or any one of the said delegates, if no more than one shall be present, be, and they and he are, and is, hereby authorized and empowered, for and in behalf of this colony, to concert, agree to, and execute every measure, which they or he, together with a majority of the Continental Congress, shall judge necessary for the defence, security, interest, and welfare of this colony in particular, and of America in general. Resolved, That another delegate be forthwith chosen by ballot by this Congress, to represent this colony in the Continental Congress, in addition to, and with as full powers, in all respects, as the delegates already chosen, have, and are invested with. The Congress then proceeded to ballot for said delegate, and Thomas Lynch, jun. esq. appearing to be, and being declared, duly chosen, Resolved, That Thomas Lynch, jun. esq. be, and he is hereby, appointed a sixth delegate from this colony, to represent the same in the Continental Congress. A true copy, PETER TIMOTHY, Secretary." The Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration general Washington's letter of the 27th of March, and after some time spent thereon, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Harrison reported, that the committee have had under consideration the letter referred to them, but not having come to any determination thereon, desired him to move for leave to sit again. Resolved, That Congress will, to-morrow, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration, the letter from general Washington of the 27th of March, and the petition enclosed therein. The other matters to this day referred, being postponed, Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. THURSDAY, April 25, 1776. Two letters from general Washington, of the 22d and 23d, were laid before Congress, and read: Resolved, That they be referred to a committee of three. The members chosen, Mr. R. H. Lee, Mr. J. Adams, and Mr. Hewes. Resolved, That an order for 2000 dollars be drawn on the treasurers in favour of Ephraim Blaine, esq. for the purpose of purchasing shoes and blankets for the continental troops in Virginia; he to be accountable. The committee on qualifications having recommended Thomas Holland to be a second-lieutenant in the Delaware battalion, in the room of James M'Donnough, deceased, and John Corse, ensign, in the room of Thomas Holland, Resolved, That commissions be granted to them accordingly. The committee, to whom the petition of Noah Phelps, was referred, brought in their report, which was agreed to; Whereupon, Resolved, That the committee of inspection of the city of Albany, be requested to adjust Mr. Noah Phelps's account of services performed at Ticonderoga; and that Mr. Noah Phelps be allowed and paid for his further services, including those of contractor from the time of his joining general Montgomery, at the rate of one dollar for each day, until he quitted the service, and an equivalent to a captain's rations during the said time, provided he has not already had them; the latter account to be settled by general Schuyler, who is requested to pay to the said Noah Phelps, what may appear to be due to him for the whole of his services aforesaid. The committee, to whom the letter from lord Sterling, of the 10th of March last, with the papers therein enclosed, was referred, brought in their report, which was read: Ordered, To lie on the table. On application from the committee of Lower Pennsneck, in the county of Salem, in New-Jersey, Resolved, That the secret committee be directed to sell to the said commit tee, 75lb. of gun-powder. Resolved, That a copy of the intercepted letter from John Butler, at Niagara, dated the 29th of February, be sent to general Schuyler. Resolved, That a copy of the report of the committee appointed to enquire into the truth and foundation of the story, "That the Indians have been invited by governor Penn to come to Philadelphia," be sent to general Schuyler; and that general Schuyler be directed to cause the person to be arrested, who pretended to have carried such invitation to the Indians. The committee of claims reported, that there is due, For the expenses of general Lee's guard, the sum of 10.8 dollars, and that the same ought to be paid to Timothy Matlack: On a draught drawn by Ephraim Blaine, esq. on the commissioners for Indian affairs in the middle department, in favour of Samuel Semple, the sum of 77 dollars, for expenses of the said commissioners, and that the said sum ought to be paid to Robert Miller, esq. of the county of Cumberland: For the subsistence of A. Hill Brice, captain of the 7th regiment of foot, of royal fusileers, the sum of 39.5 dollars, and that the same ought to be paid to Thomas M'Kean, esq. and charged to the said captain: Ordered, That the said accounts be paid. Agreeable to the order of the day, Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration, the letter from general Washington of the 27th March last, and the papers therein enclosed; and, after sometime, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Harrison reported, that the committee had come to a resolution on the matters referred to them, which he read, and delivered in. The report being again read, Resolved, That the consideration thereof be postponed. Information being given to Congress, that Allan Cameron, who is confined in gaol, is in such a state of health as to require the attendance of a physician, and that he is desirous of the assistance of Dr. Cadwallader : Resolved, That Dr. Cadwallader have leave to attend him. FRIDAY, April 26, 1776. Resolved, That the secret committee be directed to settle and pay to the colony of Connecticut, the powder lent by the said colony to general