Received a Letter from John M^Clung, Alexander Webster, Alexander M'Nitt, & Ebenezer Clark informing us that they had opened a Board in New Perth Charlotte County and proceeded to Business but being destitute of Money and unable to carry into Execution their Designs for the want thereof, they beg to have it drawn out of the Treasury and transmitted to them, in Answer to which the following Letter was sent to them -- John M'Glung EsqT one of the Commissioners exhibited to thisBoard a Letter wrote by himself & three other Commissioners of Charlotte County requesting the Sum of four hundred Pounds to defray Expences by them incurred and also toanswer such Demands as the Service of the State may require in that Part the Board in Answer thereto acquaint the Gentlemen that the said Sum shall be remitted to

Minutes of Commissioners for Conspiracies 1

them as Part of One thousand Pounds drawn for from the 1778 May 15. Treasury as soon as the Money may arrive & an Opportunity offers & transmit the same with Safety, this Board beg Leave to suggest to their Brother Commissioners that the Utmost Frugality shall be adopted by them in expending the said Money for they conceive if such a Caution is not observed that the Allowance made by the State will be far from being sufficient & if the said Sum should be exceeded in Expenditures by us we conceive that the setting the remaining Accounts will be attended with the greatest Difficulties -- [42] Respecting the Situation of the Families in Argile who have returned to their respective Habitations and are under a Tie of Nutrality to the British King it is the Opinion of this Board that their Numbers are too large to be removed or dealt with in a rigorous Manner therefore as Humanity has always been the particular Character of Americans and Freedom incompatible with using Severity to Woomen and and Children who otherwise might be culpable for the Crimes of their Parents & Husbands it may be justifiable in the Opinion of this Board to cause the said Delinquents (who have been regardless of their Country's Freedom & destitute of Feeling for their Posterity) to come before them and represent to them their Crimes and the Difficulties that will attend their being reinstated in the Benefits and Priveledges that every faithful Subject will enjoy under a free Constitution also to enquire if any have engaged to take up Arms against the united States & finally to take an Oath of Nutrality from them in Behalf of the States whereby they must engage if possible to give every Aid and Assistance in their Power to the States excepting bearing Arms and by no Means to give or cause to be given any Aid or Comfort to the Enemies of the States but from Time to Time give such