To His Excellency Arthur Dobbs Esquire, Governor &ca

Sir—

The Assembly understand that a certain Negro man is now in the Goal at Wilmington under sentence of Death, but having been recommended to your Excellency as an object of Mercy, you were pleased to respite the Execution of that Sentence by ordering His Majesty's, most Gracious Reprieve to be issued

That by the Laws of this Province any Negro who may be under Sentence of Death for any Capital offence by him committed the Public shall pay the value of such Negro to the master or owner, in consequence of which the Public have allowed the value of the said Negro and have allowed large fees to the Goaler for his sustenance since such reprieve issued and should your Excellency be pleased still to continue that mercy and not order Exceution of that sentence to be done on him his lying longer under confinement and the hardship he may endure thereby possibly will induce him to effect his escape, and thereby may have an opportunity of repeating the mischief for which he now lyes under sentence of Death The Assembly therefore beg leave to Address your Excellency, that you will be pleased to order the said Negro to be sold to some person who will give security that he may immediately after such sale be from hence transported to some other Colony Island or Plantation never to return, and that the money arising by such sale may be paid into the hands of the Public Treasurer and applied to the Contingent fund.