bers of his majesty's constitutional council to attend the Congress on this day, Resolved that he be again wrote to, desiring his attendance here immediately, and that a messenger be despatched therewith without delay.

Resolved, That the gentlemen who were members of the late Continental, and are of this Provincial Congress, be joined to the committee on the state of the province.1

Resolved, That John Adams, Esq., be desired to favor this Congress with his presence, as soon as may be.

Resolved, That Robert Treat Paine, Esq., be desired to attend this Congress, as soon as possible.

Then the Congress adjourned till to-morrow morning, ten o'clock.

THURSDAY, November 24, 1774, A. M.

Resolved, That the chairman of the committee from this province who were members of the continental Congress, be desired to report the proceedings of said Congress.

Ordered, That Capt. Gardner, Col. Prescot, and Doct. Holten, be a committee to wait on the Rev. Doct. Appleton, and desire that he would officiate as chaplain to this Congress, during their session in this town.

The committee waited on the Rev. Doct. Appleton accordingly, and reported that they had delivered the message, and that the Doctor would officiate as chaplain, agreeably to the desire of the Congress.

The chairman of the committee appointed by this province to meet in Continental Congress, reported, that they had attended that service; that the Congress had taken into consideration the state of the colonies, [and] that he had a journal of their whole proceedings, which he would lay on the table.2

Resolved, That the doings of the Continental Congress be now read, which were read accordingly.

Resolved, That the state of rights, state of grievances, and the as

(1) Hon. James Bowdoin, Hon. Thomas Cushing, Mr. Samuel Adams, John Adams, Esq., and Robert Treat Paine, Esq., were elected by the house of representatives of Massachusetts, June 17, 1774, delegates to the Continental Congress, which convened at Philadelphia, September 5th, and was dissolved October 26, 1774. These gentlemen, with the exception of James Bowdoin, were returned as members of the Provincial Congress.

(2) The journal of the proceedings of the Continental Congress was printed immediately after the dissolution of that body, in October, 1774, by William and Thomas Bradford, at Philadelphia, in an octavo pamphlet of 132 pages.

sociation, as stated by the Continental Congress, be committed. The same was accordingly committed to the Hon. Major Hawley, Hon. Mr. Dexter, Doct. Warren, Col. Lee, Mr. Gerry, Col. Warren, and Doct. Church, who are to consider thereof and report. Adjourned to three o'clock this afternoon.

Afternoon.

The petition from the officers of the minute men, in the northwest part of the county of Worcester, [was] read and committed to the committee on the state of the province.2

Ordered, That the committee appointed to sit in the recess to prepare a plan for the defence and safety of the government, be directed to sit forthwith.

Ordered, That the committee appointed to publish the names of the mandamus counsellors, and others, now in the town of Boston, be directed to sit forthwith and prepare a report.

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

FRIDAY, November 25, 1774, A. M.

Ordered, That Doct. Holten, Col. Foster, and Col. Roberson, be a committee to inquire what number of the constitutional counsellors are now in town.

Resolved, That the members from the town of Worcester apply to Col. Chandler, and receive from him the bayonets he has in his hands and is now ready to deliver ;3 and inquire what sum or sums of money have been paid to him by the treasurer, for the purpose of procuring bayonets; how many were procured by him, and to whom they were delivered, and the state of his account relative to the money by him received for the purpose aforesaid.

Ordered, That a copy of this resolve be given to the members afore

said.

Resolved, That Doct. Holten, Col. Foster, Col. Roberson, Capt. Baldwin, and Mr. Cushing, be a committee to wait on such gentlemen of his majesty's constitutional council of this province, who are now in town at the request of this Congress, and acquaint them that this

(1) The declaration of rights and statement of grievances, were adopted by the Continental Congress, October 14, 1774: the plan of an association for carrying into effect the non consumption, non importation, and non exportation agreements, having been reported and considered, was accepted and subscribed by the members, October 20, 1774.

(2) The militia of Worcester county requested that the Congress would establish the military drill called the Norfolk exercise, instead of that system prescribed for the discipline of his majesty's troops in 1764.

(3) About one hundred bayonets were in the keeping of Col. Chandler.

Congress respectfully acknowledge their cheerful attendance, but will not be ready to offer any matters for their advice, until a quorum of that honorable board shall appear, and which is soon expected; and that in the mean time a seat is provided for them in this house, if they shall see cause to be present.

Resolved, That it be the rule of this Congress at present, that they sit in the forepart of the day, and that they adjourn over the afternoon, in order to give time for the committees to sit and perfect the business with which they are severally charged.

Ordered, That Col. Thomas, Capt. Gardner, and Mr. Watson, be a committee to inquire whether a more convenient place than that in which the Congress now sits, can be procured for them to meet in.

Resolved, That every member of this Congress be enjoined to give constant attendance during the session thereof; and in case any should be under a necessity of absence, that they signify the same to the Congress, in order to their obtaining leave to withdraw. Adjourned till ten o'clock to-morrow morning.

SATURDAY, November 26, 1774, A. M.

