2. From its first agitation, the project of a Continental Congress, to consider the best ways and means of redressing the grievances of the colonists, was exceedingly distasteful to Governor Martin, for he regarded it as a most efficient way to organize rebellion. He resolved that he would prevent North Carolina from participating in such a Congress, as Governor Tryon had prevented her from participating in a similar one in 1765. To this end he determined that during the continuance of the existing disturbed condition of the colonies no Legislature should meet in North Carolina, thinking thereby to prevent the due election of delegates from the province. 3. To this fixed purpose on the part of Governor Martin, made known to John Harvey through Mr. Biggleston, the Governor's Private Secretary, the Congress held at New Bern in August, 1774, owed its existence. When Mr. Biggleston told him the Governor did not intend to call another Legislature "until he saw a chance to get a better one," Harvey replied, "then the people will convene one themselves." Accordingly, about the first of July, in accordance with a plan agreed upon three months before between Willie Jones of Halifax, Samuel Johnston of Chowan and Edward Buncombe of Tyrrell, Harvey, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, issued handbills calling upon the people to elect delegates to a Provincial Congress, as it was called, to assemble in New Bern on the 25th of August, to express the sentiments of the people on the acts lately passed by the Parliament of Great Britain, and to appoint delegates to represent the province in a Continental Congress. The handbills of this bold Speaker also invited the people to invest the deputies whom they might send to New Bern "with powers obligatory on the future conduct of the inhabitants." 4. The elections for deputies were duly held about the first of August, and the Governor, finding himself thus completely checkmated, was furious. The calm audacity of the Speaker, in summoning such a body to meet in New Bern, in the very presence of the King's represent representatives, as the Governor said, "to concert treasonable schemes against the Crown," astounded him. 5. Up to this time Governor Martin had not at all realized how weak had become the ties that bound the people of the colony of North Carolina to the mother country. Nor did he believe they would, with any degree of unanimity whatever, take so bold and defiant a step in the direction of open rebellion as that involved in the election of a Congress with powers obligatory on the people, but owing no obedience to the authority of the Crown. Yet, at the appointed times and places, with few exceptions, the people throughout the provinces openly assembled and elected delegates to the proposed Congress, clothing them with most extraordinary powers.