Washington, for the use of the continent, and to act as they shall judge best for the public service, and the benefit of Connecticut, in exchanging the powder which the said colony has in Philadelphia, for powder in the eastern ports belonging to the continent. Resolved, That 50,000 dollars be sent to the committee of safety of Virginia, and that the president write to the said committee, and request them to use their utmost endeavors to have it exchanged for specie, and remit the same to the continental treasurers; and, in case they can procure more specie, that they send it, and draw for the amount on the pay-master in Virginia, who is ordered to pay such draughts. Resolved, That the sum of 250,000 dollars be sent to the pay-master in Virginia, for the use of the continental troops, he to be accountable. A letter from Dr. Cadwallader was laid before Congress, and read, giving an account of A. Cameron's state of health: Whereupon, Resolved, That the said A. Cameron be allowed the benefit of air in his room, and of walking an hour every morning in the yard, in company or pre sence of the gaoler, and that his uncle, Dr. M'Clean, from New-York, who is now in town, be allowed to converse with him in presence of the gaoler. Edmund Randolph, who was appointed deputy muster-master general of the southern department, having been chosen by the citizens of Williamsburg, to represent them in convention, and an ordinance having been passed, excluding all persons holding any military post of profit from a seat therein, begged leave to resign his office: Resolved, That the resignation of Mr. Randolph be accepted. Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to take into consideration the state of the eastern department, and report thereon: The members chosen, Mr. Rutledge, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Wythe, Mr. Harrison, and Mr. Duane. The committee of claims reported, that there is due, To Dr. Robert Johnson, for attendance on the 6th battalion, and for medicines, the sum of 53.1 dellars. Ordered, That the said account be paid. The committee, to whom the letters from general Washington of the 22d and 23d instant, were referred, brought in their report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon, Resolved, That the pay of the aids-de-camp of the commander in chief, be raised to forty dollars a month. Resolved, That none of the troops already raised, be, for the present, disbanded for want of arms; and that the general apply to the convention, and committee of safety of New-York, for such arms, as may have been collected under the resolve of Congress, for disarming non-associators and disaffected persons, or any other arms they can supply, and that they be delivered to the New-York troops. Resolved, That Mr. Baldwin, the assistant engineer, ordered to Canada, be allowed, in consideration of his merit, the pay and rank of lieutenant-colonel on the continental establishment. Resolved, That the respective governments from whe..ce milits have come for the defence of the city of New-York, be desired specily to transmit to Congress, authenticated muster-rolls, and accounts of monies due to such respective militias, in order to their being immediately settled and discharged. Resolved, That Congress approve the assistance given by the genere! to commodore Hopkins. Resolved, That the farther consideration of the report be postponed till to morrow, Congress then took into consideration the report of the committee on the petition of colonel James Easton: Whereupon, Resolved, That the claims of the persons concerned in the surprize and reduction of the fortress of Ticonderoga, having already been submitted by Congress to the committee of Albany, the petitioner be referred to the said committee of Albany for a settlement of his demand on that account. As from the testimonials produced by the petitioner, it appears-that he and his battalion behaved with great diligence, activity, and spirit in the successful enterprize against general Prescot, and the vessels and troops under his command, in the river Sorell, in which important service they were joined by colonel Bedel and a part of his regiment that to encourage the party employed in that important service, the late general Montgomery promised them all the public stores which should be taken in the vessels under general Prescot's command, excepting ammunition and provisions; and, as the petitioner alleges that no part of those stores was delivered, nor any composition made to the troops concerned in the acquisition; Therefore, Resolved, That it be recommended to the general commanding in Canada, to appoint commissioners to estimate all the public stores taken with general Prescot, (excepting ammunition and provisions) and pay the value thereof among the officers and men employed in that service, in such proportions as the commissioners shall determine. As the petitioner's account of monies received, and disbursements made by him for the use of his regiment, on which he claims a balance, can, for want of proper vouchers and information here, only be adjusted in Canada, where the business was transacted, Resolved, That the same be referred for settlement in such mode as the commissioners from Congress, in that province, shall direct; but, as the petitioner is in want of money, Resolved, That 200 dollars be advanced to him in part of his demand against the United Colonies. With regard to the petitioner's request, that a court of enquiry may be called respecting the charge against him and major Brown, for plundering the effects of the prisoners:-As brigadier-general Arnold in his letter of the 1st of February last alleges, that the petitioner and major Brown had