THE COUNTY COMMITTEES OF 1774-'75 IN VIRGINIA.
BY CHARLES WASHINGTON COLEMAN.

William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Oct., 1896), pp. 94-106

In a meeting of the inhabitants of Boston, November 2, 1772, committees of correspondence were established, on motion of Samuel Adams, between the towns of Massachusetts. On the 6th of January following, the Speaker of the Massachusetts Assembly transmitted to Richard Henry Lee a report of the Boston meeting, and on the 12th of March, 1773, the latter offered resolutions in the Virginia Assembly for the appointment of a Committee of Correspondence to invite the co-operation of the other colonies. Thus, to quote Bancroft, Massachusetts organized a province; Virginia promoted a confederacy.
Upon the adoption of Lee's resolutions, the Virginia Assembly appointed the following members to act as a Committee of Correspondence:
Hon. Peyton Randolph, Esq., Patrick Henry,
Robert Carter Nicholas. Dudley Digges,
Richard Bland, Dabney Carr,
Richard Henry Lee, Archibald Cary,
Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Jefferson.
Edmond Pendleton,
Other colonies followed the suggestion of Virginia, and similar committees were appointed. [For a history of the Virginia Committee, see Mr. James M. Garnett's valuable paper in the Virginia Historical Collections, Vol. XI (new series), pp. 3-23.]
On Tuesday, May 24, 1774, the Virginia Gazette, adopted the following preamble and resolutions:
This House, being deeply impressed with the Apprehension of the great Dangers to be derived to British America from the hostile invasion of the City of Boston, in our Sister Colony of Massachusetts Bay, whose commerce and Harbour are, on the first Day of June next, to be stopped by an armed Force, deem it highly necessary that the said first Day of June be set apart, by the Members of this House, as a Day of Fasting, Humilation, and Prayer, devoutly to implore the Devine Interposition, for averting the heavy Calamity which threatens Destruction to our civil Rights, and the Evils of Civil War, to give us one Heart and one Mind, firmly to oppose, by all just and proper Means, every Injury to American Rights; and that the Minds of his Majesty, and his Parliament, may be inspired from above with Wisdom, Moderation, and Justice, to remove from the loyal People of America all Cause of Danger, from a continued Pursuit of Measures, pregnant with their Ruin.
Ordered, therefore, that the Members of this House do attend in their Places, at the Hour of ten in the Forenoon, on the said first Day of June next, in Order to proceed, with the Speaker, and the Mace, to the Church in this City, for the purposes aforesaid; and that the Reverend Mr. Price be appointed to read Prayers, and the Reverend Mr. Gwatkin to preach a Sermon, suitable to the Occasion.
Ordered, that this Order be forthwith printed and published.
Ordered, that the Reverent Mr. Gwatkin be desired to preach before this House, at the Church, in this City, upon Wednesday, the first Day of June next; and that Mr. Richard Henry Lee do acquaint him therewith.
On the following day Mr. Lee reported to the House that Mr. Gwatkin, while very sensible of the Honour the House had done him, begged to be excused from the service on account of a
Disorder in his Breast ; and the Rev. Mr. Price was requested to preach the sermon in his stead.
On Thursday, the 26th, the House, proceeding in its routine of business, heard and acted upon the petition of Peter Pelham, keeper of the public goal, concerning the scanty allowance for the
maintenance of prisoners; petitions concerning mill-dams, public ferries, vestries, &c., &c. It had just ordered to its engrossment a bill to allow the minister of Shelburne in the county of Loudoun the same salary as the other ministers are entitled to receive, when a message from the Governor by Mr. Blair was announced.
Mr. Speaker, the Governor commands this House to attend his Excellency, immediately, in the Council Chamber.
Accordingly Mr. Speaker [Peyton Randolph], with the House, went up to attend his Excellency in the Council Chamber, where his excellency was pleased to say to them:
Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses, I have in my Hand a Paper, published by order of your House, conceived in such Terms as reflect highly upon his Majesty and the Parliament of Great Britain, which makes it necessary for me to dissolve you; and you are dissolved accordingly.
Here, with Lord Dunmore's proclamation of prorogation, with its God save the king ends the Journal of the Virginia House of Burgesses as printed in Williamsburg by the widow Clementina Rind, public printer.
