Petition of Edward Fenwick

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Saturday, the 21st day of September, 1776.

The House met according to adjournment. Read the Journal of yesterday' s proceedings.

Colonel Garden,Mr. William Moore, Mr. John Williams, and Mr. Anthony White, took the oath prescribed by the Constitution, and their seats as Members of this House.

A Petition of Edward Fenwick, Esq., was presented to the House, and read in the words following:

"That John Stuart, Esq., late of this State, by letter dated the 23d day of December, 1775, did direct his attorney, Robert Balingall, to remove twenty of such negroes from his plantation at Maple Cane, to plant on your petitioner' s lands at Ashepoo, as he, the said Mr. Balingall, should judge best, and did also direct Mr. Charles Shaw, by a letter of the same date, to put your petitioner in possession of ten more negroes from the plantation on Lady' s Island; that the said Mr. Stuart, by a letter at the same time to your petitioner, acquainting him therewith, and that he intended them as a part of the portion he meant to give your petitioner with his daughter; that these letters lay a considerable time in the post-office at Georgia, and never came to hand till some time in May last, previous to which the then Colonial Congress had appointed certain Committees to possess themselves of all the said Mr. Stuart' s estate, who had accordingly done it, and removed Messrs. Balingall and Shaw from the possession thereof, so that they have been hitherto unable to comply with Mr. Stuart' s orders. Your petitioner, therefore, humbly hopes that your honourable House will be pleased to take his case into your consideration, and issue your order to those Committees, commanding them to permit the said Mr. Balingall to put your petitioner in possession of twenty negroes from the Maple Cane plantation, and Mr. Shaw to deliver to your petitioner ten negroes from the plantation on , Lady' s Island. Your petitioner further shows unto your honourable House, that the several attachments have been sued against the said Mr. Stuart' s estate, and many of his negroes seized and sold by the Sheriff of Charles-Town District in consequence thereof; that your petitioner is advised that the crops of the said Mr. Stuart are legally as much liable to be attached and sold as any other part of his estate, and as they are of a perishable nature, your petitioner therefore also prays that your honourable House would be pleased to issue your further orders to the respective Committees commanding them to restore the said crops to your petitioner, in order that they in the first instance may be sold for payment of the debts already sued for."

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the consideration of a Committee; and that they do, examine the matter thereof, and report the same, as it shall appear to them, to the House.

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And it is referred to the Honourable Mr. Lowndes, Mr. Cantey, and Captain Trapier.

Petition of Edward Fenwick, read and referred to a Committee. [1776-09-21] [S5-V3-p0018] [Document Details][Complete Volume]