Gentlemen:

I send herewith sundry petitions in favor of persons under sentence of death for high Treason, to-wit: from Burke & Rutherford Counties, in behalf of Joseph Lacefield & John Thomson, convicted at Morgan Superior Court, March term last, to be executed the 16th of May; from Salisbury, in behalf of Azil Cross, convicted at Salisbury, March term last; from Orange, in behalf of John Johnston, convicted at Hillsboro, last April term, together with a petition of Dennis Trammel under sentence of death in Salisbury Gaol for robbery, to be executed the time aforesaid.

The executive have been distressed with a number of wretches condemned heretofore for Treason, who, on enquiry into their particular cases, have thought them beneath the notice of public justice, and have generally pardoned them on their enlisting into the Continental Service for eighteen months.

As prosecutions of this kind are daily carried on, and the Courts of Justice worried with them, I beg the sense of the Honorable, the Legislature, as the Supreme Council of the State, with regard to the above persons; also request that some Law be passed, that the Judicial and Executive powers of Government be directed how to conduct themselves in future towards this Class of people.