But on the next day, Friday, the 27th day of May, 1774, eighty-nine members of the late House of Burgesses, styling themselves his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the late representatives of the good people of this country, assembled in the Apollo Room of the Raleigh Tavern, and there entered into an Association, the only mode left to them for giving the advice they had wished to convey to their countrymen in their legislative capacity, and pointing out the measures in their opinion best fitted to secure their dearest rights and liberty from destruction, by the heavy hand of power now lifted against North America. Of this Association , printed on a broadside and now rare, the following is a copy:
We, his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the late representatives of the good people of this country, having been deprived by the sudden interposition of the executive part of this government from giving our countryment the advice we wished to convey to them in a legislative capacity, find ourselves under the hard necessity of adopting this, the only method we have left, of pointing out to our countrymen such measures as in our opinion are best fitted to secure our dearrest rights and liberty from destruction by the heavy hand of power now lifted against North America. With much grief we find that our dutiful applications to Great Britain for security of our just, antient, and constitutional rights have been not only disregarded, but that a determined system is formed and pressed for reducing the inhabitants of British America to slavery, by subjecting them to the payment of taxes, imposed without the consent of the people or their representatives; and that in pursuit of this system, we find an act of the British Parliament, lately pased, for stopping the harbour and commerce of the town of Boston, in our sister colony of Massachusetts Bay, until the people there submit to the payment of such unconstitutional taxes, and which act most violently and arbitrarily deprives them of their property, in wharves erected by private persons, at their own great and proper expense, which act is, in our opinion, a most dangerous attempt to destroy the consititutional liberty and rights of all North America. It is further our opinion, that as TEA, on its importation into America, is charged with a duty, imposed by Parliament for the purpose of raising a revenue, without the consent of the people, it ought not to be used by any person who wishes well to the constitutional rights and liberty of British America. And whereas the India Company have ungenerously attempted the ruin of America, by sending many ships loaded with tea into the colonies, thereby intending to fix a precedent in favour of arbitrary taxation, we deem it highly proper and do accordingly recommend it strongly to our countrymen, not to purchase or use any kind of East India commodity whatsoever, except saltpetre and spices, until the grievances of America are redressed. We are further clearly of opinion, that an attack, made on one of our sister colonies, to compel submission to arbitrary taxes, is an attack made on all British America, and threatens ruin to the rights of all, unless the united wisdom of the whole be applied. And for this purpose it is recommended to the Committee of Correspondence, that they communicate, with their several corresponding committees, on the expediency of appointing deputies from the several colonies of British America, to meet in general congress, at such place annually as shall be thought most convenient; there to deliberate on those general measures which the united interests of America may from time to time require.
A tender regard for the interest of our fellow subjects, the merchants, and manufacturers of Great Britain, prevents us from going futher at this time; most earnestly hoping, that the unconstitutional principle of taxing the colonies without their consent will not be persisted in, thereby to compel us, against our will, to avoid all commercial intercourse with Britain. Wishing them and our people free and happy, we are their affectionate friends, the late representatives of Virginia.
The 27th day of May, 1774. [89 signatures.]
William Harrison, William Hubard, Benjamin Blagrove, William Bland, H. J. Burges, Samuel Smith M'Croskey, Joseph Davenport, Thomas Price, David Griffith, William Leigh, Robert Andrews, Samuel Klug, Icabod Camp(1), William Clayton, Richard Cary, Thomas Adams, Hinde Russell, William Holt, Arthur Dickenson, Thomas Stuart, James Innes.
Though the Committees of Correspondence in New York and Philadelphia had suggested a continental congress a few days before, the late representatives of Virginia were not informed of the fact until several days after their action had been taken. On the receipt of the information, such members of the House of Burgesses as were still in the vicinity, twenty-five in number, assembled May 30th and, with Peyton Randolph as moderator, concurred in the suggestions of the sister colonies, reaffirming their independent action along the same line, and issuing a call to the late representatives to meet at Williamsburg on the 1st day [of]
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(1) The first thirteen subscribers were clergymen.

August next, to conclude finally on these important questions. This was the Virginia Convention of August, 1774.
