ter, or the majority of them, be and [they] are hereby authorized, in case they shall judge it necessary, to give notice to the several members of this Congress, in such way as they shall think proper, to meet at Concord, aforesaid, at any ||^earlier day|| than the abovesaid twenty-second day of March next, which shall be by them appointed; and it is further recommended to the members of this Congress that they conform themselves to said notice. The president then declared the Congress adjourned accordingly. WEDNESDAY, March 22, 1775, A. M. Congress met 'according to adjournment. Ordered, That Col. Barrett, Hon. Mr. Dexter and Mr. Stickney, be a committee, to wait on the Rev. Mr. Emerson, and desire his attendance on the Congress, and [that he would] open the same with prayer, at three o'clock this afternoon.|||| Afternoon. Ordered, That Col. Barrett, Hon. Mr. Dexter, and Mr. Stickney, be a committee to wait again on the Rev. Mr. Emerson, and desire him, if his circumstances will admit of it, to attend daily on the Congress, and officiate as their chaplain. Ordered, That all the debates and resolutions of this Congress be kept an entire secret, until the farther order thereof. Ordered, That Col. Danielson, Col. Henshaw, Major Fuller, Col. Prescot and Col. Farley, be a committee to receive the returns of the several officers of militia, of their numbers and equipments,|| and the returns from the several towns of their town stock of ammunition. Ordered, That Mr. Lothrop and the Hon. Col. Dexter, be added to the committee on the state of the province. The Congress then|| adjourned till to-morrow morning at nine o'clock. THURSDAY, March 23, 1775, A. M. The committee appointed to wait on the Rev. Mr. Emerson, and desire that he would officiate as chaplain to this Congress, during their present session, in the town of Concord, reported, that they had attended that service, and delivered the message, and that Mr. Emerson would officiate accordingly. Ordered, That Mr. Gerry, Mr. Paine and Mr. Adams, be a committee to bring in a resolve, expressing the sense of this Congress, that a certain day other.|| e to which time this Congress stands adjourned.|| b ||conformably.|| d ||equipage.|| for this people to relax in their preparations to defend themselves, &c., would be attended with the most dangerous consequences. Ordered, That information be given by the members, to the committee on the state of the province, of the number of field pieces, whether the property of the province, towns, or private persons, which have fallen within their knowledge; as also what number of men [there are] in the province acquainted with the business of making firearms. Adjourned to three o'clock [this afternoon.] ||Congress adjourned till to-morrow morning, ten o'clock. Afternoon. FRIDAY, March 24, 1775, A. M. Adjourned to three o'clock [this afternoon.] Afternoon. The committee appointed to bring in a resolve, expressing the danger there would be in relaxing from the present preparations for defence, &c., reported. The report [was] accepted, and Ordered, that it be attested and published in all the Boston newspapers. [Whereas, it is indispensably necessary, for the safety of a free people and the preservation of their liberties, that they, at all times, keep themselves in a state of actual defence against every invasion or depredation; and this country being still threatened by a powerful army posted in its capital, with a professed design of executing certain acts of the British parliament, calculated to destroy our invaluable rights and liberties and the government of this colony, as by charter and law established therein:] [Therefore, Resolved, That the measures which have heretofore been recommended by this and the former Provincial Congress, for the purpose of putting this colony into a complete state of defence, be still most vigorously pursued, by the several towns, as well as individual inhabitants, and that any relaxation would be attended with the utmost danger to the liberties of this colony and of all America; especially, as by the latest advices from Great Britain, we have undoubted reasons for jealousy, that our implacable enemies are unremitting in their endeavors, by fraud and artifice as well as by open force, to subjugate this people; which is an additional motive to the inhabitants of this colony to persevere in the line of conduct recommended by the Congress, and to be ready to oppose, with firmness and resolution, at the utmost hazard, every attempt for that purpose.1] Adjourned till ten o'clock to-morrow morning. (1) This resolution, omitted in the original record and the copy of the journal, has been restored from the publication in the newspapers. SATURDAY, March 25, 1775, A. M. Ordered, That when this Congress adjourn, it be adjourned to Monday next, at three o'clock in the afternoon. Ordered, That the members be enjoined to attend punctually at the adjournment. MONDAY, March 27, 1775, P. M. The committee appointed to prepare a state of the imports, exports, &c., reported: Ordered, that the further consideration thereof be referred to Wednesday next, [at] three o'clock in the afternoon. The committee appointed to prepare some rules, &c. for a constitutional army, reported; the report [was] read: Ordered, that the farther consideration of the report be ||'on the morrow|| four o'clock, P. M., and that the committee make such additions thereto as they shall think necessary. