Of the Sons of Liberty at Norfolk, 1766.
Preserved as a monument of their public spirit and love to their
country.
At a meeting of a considerable number of inhabitants of the town and
county of Norfolk, and others, Sons of Liberty, at the court-house of
said county, in the Colony of Virginia, on Monday, the 31st of March,
1766--
Having taken into consideration the evil tendency of that oppressive
and unconstitutional act of Parliament, called the stamp act, and
being desirous that our sentiments should be known to posterity, and
recollecting that we are a part of that colony who first, in general
assembly, openly expressed their detestation to the said act, (which
is pregnant with ruin, and productive of the most pernicious
consequences,) and unwilling to rivet the shackles of slavery and
oppression on ourselves and millions yet unborn, have unanimously come
to the following resolutions--
1. _Resolved_, That we acknowledge our sovereign lord King George the
Third to be our rightful and lawful king; and that we will at all
times, to the utmost of our power and ability, support and defend his
most sacred person, crown and dignity, and shall be always ready, when
constitutionally called upon, to assist his said majesty with our
lives and fortunes, and to defend all his just rights and
prerogatives.
2. _Resolved_, That we will, by all lawful ways and means which Divine
Providence has put into our hands, defend ourselves in the full
enjoyment of, and preserve inviolate to posterity, those inestimable
privileges of all free-born British subjects, of being taxed only by
representatives of their own choosing, and of being tryed by none but
a jury of their peers: and that if we quietly submit to the execution
of the said stamp act, all our claims to civil liberty will be lost,
and we and our posterity become absolute slaves; for by that act,
British subjects in America are deprived of the invaluable privileges
aforementioned.
3. _Resolved_, That a committee be appointed, who shall, in such
manner as they think most proper, go upon necessary business, and make
public the above resolutions; and that they correspond, as they shall
see occasion, with the associated Sons of, and Friends to Liberty, in
the other British colonies in America.
James Holt; Henry Tucker; Robert Tucker; Robert Tucker, Jr.; John
Hutchings; Thomas Davis; Manuel Calvert; James Parker; Lewis Hansford.
_Signed to the foregoing--_
John Hutchings, Jr.; Paul Loyall; William Roscow Curle; Anthony
Lawson; Joseph Hutchings; Thomas Newton, Sr.; John Phripp, Jr.; John
Ramsay; John Gilchrist; Matthew Godfrey; Matthew Phripp; Thomas
Newton, Jr.; Samuel Boush; Richard Knight; James Campbell; John
Lawrence; Joshua Nicholson; Nicholas Wonycott; Matthew Rothery; Jacob
Elligood; Cornelius Calvert; Edward Archer; Edward Voss; Francis
Peart; Samuel Calvert; James Gibson; Nicholas Winterton; Griffin
Peart; John Wilfery; William Skinker; Thomas Butt; William Gray;
Hudson Brown; John Taylor; Alexander Moseley; John Taylor, Jr.;
William Calvert; William Atchison; Edward Hach Moseley, Jr.; William
Hancock; Robert Brett; Stephen Tankard; Thomas Willoughby; James Dunn;
John Crammond; Alexander Kincaid; George Muter; Christopher Calvert.
On a motion made that a Moderator be chosen for the better transacting
business, the Reverend Thomas Davis was recommended, and unanimously
chosen.
On a motion made that a Secretary be appointed to this general
meeting--
_Resolved_, That James Holt and William Roscow Curle be Secretaries.
_Resolved_, That the Committee of Correspondence do consist of the
following persons, to wit:
Manuel Calvert, Esq.; Mr. Paul Loyall; Mr. James Parker; Mr. Joseph
Hutchings; Doctor John Ramsay; Mr. Anthony Lawson; Mr. Samuel Boush;
Mr. John Phripp, Jr.; Mr. John Gilchrist; Mr. Lewis Hansford; Mr. John
Lawrence; Mr. John Hutchings, Jr.; Mr. Thomas Newton, Jr.; Mr. Matthew
Phripp.
And that they or any five of them do make public the resolutions
aforesaid; and take into consideration all matters necessary to be
laid before this society, and make report of their proceedings to the
next general meeting.
_Resolved_, That this general meeting adjourn till to-morrow nine
o'clock.
* * * * *
At a meeting of the Sons of Liberty, continued and held at the
court-house in the town and county of Norfolk, in the colony of
Virginia, on Tuesday, April 1st, 1766--
_Resolved_, That we will, on any future occasion, sacrifice our lives
and fortunes, in concurrence with the other Sons of Liberty in the
neighboring provinces, to defend and preserve our invaluable blessings
transmitted to us by our ancestors.
_Resolved_, That whoever is concerned, directly or indirectly, in
using or causing to be used, in any way or manner whatsoever, within
this colony, (unless authorised by the general assembly thereof,) that
detestable paper called the stamps, shall be deemed to all intents and
purposes, an enemy to his country, and treated by the Sons of Liberty
accordingly.
_Resolved_, That the thanks of this society be given to Colonel
Richard Bland, for the deep investigation and connective chain of
reasoning set forth in his treatise, justly opposing the rights and
liberties of this colony to the non-existing stamp act.
_Resolved_, That a committee be appointed to present the thanks of the
Sons of Liberty to Colonel Richard Bland, for his treatise, entitled
"An Enquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies;" and that Mr.
Loyall, Mr. Boush, and Mr. Parker be appointed to draw an address for
that purpose.
_Resolved_, That this society be adjourned till Friday, the 11th day
of this instant, April.