The committee appointed to consider on the expediency of establishing post offices, &c., reported; the report was recommitted, for the purpose of settling the rates of postage, and taking into consideration some method of establishing post offices. Mr. Hall, of Medford, and Mr. Cross, were added to the committee; also Mr. Batchelder, in the room of Mr. Dix.

Resolved, That the resolve for accepting the establishment for the train, which passed this Congress the 6th instant, be reconsidered, and that Col. Mandell, Capt. Baker, Doct. Taylor, Major Perley and Col. Coffin, be a committee to take into consideration the propriety of establishing a regiment of the train, and that they sit forthwith.

Ordered, That Col. Warren, Mr. Gerry and Col. Foster, be a committee to take into consideration a resolve of the committee of safety, recommending to this Congress to establish a court of inquiry.

Ordered, That Col. Richard Gridley be, and hereby is directed, forthwith to recommend to the committee of safety, for officers of the train of artillery, such persons as he thinks are qualified for that appointment.

On a complaint of the selectmen of the town of Worcester, against Samuel Paine and William Campbell, prisoners from that town, Ordered, that said prisoners be committed to the care of Capt. Brown, or such persons as he shall appoint, to be kept in custody till the further orders of this Congress.

Ordered, That the committee appointed to transcribe the depositions of the late proceedings of the king's troops, be directed to prepare a narrative thereof, as an introduction to the said depositions, which are ordered to be printed.

Adjourned to three o'clock, P. M.

[Afternoon.]

Ordered, That Mr. Gill, Col. Warren, Col. Gerrish, Mr. Dix and Doct. Perkins, be a committee to inquire into the complaint made by the selectmen of the town of Worcester, against Samuel Paine and William Campbell, and report to this Congress.

The consideration of the remonstrance to general Gage was resumed and [the same was] accepted, and ordered to be authenticated, and sent forward. It is as follows, viz. :

To His Excellency Gen. Gage:

SIR-This Congress have received frequent intelligence, that their brethren, the inhabitants of the town of Boston, have to contend, in their removal therefrom, with numerous delays and embarrassments,

contrary to the stipulation proposed and agreed to between your excellency and the selectmen of that town.

We think it our duty to remonstrate to your excellency, that, from the papers communicated to us by the said selectmen, it appeared, that the inhabitants were promised, upon surrendering their arms, that they should be permitted to leave the town, and carry with them their effects. The condition was immediately complied with, on the part of the people; since which, though a number of days have elapsed, but a very small proportion of the inhabitants have been allowed to take the benefit of your covenant.

We would not affront your excellency by the most distant insinuation, that you intended to deceive and disarm the people, by a cruel act of perfidy. A regard to your own character, as well as the fatal consequences which will necessarily result from the violation of your solemn treaties, must ||"suggest|| sufficient reasons, to deter a gentleman of your rank and station from so injurious a design. But your excellency must be sensible, that a delay of justice is a denial of it, and extremely oppressive to the people now held in duress.

This Congress, though not the original party in the treaty, have taken every step in their power to facilitate the measure, and, in the whole of their conduct, have endeavored to evidence a disposition to act upon the principles of humanity and good faith, and still indulge hopes, that the confidence of the inhabitants of Boston, in your excellency's honor and faithfulness, is not misplaced; and that, notwithstanding any disagreeable occurrences, naturally resulting from the confused state of the colony, which this Congress have discountenanced, and endeavored to rectify, your excellency will no longer suffer your treaty with a distressed people, who ought by no means to be affected thereby, to be further violated.

The committee appointed to take into consideration the expediency of establishing ||a regiment|| of the train, reported.

Part of the establishment reported was accepted; the consideration of the residue was referred to a future time.

Resolved, That the resolve which this Congress passed at Concord, the 13th ultimo, directing the committee of safety to engage a suitable number of persons, for forming six companies of the train, be so far reconsidered, as that it be, and hereby is Resolved, that the committee of safety be directed to engage a suitable number of persons, and form ten companies of the train, for the artillery already provided by this

a be.

colony, to enter immediately on constant discipline, and be in readiness to enter the service of the colony; and that said committee be, and they are hereby empowered, to draw on the public treasury, for said companies, a suitable consideration for their services.

The petition of Timothy Langdon1 was read, and ordered to lie on the table till some of the eastern members should be present.

Ordered, That the secretary be directed, pursuant to a request of the committee of safety, to furnish them with copies of all such resolves as have passed the Congress in any ways relative to the duty enjoined them.

The secretary pro tempore represented to the Congress, that the multiplicity of the business of his office was such, as made it necessary that he should have some assistance; whereupon, Ordered, that Capt. Stone, of Oakham, assist him in that service.

The committee appointed to inquire into the state of the army, and to settle the appointment of the field officers, reported a letter from head quarters.