The committee appointed to wait on the members of his majesty's council now in town, reported, that they had attended that service; had seen the Hon. Mr. Cushing, and the Hon. Mr. Seaver, and had delivered to them the message with which they were charged; they being the only members in town.

Ordered, That the same committee wait on the other gentlemen of his majesty's council, invited by this Congress to attend here, as they come into town, and inform them of the resolve of this Congress.

Ordered, That Capt. Heath, Mr. Adams, Col. Doolittle, Col. Pomeroy, and Hon. Mr. Dexter, be a committee to devise some means of keeping up a correspondence between this province, Montreal and Quebec, and of gaining very frequent intelligence from thence of their movements.

The committee appointed yesterday to see if some more convenient place could be procured for the Congress, than that in which they now sit, reported, that the new chapel can be had, and that it is the most convenient place that they can obtain.

Ordered, That this matter now subside.

Ordered, That Mr. Sullivan, Hon. Major Hawley, and the Hon. Mr. Cushing, be a committee to draw the form of an order with respect to the treasurer's giving bonds, and report.

Ordered, That Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Adams, Hon. Mr. Cushing, and

Doct. Church, be added to the committee appointed to publish the names of the mandamus counsellors, and others, now in Boston. Adjourned till Monday morning, ten o'clock.

MONDAY, November 28, 1774, A. M.

Ordered, That Mr. Palmer, Mr. Cushing, Col. Gerish, Mr. Bigelow, Major Fuller, Mr. Pickering, and Col. Pomeroy, be a committee to take into consideration the state of the manufactures, and how they may be improved in this province.

||Congress adjourned till to-morrow morning, ten o'clock.

TUESDAY, November 29, 1774, A. M.

Ordered, That Col. Henshaw, Mr. Palmer, Mr. Gorham, Mr. Lothrop, and Mr. Pigeon, be a committee to make as just an estimate as may be of the loss and damage of every kind "accrued to the province by the operation of the Boston port bill and the act for altering the civil government, from their commencement to this time.

Ordered, That Doct. Foster, Mr. Gorham, and Col. Orne, be a committee to state the amount of the sums which have been extorted from us since the year 1763, by the operation of certain acts of the British parliament.

Resolved, That a messenger be despatched to the town of Salem, in order to gain what intelligence can be had by the last vessels from London, and that the messenger bring with him the Essex paper to this Congress; and that Mr. Bigelow be desired to take upon him the above service.

Resolved, That Mr. Devens be desired to go to Boston and inquire what advice came by the last vessels from London.

Resolved, That when this Congress shall adjourn, that it be adjourned to three o'clock this afternoon, which was then adjourned accordingly.||

Afternoon.

Mr. Devens reported that, in obedience to the order of the Congress, he had been to the town of Boston; that the letters from London by the last ships had not come to hand; that Doct. Church was in Boston, and would bring them to the Congress as soon as they should arrive.

Resolved, That to-morrow, at eleven o'clock, the Congress will take into consideration the expediency of appointing members to attend a

a occasioned.||

b ||Adjourned to three o'clock this afternoon.||

Continental Congress, to be held at Philadelphia, agreeably to the recommendation of the last Continental Congress,

Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow morning.

WEDNESDAY, November 30, 1774, A. M.

The order of the day was moved for.

The expediency of appointing members to attend a Continental Congress, was considered: Thereupon,

Resolved, unanimously, as the opinion of this body, that members be appointed to attend a Continental Congress, proposed to be held at Philadelphia, on the tenth day of May next, agreeably to the recommendation of the late Continental Congress.

Resolved, That five members be appointed.

Resolved, That to-morrow, at three o'clock in the afternoon, be assigned to come to the choice of delegates to attend the Continental Congress, proposed to be held at Philadelphia, on the 10th day of May

next.

Ordered, That the Hon. Mr. Winthrop, Mr. Sullivan, and Doct. Foster, bring in a resolve expressing the thanks of this body to the other colonies, for their generous donations to the inhabitants of the town of Boston, now laboring under the oppression of certain acts of the British parliament.

||Resolved, That the same committee prepare a brief, to be circulated throughout the several towns in this province, to promote donations for the persons suffering, in the towns of Boston and Charlestown, under the operation of certain acts of the British parliament.||

Adjourned till three o'clock this afternoon.

Afternoon.

Resolved, That the letters from Doct. Franklin to Mr. Cushing, which have been now read, be committed to the provincial committee of correspondence.1

Then the Congress adjourned till to-morrow morning, ten o'clock.

(1) Letters addressed by Doct. Franklin to the Hon. Thomas Cushing, bearing date, December 2, 1772; January 5, March 9, April 3, May 6, June 2, June 4, July 7, July 25, August 24, September 12, November 1, 1773; and January 5, 1774; have been published in the collections of the writings of the patriot and philosopher. As none of the communications preserved by the editors of Franklin's writings, correspond with the time when those mentioned in the text were laid before Congress, it is probable that the letters entrusted to the committee of correspondence have perished with the other papers on their files.