Second Convention (30 March 1775).— The second Virginia convention was held at Riclunond, 20 to 27 March 1775. It sat in Saint John's Church, which crowns an eminence overlooldng the valley of the James. The his toric church is still used as a house of wor ship, the spot being indicated where Patrick Henry stood as he made the famous speech in favor of arming the colony. The members were grouped into two parties, the one conservative, deprecating radical tneasures and relying still upon reconciliation with Great Britain; the other aggressive, believing that pacific means had been exhausted, and urging that the colony be armed. Peyton Randolph, the president, was the leader of the fonner group. Patriclc Henry was the mouthpiece of the latter. For three days neither party committed itself. But upon the fourth day a resolution was adopted, thank tng the Assgmbly of Jamaica for its memorial to the king in behalf of the American colonies, and expressing an ardent desire for peace. This seemed to Patrick Henry to savor of servility. He thereupon brought forward his famous reso lution for putting the colony in a condition of defense, asserting that ((a well-regulated militia, composed of gentlemen and yeomen, is the nat ural strength and security of a free govern ment?) Despite opposition this resolution was carried, chiefly by the passionate eloquence of Henry, and the military re-sources of the colony were at once directed to be organized and made efficient. The convention appealed to the peo ple for contributions for the relief of the in habitants of Boston, ((suffering in the common cause of Atnerican freedom?) The forrner delegates to Congress were re-elected, Thomas Jefferson being made alternate for Peyton Randolph, in case the latter could not attend. The people were asked to choose delegates to represent them in convention for one year.
Third Convention (17 July 1775).— Mean time, events moved rapidly. The battles of Lex ington and Bunker Hill, the session of the Sec ond Congress at Philadelphia, Lord Dunmore's seizure of the powder in the magazine at Wil liamsburg and his subsequent escape to a Brit ish rnan-of-war lying at Yorktown, had wrought the mind of the patriots to a high state of ex citement 'Phe governor threatened the colony with fire and sword. Such were the circum stances under which the third convention met at Richmond, on 17 July 1775. Some changes of consequence had occurred in the membership of the body. Fifteen days before the planters came together at Richmond, George Washing ton had taken command, under the old elna at Cambridge, of the American army. His place as a delegate was taken by his neighbor, George Mason, whose mind for the next year was to be engaged in th,e constructive work of the Vir ginia Commonwealth. For nearly a month,.the convention suffered more or less distraction, owing to the absence in Congress of such ex perienced leaders as Henry, Jefferson and R. H. Lee. The legal status and methods of this body differed materially from those of the previous conventions. Both the outward circumstances of the colony and the inner movement of thought strengthened the hands of the delegates and forced the convention to assume responst bilities undreamt of by the score of ex-burgetses who had suggested the calling of the first con vention. Lord Dunmore had fled. The royal government was dissolved. The convention was
driven to meet this new turn in affairs. No longer content with resolutions, it followed legislative methods and gave to its acts the forms of law, terming them ordinances. One hundred and fifteen delegates were present. The leading measures acted upon by this convention were, to organize the military forces for the defense of the colony, to create an executive organ to act dnring the recess of the convention, to provide adequate revenue for the provisional government and army of the colony, to estab lish executive county committees, to regulate the election of delegates to the convention and to elect new representatives to Congress. As the bare enumeration shows, these were tasks of no little difficulty. Interest attaches to the slip of paper (in the Virginia State Library) upon which the tellers made their report of the ballots for representatives for Congress: 'Pey ton Randolph 89, Richard Henry Lee 88, Thos. Jefferson 85, Benj. Harrison 83, Thos. Nelson 66, Richard Bland 61, George Wythe 58,6 etc. A representative in Congress (shall be allowed for every day he may attend therein the sum of 45 shillings,'" which sum was reduced by the convention the following year to 30 shillings per . day, to be paid by the treasurer of the colony. The Committee of Correspondence was converted into the Committee of Safety, which directed, during the recess of the convention, both the military and civil affairs of the nascent State. On 17 Aug. 1775 the first Committee of Safety, consisting of 11, was elected, the tellers on this occasion being Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison and Pat rick Henry. The convention adjourned 26 Aug. 1775.
Fourth Convention (1 Dec. fourth convention tnet at Richmond 1 Dec. 1775, but, after organizing, removed to Wil liamsburg. As Peyton Randolph, who had signally served as spealcer of the House of Bur gesses, president of three previous Virginia con ventions and president of the first two Con gresses, had died in Philadelphia on 22 Oct. 1775, Edmund Pendleton was chosen president in his place. The chief meastires that engaged the attention of this convention were the in crease of the army for the defense of the colony (nine regiments, enlisted for two years) a.gainst 'the Tory forces commanded by Lord Danmore, who held Norfolk and the adjacent region ; the establishment of an admiralty court; the appointment of a commission of five tnen in each county to try the causes of those deemed (enemies of America); the authorization of the county courts to dect severally a sheriff for one year, and instrnctions to the Virginia dele gates in Congress to urge the opening of the ports of the colonies to the commerce of the world, excepting Great Britain and the British West Indies. The Virginia troops were merged into the Continental army and the superior officers were hereafter commissioned by Con gress. The convention adjourned 20 Jan. 1776. While this convention was in session, the Vir ginia troops routed the forces of Lord Dun more at Great Bridge 9 Dec. 1775. On 1 Jan. 1776 Dunmore burned Norfo&, the thief town in Virginia, having about 6,000 inhabitants and continued to ravage the coasts until summer. Being dislodged from Gwynn's Island in Chesa peake Bay by Andrew Lewis, he fled to New York nnd thence to England.