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Norfolk Borough Committee Chamber July 28. 1775.
The Committee, being informed that a Resolution has passed the Honorable Convention of this Colony, restricting the exportation of provisions after the fifth day of August next, and being fully sensible of the exceeding great hardships, to which many of our constituents will be thereby subjected, do [instruct?] the members of this Committee, who are members of the Convention, to excercise this utmost endeavor to procure a reconsideration of the said Resolution over bearing very heavily upon the merchants, who, approving full confidence the latitude for exportation granted by the General Congress, have made large contracts for the articles so prohibited and have now on handconsid able quantities of those perishable commodities, have charted vessels on foreign parts and regulated the voyages of their own shipping, so as to suit contiential regulations, without any expectations or reason to expect such provincial restriction. The said members are also hereby further instructed to point out the peculiar hardships arising from the short notice that the passing the said Resolution and the said fifth day of August, when it is to take effect: by which means the merchants, unapproved of any such intent unprepared for any such event, have had no opportunity to regulate their time agreeably to this unexpected resolve, but are suddenly prohibited from com merce in the midst of their engagements and to the very great prejudice of there concerns. And further to inform the Convention that we fear this measure will be productive of great disputes between buyers and sellers, as well as between committees and their constituents, and that for our parts we are really uni forme apprehension that so clearful an obedience will not be paid to their injunction, as out constituents are ever desirous to pay to all the decisions that honorable body, and that we humbly request that the said Resolution to be repealed, at least so far as to give time for vessels that are now loading to have in their cargoes, and to allow the merchant some opportunity to order his af fairs in the best manner he can to blunt the edge of this sudden calamity.
Ordered that the Secretary transmit a copy of these instructions to Thomas Newton jun'r James Holt and Joseph Hutchings Esq. not to be laid before the Convention
Abtract from the minutes William Davies Sect.
