University of Virginia Library

TO JOSEPH JONES.[1]

Dear Sir,—Yours of the eighth instant came to
hand yesterday. I was sorry to find the Assembly
had not then taken up the recommendation of Congress
on the subject of the western lands. Its being
postponed so late will, I fear, prevent the result of
their deliberations from being communicated to Maryland
before the rising of their Legislature; in which
case much time must be lost, unless their Delegates
be authorized to accede to the Confederation, on a
cession satisfactory to themselves,—a liberality of
proceeding hardly to be expected from that State,
after the jealousy and reserve it has shown. I am no
less sorry to find so little progress made in the plan
for levying soldiers. The regular force for the southern
department must be principally, it seems, contributed
by Virginia, the North Carolina Assembly
having broken up without making any effectual provision
of that sort. One would have supposed that
the fatiguing service exacted of the militia in that

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I wish anxiously to hear from you on the subject
stated in my letter by Grayson, and in my subsequent
one by the post. Circumstances which I do not
choose unnecessarily to hazard by the post, have
made it expedient to lay the matter before the Assembly,
that their former instructions may not be
invalidated by a supposed effect of a change of situation,
or may be rescinded if real. This went by W.
Jones, Esquire, on his return to North Carolina, who,
I suppose, will not be at Richmond till nearly Christmas.
I wish it could have reached the Assembly
before your leaving it.