A Plan of Compromise having been struck out for the Government of Masachusets Bay,(1) this Plan, excepting in the Article of adopting the mode used in S. Carolina for the forming their Juries (by Ballot instead of leaving it to the Management of the Sherriffs nominated by the King) difers so but very little from the new modelld Govt., which is generally approved by the Southern Delegates, it was agreed between Mr. [Lynch?] (2) and Ld. Drummond that this shoud be communicatd to [Hancock] (3) as introductory to the Genl. Plan. Mr. [Hancock] has accordingly signifyed his approb[a]t[ion] of the M[assachusetts] B[ay] p[la]n and promises every Sup[por]t in carry[ing] the whole into Ex[e]c[utio]n.
1 There is no known extant copy of this "Plan of Compromise," although Thomas Lynch insinuated that it provided for the restoration of Massachusetts' 1691 charter or the alteration of the Massachusetts Government Act of 1774. See Drummond's Minutes, February 5, 1776, note 2. Drummond's remarks on this subject were more guarded. Of all the issues which he had discussed with the delegates in Philadelphia, he later observed, "the Boston Charter remains but the single Point in Contest. I'm very far from thinking a Mode might not be falln on that woud give satisfaction to both Parties. I suggested two Different Propositions. One of them I found was most unacceptable to some of the Leading Men of that Colony-and durst I commit it to writing, which Im afraid of doing by this Conveyance, I flatter myself your Lordship would not disapprove it." Drummond to Lord North?, March 24, 1776, Scottish Record Office: Drummond Castle Papers, Nj microfilm.
2 Blank in the MS, but probably Thomas Lynch.
3 For an explanation of the insertion of names in brackets here and below, see Drummond's Minutes, January 5, 1776, note 2