been publicly accused of plundering the officers' baggage, taken at Sorell, contrary to the articles of capitulation, and to the great scandal of the American arms; for which reason, he declared it to be his opinion, that it would give great disgust to the army in general, if either of them should be promoted until these matters were cleared up; and, as the petitioner asserts his innocence, declaring that he neither plundered, nor directed, nor was privy to the plundering of any prisoner or other person whatever : considering, therefore, on one hand, the aggravated nature of this charge, which is an impediment to the petitioner's promotion, and, on the other, the great confidence reposed in him by general Montgomery, and the essential service which the petitioner has rendered to his country: Resolved, That the commissioners from Congress, in Canada, be instructed to cause enquiry to be made by a court-martial, or otherwise, into the charge against the petitioner, giving him an opportunity of making his defence; and that the proceedings thereon be transmitted to Congress, in order that justice may be done to the petitioner, if he has been accused without sufficient reason, The several matters to this day referred, being postponed, Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. SATURDAY, April 27, 1776. Resolved, That an order for 350 dollars be drawn on the treasurers in favor of Mr. Edy; of which 250 for himself, and 100 for Isaiah Beaudreau, for services done. Sundry letters and papers from North-Carolina were laid before Congress and read, viz. An affidavit respecting the capture of W. Ginn's brig. A letter from Samuel Johnson, president of the convention, dated the 10th instant, enclosing sundry resolves of the said convention, and an extract of a letter from brigadier-general Moore. Resolved, That the affidavit be delivered to the secret committee: That the other papers be referred to a committee of three: The members chosen, Mr. Duane, Mr. Sherman, and Mr. Alexander. Congress proceeded to the election of a pay-master general, in the room of Mr. Warren, whose resignation was accepted; and the ballots being taken, and examined, William Palfrey, esq. was elected. Congress also proceeded to the election of a deputy commissary-general, for supplying the troops in Virginia with rations; and the ballots being taken, and examined, Resolved, That Mr. Rodney and Mr. Read be added to the committee appointed to supply the troops in Philadelphia, and the battalion in the lower counties on Delaware. A memorial from the committee of safety of Pennsylvania was presented to Congress and read. The several matters to this day referred, being postponed, MONDAY, April 29, 1776. Sundry letters and papers being received, were laid before Congress and read, viz. A letter of the 25th, from general Washington, enclosing a return of the army at New-York: A letter from major Wrixon, declining to accept of the commission of chief engineer: A letter from the council of safety of Maryland, with the examination of Alexander Ross, and sundry papers found in his possession: Resolved, That the letter from general Washington and the letter from the council of safety of Maryland, with Mr. Ross's papers, be referred to a committee of five: The members chosen, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Rutledge, Mr. Goldsborough, Mr. Paine, and Mr. Rodney. Also, a letter of the 19th from general Lee, and one from Thomas Bullet; and a petition from Dr. J. Potts, were read, and referred to the said committee. Resolved, That letters be written by the president to general Schuyler and the committee of safety of New-York, desiring them to inform this Congress, whether the continental commissions sent to them for the officers of the troops raised by Connecticut the last campaign, were delivered, or offered to them, or to any, and which of them, and whether any, and which of them refused, or accepted the same? and particularly, whether commissions were offered to colonel Waterbury and colonel Easton, and whether they refused accepting them? Resolved, That captain Peter Adams, from Maryland, under whose custody Alexander Ross was brought to Philadelphia, be dismissed, and that the said Alexander Ross be committed to the care of the officer commanding the continental troops in Pennsylvania. Resolved, That a standing committee be appointed for Indian affairs; that it consist of five: that the election of the members be postponed till to-morrow. Resolved, That the Congress, relying on the integrity and honor of captain A. M'Gee, order, that he be permitted to go at large, on giving his parole to the committee of West Augusta, not to engage or be concerned in any measure injurious to these colonies, by stimulating the Indian nations to make war against them, or otherwise. The committee of claims reported, that there is due, To Benjamin Marshall, for tin cartouch boxes, the sum of 465 dollars: To Ephraim Blaine, esq. for subsistence, wagonage, and ferriages of the 6th Pennsylvania battalion, the sum of 2736 dollars: Ordered, That the said accounts be paid. Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on general Washington's letter of the 19th, &c. Whereupon, Resolved, That the papers from Fort-Pitt be referred to the committee appointed to consider the state of Indian affairs in the middle department. Resolved, That no traders ought to go into the Indian country without license from the agent in the department; and that care be taken by him to prevent exorbitant prices for goods being exacted from the Indians. Resolved, That a ton of powder be sent to Mr. G. Morgan, to be distributed to such Indians as he shall be convinced are in our interest. |