this Congress, that they advise the committee of safety to send out immediately for reenforcements.

Resolved, That the consideration of the expediency of assuming government, which was to have been entered upon to-morrow afternoon, be postponed to Friday next, at three o'clock, P. M., and that the committee who were just now appointed to confer with the committee of safety, be directed to give notice hereof to the several members of this Congress who are now at Cambridge and Roxbury.

Then adjourned to nine o'clock to-morrow morning.

[TUESDAY,] May 9, 1775, A. M.

Resolved, That the receiver general be, and he is hereby directed, to give public notice of the resolve, lately passed by this Congress, for borrowing money on the credit of the colony, and assign certain time and place when he will attend that business.

The Congress granted permission to Col. Trumbull, to have a copy of the resolve of this Congress, relative to the ["inhabitants] moving out of Boston.

Henry Gardner, Esq., receiver general, requested that this Congress would excuse him from serving any longer in that office; the consideration thereof was ordered to subside for the present.

Mr. Gerry brought in again a resolve respecting the supply of the soldiers, which was accepted, and is as follows, viz. :

Whereas, it hath frequently happened, that sutlers, whilst permitted to supply soldiers in the service of this colony, have vended their goods at extravagant rates, and thereby, in a great measure, deprived the families of such soldiers of the benefit of their wages; therefore,

Resolved, That the committee of supplies be, and they hereby are directed and empowered, to purchase and supply the commissary, for the time being, with such goods, wares and merchandize as they shall, at any time, judge necessary for supplying the colony forces, and to draw on the public treasury therefor. And the commissary aforesaid, as also his deputies, who shall be accountable to him, are hereby directed and empowered to supply, at the first cost, the soldiers who shall belong to the regiments in which they shall be stationed, with such articles as their respective captains shall, at any time, order; and to keep and render to the captains aforesaid, true and exact accounts thereof, any time before the making up of the muster rolls. And the said captains are hereby directed to give orders for such articles only as they judge requisite and|| necessary for their respective soldiers, a [troops.]

not exceeding one half of the wages that shall, at any time, be due to them, and to cause the same to be deducted from their wages, on making up the muster rolls.

Ordered, That Doct. Church, the president, Col. Dexter, Col. Warren and Mr. Gerry, be a committee to prepare a spirited application to general Gage, respecting his treatment of the inhabitants of Boston.

Ordered, That the same gentlemen be a committee, to consider what provision shall be made for furnishing such enlisted soldiers, as are unprovided with fire arms, with such effective fire arms as are necessary for them to carry into the field.

Ordered, That Col. Barrett, Doct. Holten and Col. Danielson, be a committee to take into consideration a printed false account of the late excursion of the king's troops to Concord.

The order of the day [was] moved for.

Ordered, That Col. Farley, Doct. Holten and Col. Danielson, be a committee to sort and count the votes for a muster master.

The committee appointed to sort and count the votes for a muster master, in the room of Col. John Whitcomb, who declined accepting that trust, reported, that Col. Asa Whitcomb was chosen.

A motion was made and seconded, that a committee be appointed to take into consideration the expediency of restraining the people of this colony from supplying the inhabitants of Boston with provisions. After debate, the question was put, and it passed in the negative. Adjourned to three o'clock, P. M.

[Afternoon ]

On a motion made, that the resolve passed yesterday, assigning Friday next, three o'clock, P. M., for the consideration of the expediency of assuming government, [be reconsidered,] and that an earlier day be assigned for that purpose. The question was put, and it passed in the negative.

Ordered, That Mr. Pickering be added to the committee appointed to take into consideration an equal representation of this colony, in the room of Mr. Rawson, absent.

Ordered, That Mr. Sawyer, Col. Foster and Mr. Dix, be a committee to take into consideration the expediency of establishing post offices and riders in this colony.

The committee who were appointed to prepare a remonstrance to general Gage, reported. The report was ordered to lie on the table. till the further orders of this Congress.

The same committee, agreeably to their appointment, reported a resolve, relative to furnishing those enlisted soldiers with fire arms who

are unequipt therewith; which, after debate, was ordered to be recommitted.

Ordered, That Capt. Stone ||of Framingham,|| be added to the committee who were appointed to consider of some measures to be taken with respect to the county records, in the room of Mr. Brown, of Abington, now absent.

The committee appointed to consider the expediency of establishing post offices and riders, in this colony, reported: whereupon, ||aOrdered, that the further consideration thereof be referred to to-morrow morning, ten o'clock.

The committee appointed to consider the false account of the late excursion of the king's troops, reported; which report being read, amended and completed, was accepted, and is as follows, viz. :

Whereas, a printed paper, said to be a circumstantial account of an attack, which happened on the 19th of April, 1775, on his majesty's troops, by a number of the people of the province of the Massachusetts Bay, has been read in this Congress, which contains, among many falsehoods, the following paragraph, viz.:

"When Capt. Parsons returned with the three companies over the bridge, at Concord, they observed three soldiers on the ground, one of them scalped, his head much mangled, and his ears cut off, though not quite dead.”