The committee appointed to inquire into the complaint of the selectmen of the town of Worcester, against Samuel Paine and William Campbell, reported; which report was accepted, and ordered to be transcribed, and delivered to Capt. Jonas Hubbard and Mr. Edward Crafts, who exhibited the above complaint, together with a printed resolve of Congress, lately passed, for disarming the disaffected inhabitants of the colony. The report is as follows, viz. :

The committee appointed to hear the complaints, exhibited by the selectmen of Worcester, against William Campbell and Samuel Paine, have attended that service, heard the parties, and beg leave to report, that we find the charges against them proved by depositions, and conceded by them; and that William Campbell has been guilty of leaving the town of Worcester without a permit from the selectmen, contrary to his own engagements: and that the said Samuel Paine has, in one instance, propagated reports with regard to our Massachusetts soldiers' rifling the house of Mr. Bradish, instead of the regular troops, and that those which were quartered in the colleges were lousy, and desert

(1) This petition represented, that the committee of safety, formed from ten towns in the coun> ty of Lincoln, after consultation, came to the determination, that the king's masts, in the dock yard at Georgetown, should not be removed or fitted for use, and received assurances from Edward Parry, Esq., who had procured the timber, that it should remain: that when the result of the delibe. rations of the committee were known, Col. Samuel Thompson of Brunswick, with twenty armed men, seized Mr. Parry, and compelled him to give bonds, with the penalty of £2000, to abide in the town until the pleasure of Congress could be known, and exacted money for the refreshment of the captors: and prayed that the bonds might be cancelled, and Mr. Parry discharged from false impris

onment.

ed in great numbers; which, however indiscreet, does not appear to us to be done with any bad design, and that he ought to be dismissed immediately; and that the said Campbell may be returned to the town of Worcester, to be dealt with, by the committee of correspondence of that town, agreeably to a resolve of this Congress, passed the 8th instant. The matter, however, we think not important enough to be brought before this Congress.

The consideration of the petition of Timothy Langdon was again resumed, and ordered to lie on the table.

Ordered, That Capt. McCobb, Mr. Lewis and Doct. Perkins, be a committee to take under consideration the several applications made to this Congress, from the eastern parts of the province, for arms and ammunition.

Adjourned till to-morrow morning, eight o'clock.

THURSDAY, May 11, 1775, A. M.

The petition of James Cargill, of Newcastle, committed to the committee who were appointed to consider the several applications to this Congress for ammunition, &c.

The committee appointed to take into consideration the several applications to this Congress for a supply of ammunition, &c., reported: the report was recommitted, and the committee directed to inspect the list of returns of the town's stock of powder, &c., that it may be known whether this Congress can, with prudence, recommend to any town which may be stocked therewith, to supply those towns which are destitute.

Adjourned to twelve o'clock this day.

[Noon.]

The Congress met at twelve o'clock, according|| to adjournment. The committee appointed to consider the several applications made to this Congress for ammunition, and to inspect the list of returns, &c., reported. The report was read and accepted, and is as follows, viz. :

Whereas, the towns of Falmouth and Arundel, and the district of Cape Elizabeth, being sea port places, and much exposed to the rage of our enemies, and not having a sufficient quantity of gunpowder to defend themselves in case of any long attack; and the town of Andover being well stocked with gunpowder, and not so much exposed;

Therefore, Resolved, and it is hereby recommended to the selectmen of the town of Andover, that they deliver to Mr. Joseph McLellan, of Falmouth, two half barrels of gunpowder, for the use of the town of Fal

a ||agreeably.||

mouth, in the county of Cumberland; also to deliver to Mr. Zebulon 1 rickey, of Cape Elizabeth, one half barrel of gunpowder, for the use of Cape Elizabeth; also to deliver to Mr. John Hovey, of Arundel, two half barrels of gunpowder, for the use of said Arundel, they paying them for said powder, which shall be replaced, if needed, as soon as the colony magazine can be supplied.

Whereas, the towns of Brunswick, Pownalborough, Bristol and Newcastle, being sea port places, in the eastern parts of this colony, and much exposed to the rage and incursions of our unnatural enemies, and not having a sufficient quantity of gunpowder to defend themselves, in case of any attack; and the towns of Marlborough, Sudbury and Framingham, being well stocked with gunpowder, and not so much exposed;

:

Therefore, Resolved, and it is hereby recommended to the selectmen of the above mentioned several towns, that they deliver as follows, viz. : the selectmen of Sudbury, one half barrel of gunpowder, to Nathaniel Larrabee, for the use of Brunswick the selectmen of Marlborough, two half barrels of gunpowder, one to Joseph Tinkham, for the use of Pownalborough, the other to Lieut. John Farley, for the use of Newcastle the selectmen of Framingham, one half barrel of gunpowder, to Thomas Bracket, for the use of Bristol: they paying them for said powder, which shall be replaced, if needed, as soon as the colony magazine can be supplied.

Ordered, That each person now in waiting, who has made application to this Congress for powder, be served with a copy thereof.

Information being made to this Congress, that two men of war, with troops, had sailed from Boston to New York, with a design, as is supposed, of frustrating a design of the inhabitants of that colony and Connecticut, to secure the arms and ammunition now in the fort at New York;

Ordered, That Mr. Gerry, Col. Warren and Col. Lincoln, be a committee to prepare a letter to the committee of correspondence of New York, informing them of the sailing of said men of war, and inserting such articles therein as will put the people upon their guard against any attempt that may be made against them by said ships.

Ordered, That this committee prepare said letter, and forward it forthwith, without waiting to report to this Congress, said committee laying before this Congress, as soon as may be, a copy of said letter.1 Adjourned to four o'clock, P. M.

(1) The following letter was sent to the committee of inspection of New York, subscribed by Elbridge Gerry, James Warren and Benjamin Lincoln:

“GENTLEMEN :-We are directed by the Congress of this colony, who are just informed that