly, and ordered him to bring his papers on board, which the said Adderly did, and delivered them to the said Goodrich, who told him he should deliver them to captain Wright, who would determine the matter in the morning; and that the said captain Wright carried the said Adderly over the bar with him the Tuesday following. That it farther appeared, from the deposition of James Anderson, that the deponent, with captain Harney, and three other boats, boarded captain Goodrich, who was in the Lilly tender; that as the said Harney was boarding the said Goodrich he the said Harney flashed his gun at him; and that he heard the said Harney tell the said Goodrich he should not have flashed his gun at him if he had not ordered his crew to fire on the boats; and that the said Goodrich did not deny his having given such orders; that, after he had been on board a small time, he heard the said Goodrich say he was a prisoner, and that he had been so harassed on both sides that he did not value his life; and that it farther appeared, from the confession of the said Goodrich, that he was sent by Lord Dunmore as a pilot to captain Wright to bring him into Ocracock to get provisions; and that the orders given by Lord Dunmore were to seize all vessels loaded with provisions; and carry them to his fleet; and that he, the said Goodrich, had three boats in the service of Lord Dunmore. And that they had come to the following resolution thereupon, 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 the said John Goodrich is guilty of bearing arms against this colony, and is also guilty of aiding and assisting the enemy, by giving them intelligence, contrary to and in contempt of an Ordinance of the last Convention for establishing a mode of punishment for the enemies of America in this colony, whereby the said John Goodrich hath incurred the pains and penalties in and by the said Ordinance declared and inflicted.

Ordered, That the Committee of Safety do take such order respecting the estate of the said John Goodrich as is directed by the Ordinance prescribing a mode of punishment for the enemies of America in this colony; that the debt due from the said Goodrich to the country be in the first place discharged, and that they make a reasonable provision for the support and maintenance of the wife and young children of the said John Goodrich out of his estate; that he be conveyed, under a strong guard, to Charlottesville, in the county of Albermarle, there to be confined till the farther order of the Convention, or executive power; but that this resolution respecting his removal be not carried into execution until the health of the said John Goodrich will permit it to be done without endangering his life; and that in the mean time he be permitted the use of a room in the dwelling-house of the keeper of the public jail under a guard.