Resolved, That Col. Barrett be, and hereby is directed, to make strict inquiry of the persons who saw the three soldiers aforementioned lying at the said bridge, and also of those who buried them, and take their depositions, that so the truth or falsity of the aforesaid assertion may be ascertained.

The committee appointed to consider of some method for furnishing those soldiers with fire arms, who are not therewith equipt, again reported; the report was read ||and accepted,|| and is as follows, viz. :

Whereas, a few of the inhabitants of this colony, who are enlisted into its service, are destitute of fire arms, bayonets, and other accoutrements;

Resolved, That the selectmen of the several towns and districts in this colony be, and hereby are, directed and empowered to examine into the state of the equipment of such inhabitants of their respective towns and districts as are, or may be, enlisted into the service of this colony, and where any are deficient in arms or accoutrements, as aforesaid, it is recommended to the selectmen to supply them out of the town stock, and in case of a deficiency there, to apply to such inhabia ||resolved.||

tants of their respective towns and districts as, in their opinions, can best spare their arms or accoutrements, and to borrow or purchase the same for the use of said inhabitants so enlisted and the selectmen are also directed to take a bill from such persons as shall sell their arms and accoutrements, in the name of this colony, and receipts from the soldiers to whom they shall cause them to be delivered, and render the same to the committee of supplies for this colony and each soldier, so supplied, shall pay for the use of such arms and accoutrements, out of his wages, the sum of six shillings: and if he does not return the said arms and accoutrements, there shall be deducted from his wages, at the time of making up the muster roll, the full value of said arms and accoutrements, as appraised by the selectmen, at the time of borrowing or purchasing the same; and it is strongly recommended to such inhabitants of the colony as the selectmen, as aforesaid, shall apply to for arms or accoutrements, that they supply the colony with the And, as many arms in this colony which are now useless may, by small repairs, be rendered fit for service, Resolved, that a sufficient number of armourers, not exceeding twenty, be appointed by the committee of safety, to mend and repair such arms as shall be brought to them by the soldiers enlisted into the Massachusetts army.

same.

Ordered, That Mr. Webster, Major Fuller and Mr. Batchelder, be a committee to get this resolve published and dispersed. Adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine o'clock.

WEDNESDAY, May 10, 1775, A. M.

Ordered, That the committee appointed to confer with the committee of safety, upon the general state of the army, be directed particularly to confer with them on the propriety of removing the whole or part of the cannon and stores, now at Cambridge, further back into the country.

Resolved, That the general officers be, and are hereby directed, forthwith to call in all the soldiers who are already enlisted in the service of this colony, and that they give immediate orders to all the enlisted soldiers, and all others now in the camp at Cambridge and Roxbury, that they do not depart till the further orders of this Congress.

A petition from the committees of correspondence, and the committees of inspection, for the town of Pownalborough, was preferred by Joseph Tinkham :

Ordered, That this petition lie on the table.

Ordered, That the resolve passed by this Congress the 23d ultimo, recommending to the selectmen of the several towns in this colo

ny, to furnish each non commissioned officer and soldier with a blanket, be fairly copied by the secretary, and printed in a hand bill, and sent to the selectmen of the several towns and districts in the colony.

Ordered, That the petition from Pownalborough, just now read, be delivered to Mr. Joseph Tinkham, agreeable to his request.

Ordered, That Mr. Lothrop, Doct. Taylor and Doct. Holten, be a committee to take into consideration the proceedings of the town of Bristol, presented to this Congress by Mr. Thomas Bracket, in behalf of said town.

The committee appointed to bring in a resolve, recommending to the inhabitants of this colony to save their straw, reported; which report was read and accepted, and ordered to be copied, and sent to the printer of the Cambridge newspaper, and to the printer of the Worcester newspaper, for publication. It is as follows, viz. :

Whereas, it will be indispensably necessary that large quantities of straw be provided for the use of the army now forming for the defence and protection of this colony;

Therefore, Resolved, and it is hereby strongly recommended to all such inhabitants of this colony as have, or may have, of that article by them, that, as they regard the lives and health of their brethren, who engage in the service abovesaid, they take immediate care the same be preserved for the purpose above mentioned.

Ordered, That Capt. Foster, Mr. Lothrop and Mr. Pickering, be a committee to transcribe the depositions taken by a committee of this Congress, of the proceedings of the troops, under command of general Gage, the 19th ultimo, and that they transmit them to Mr. Hall, at Cambridge, to be published in a pamphlet, and that said committee agree with him for the expense of publication.

Ordered, That Col. Barrett attend the business to which he was yesday appointed, of inquiring into the truth or falsity of a paragraph, taken from a printed account of the action of the king's troops, on the 19th instant.

The committee appointed to consider some measures for securing the county records, reported; the report was read and accepted, and is as follows, viz.:

Resolved, That the committee appointed for each county, on the 12th of April last, be instructed to take proper measures for securing the records of their several counties where they are exposed.

The order of the day was moved for,