The Petition of Benjamin Hough one of his Majesty's Justices of the peace for the County of Charlotte in Behalf of himself and other Magistrates & Inhabitants of the said County of Charlotte, and the County of Albany. Most humbly Sheweth

That with great Grief of Heart your Petitioner finds himself reduced to the Necessity of renewing his complaints against a Confederacy of lawless Rioters; known by the Name of the Bennington Mob, who by a series of the most daring outrages, have so long disturbed the Peace and abused the Magistrates and Inhabitants of the County of Charlotte, and the North eastern District of the County of Albany with Impunity.

That your petitioner in vain flattered himself, that the provision made by the Legislature at the last Session, for preventing disorders, so disgraceful to Government, would have checked their Insolence, and contributed to the Redress aud security of the peaceable Inhabitants: But such is the Temper of those violent men hardened by a Repetition of the most enormous offences, that, instead of being awed into submission or forbearance, they are actually proceeding in the accomplishment of the iniquitous Resolutions which they long since formed of laying violent Hands on all who will not involve themselves in their Crimes, plundering them of their property and expelling them from the Country.

That in pursuance of this ruinous project they on the twenty sixth day of January last, with an armed Power seized and bound your Petitioner ; violently forced him from his residence, kept him in close confinement for several days ; tryed him before