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow morning. [The several] committees [were] enjoined to sit. TUESDAY, March 28, 1775, A. M. The several committees [were] enjoined to sit. Afternoon. According to the order of the day, [the Congress] went into the consideration of the report of the committee appointed to prepare rules and regulations for a constitutional army, &c. The above report was recommitted for amendments. Adjourned to nine o'clock to-morrow morning. WEDNESDAY, March 29, [1775,] A. M. Resumed the consideration of the report of the committee, relative to rules, &c.; considered the same in paragraphs, [and] passed [the same] in part. Adjourned to three o'clock [this afternoon.] Afternoon. The above report|| relative to rules, &c., passed in whole, but [was] ordered to be recommitted for ||some|| additions. Ordered, That Capt. Osgood, Col. Thompson and Capt. Greenleaf, be a committee to bring in a resolve, introductory to the publishing the names of the mandamus counsellors. The vote of Tuesday relative to information being given to the a shall adjourn that.|| b||postponed until to-morrow.[] c which was.|| e report of the committee. committee on the state of the province, ||"was so far reconsidered as that the information be given to the committee appointed to receive the returns from the colonels. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow morning. THURSDAY, March 30, 1775, A. M. The doorkeeper [was] directed to call in the members: they [were] enjoined to attend. The committee on the state of the province reported a resolve, relative to what movements of the troops should make it fit to call the militia together, to act on the defensive; report read and considered in paragraphs, and passed unanimously in the affirmative. Upon a motion made and seconded, Resolved, that immediately, when notice shall be given for the assembling the forces of this colony, the members of this Congress repair, without delay, to the place to which they shall be adjourned. Adjourned to three o'clock [this afternoon.] Afternoon. The committee appointed yesterday to draw an introduction to publishing the names of the mandamus counsellors, reported; [the report was] recommitted, and the committee [were] directed to bring in a report by way of order, &c. The committee appointed to receive the [returns of] exports and imports, &c., in the colony, reported; [the report was] referred to Wednesday next at three o'clock. Several committees [were] enjoined to sit and perfect their reports without delay, in order, if possible, that the Congress may rise to morrow. Adjourned to nine o'clock to-morrow morning. FRIDAY, March 31, 1775, A. M. The committee appointed to bring in a resolve as introductory to publishing the names of the mandamus counsellors, [reported a resolve, which] being amended, was read and accepted, and is as follows: IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, Concord, March 31, 1775. Resolved, That the names of the following persons be published in all the Boston newspapers, who, having been appointed counsellors by his majesty's mandamus, and having accepted, and acted under said commissions, have proved themselves implacable enemies to the liber a ||be.|| ties of their country, by refusing to publish a renunciation of their commissions, agreeably to a resolve of a former Provincial Congress : that the secretary be directed to transmit authenticated copies of this resolve, with the names annexed, to all the printers in Boston, and that they be desired to insert the same in their papers, that every town may be possessed of a copy of their names, which are to be entered upon the town and district records, that they may be sent down to posterity, if possible, with the infamy they deserve: [They are as follow:] Thomas Flucker, Foster Hutchinson, Harrison Gray, William Brown, James Boutineau, Joshua Loring, William Pepperell, John Erving, Jun., Peter Oliver, Richard Lechmere, Josiah Edson, Nathaniel Ray Thomas, Timothy Ruggles, John Murray, and Daniel Leonard, Esquires. The committee appointed to receive the returns from the several || colonels,|| &c., reported; the report was recommitted to be completed. A memorial from the selectmen of the town of Billerica, [was] read, and committed to Mr. Marcy, Capt. Batchelder, Capt. Osgood, Capt. Manning and Mr. Freeman. Ordered, That the receiver general be directed to lay a state of the treasury before this Congress. The members [were] enjoined to attend until the farther order of this Congress. Adjourned to three o'clock [this afternoon.] Afternoon. The committee on the state of the province reported a resolve relative to the payment of the public monies immediately to Mr. Gardner: read and accepted, and Ordered, that it be printed in hand bills, and a copy thereof sent to each town, directed to the committee of correspondence, if any; if not, to the selectmen; to be laid before the several towns. IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, Concord, March 31, 1775. Whereas, this Congress is informed that many collectors and constables, having in their hands considerable sums of the public moneys of this colony, have hitherto neglected to pay the same to Henry Gardner, Esq., of Stow; and the Congress, earnestly attentive to the ease of the inhabitants of the colony, are desirous of completing the preparations so essentially necessary to the public safety, without calling on them for other moneys, than such as are now due to the colony. a colonies.|| |