The first Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, and there the delegates of twelve colonies, on the 20th day of October, 1774, still styling themselves his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, entered into another association, the preamble and articles of which were published on a broadside, now become rare, and not included in the journals of Congress. These articles of agreement were, in substance:
1st. Not to import into British America, after the first day of December, 1774, from Great Britain or Ireland, any goods, wares, or merchandise whatsoever, nor from other quarters products of those countries; nor East India tea from any part of the world; nor molasses, etc., from British plantations; nor wines from Madeira or Western Islands; nor indigo.
2d. Not to import or purchase slaves imported after December 1st, 1774, after which time we will wholly discontinue the slave-trade ; nor to hire vessels, nor sell commodities or manufacturers, to others concerned in it.
3d. After October 20th, 1774, not to purchase or use any tea imported on account of the East India Company, or on which a duty has been, or shall be, paid; and after March 1st, 1775, to purchase or use no East India tea.
4th. After September 10th, 1775, if the objectionable acts of Parliament are not repealed, not to export, directly or indirectly, any merchandise or commodity to Great Britain, Ireland, or the West Indies, except rice to Europe.
5th. Merchants directed to inform their agents, etc., in Great Britain and Ireland not to ship goods to them under any pretence Any British merchant offending to be published, and all connection with him to be severed.
6th. Owners of vessels directed to order captains and masters not to receive prohibited goods, on pain of immediate dismission.
7th. To increase the number and improve the breed of sheep, killing sparingly, exporting none, and those overstocked selling on moderate terms to their neighbors, especially to the poorer sort.
8th. To encourage frugality, economy, and industry; to promote the agriculture, arts, and manufacturers of the country; to discountenance all extravagance and dissipation, especially horse-racing, gaming, plays, etc. On the death of relations or friends, none to wear further mourning than a black crape or riband on the arm or hat for gentlemen, and a black riband and necklace for ladies.
9th. Vendors of goods and merchandise not to take advantage of a scarcity of goods occasioned by this Association, but to sell at the rates of the year last past. Any vendor not so doing not to be dealt with thereafter.
10th. Any goods imported after December 1st, 1774, and before February 1st, 1775, at the election of the owner, to be reshipped, or delivered over to the committee of the county or town to be stored until the non-importation agreement shall cease, or to be sold under the direction of the committee; out of the sales the owners to be reimbursed the first cost and charges; any possible profit to be applied towards relieving and employing such poor inhabitants of the town of Boston as are immediate sufferers by the Boston port bill. . . . . . . . Account of all proceedings to be in- serted in the public papers. Any goods imported after February 1st, 1775, should be returned unopened.
11th. [Full text.] That a Committee be chosen in every County, City, and Town, by those who are qualified to vote for Representatives in the Legislature, whose business it shall be attentively to observe the Conduct of all Persons touching this Association; and when it shall be made to appear, to the Satisfaction of a Majority of any such Committee, that any Person within the Limits of their Appointment has violated this Association, that such Majority do forthwith cause the Truth of the Case to be published in the Gazette, to the End that all such Foes to the Rights of British America may be publickly known, and universally contemned as the Enemies of American Liberty; and thenceforth we, respectively, will break off all dealings with him or her.
12th. The Committees of Correspondence in the respective colonies to inspect the entries of custom-houses, and to report to each other all material circumstances relative to the Association.
13th. All manufacturers of this country to be sold at reasonable prices, and no undue advantage to be taken of a future scarcity.
14th. To have no trade, commerce, dealings, or intercourse what-soever with any colony or province of North America not acceding to, or hereafter violating, this Association.
This Association to be binding until the repeal of the acts of Parliament and portions of such acts declared inimical to the rights and liberty of North America.
Signed by the member of Congress.

Under the eleventh article of this Association, the qualified voters of each county in Virginia elected a committee for the county. The results of these elections were published from time to time in the Gazettes, from which the following lists have been taken. For many counties no lists appear, having been printed in papers to which I did not have access, or not printed at all. The papers from which I have gleaned are filed of Dixon & Hunter's and Purdie's Gazettes for 1775, almost complete, a few numbers for 1774, and a few numbers of Rind's Gazette. The arrangement is alphabetical according to counties, the date of the paper being given with each list.
The proceedings of the Cumberland county committee have been preserved. Of the other counties, so far as I know, only such reports of proceedings remain as were printed in the various Gazettes. A selection from these, giving an idea of the far-reaching powers of the committees, will follow the lists of members.