State of North Carolina.
At a Council at Kinston, January 1st, 1780.
Present—The Honorables Joseph Leech, Robert Bignall, John Simpson, Isaac Guion and William Whitfield, Esquires.
The Governor laid before the Board a resolve of Congress, recommending the closing of the land office, and also one other resolve of Congress, recommending to the several States forthwith to enact laws for establishing and carrying into effect a general limitation of prices for the articles of domestic produce, farming and common laborers, wages of tradesmen and mechanics, water and land carriage, etc, etc.; and at the same time informing the Board that he had not been able to borrow on the faith of the public but a small sum of money on the terms offered by the General Assembly in the late session, which sum hath been applied in paying the bounties to the militia ordered to the aid of the Southern States, and that there still remains large demands to complete the payment of the said bounties, and in the Commissary’s, Quartermaster’s and other departments, which cannot be answered in the present exhausted state of the Treasury, and requiring the opinion of the Board whether it is not absolutely necessary the General Assembly should be called as soon as possible to deliberate on these important matters.
The Board taking the same into consideration, are unanimously of opinion that an immediate call of the General Assembly is absolutely necessary, and that it be therefore recommended to the Governor to appoint a meeting of the same at New Bern on Tuesday, the 25th of this instant, the present urgency of affairs not admitting of delay.
Resolved also, The Governor be advised to grant warrants on the Treasury in favor of the D. Q. M. G. and the Commissaries for such sums as may be necessary in their several departments, they to be accountable for the same; and that he write to the Sheriffs to take up such warrants, assuring them that they will be allowed for the sum in their settlements with the Treasurers.
The Governor informed the Board that Colonel William Russell, of Hyde county, who had been appointed to the command of the militia raised in the district of New Bern to march to the aid of the Southern States, had declined to go on that service; therefore,
Resolved, The Governor be advised to appoint Lieutenant-Colonel John Sheppard (the present commanding officer) to be Colonel and Major John Lowry to be Lieutenant-Colonel of the said militia.
The Governor laid before the Board a letter from Colonel Mathias Brickett, commanding officer of the Hertford militia, resigning his commission, at the same time recommending George Wynne, Esq., to be Colonel of the Hertford militia.
Resolved, The Governor be advised to appoint George Wynne, Esq., to be Colonel of the Hertford militia accordingly.