The Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts in 1774 and 1775

CONTENTS.

FIRST PROVINCIAL CONGRESS OF MASSACHUSETTS.

1774.

Sept. 28–Proclamation of Governor Gage, declaring his intention not to meet

the general court at Salem, on the 5th of October, and discharging

all persons elected as representatives from attendance,

Oct. 5—Members elected to the general assembly meet at Salem, and organize a

convention,

7- Their resolutions on the refusal of the governor to meet them and ad-

minister the oaths,

Provincial Congress formed at Salem. List of the delegates. Original

territorial limits of the county of Suffolk,

Original extent of the county of Hampshire,

Incorporation of Rutland district by the name of Hutchinson. Proceed-

ings of the citizens, and of the general court, in relation thereto,

County of Lincoln,-Congress adjourns to meet at Concord,

" 11-Provincial Congress meets at Concord,

John Hancock elected president, and Benjamin Lincoln secretary. Rev.

Mr. Emerson invited to act as chaplain. Monitors chosen,

“ 12-Committee to take into consideration the state of the province,

“ 13–The committee reported a message to the governor, which was consider-

ed and accepted,

Committee to present address to the governor,

“ 14Constables, collectors of taxes, and other officers, advised not to pay

over money in their hands to the crown officer; but to retain it, sub-

ject to the order of the towns, Provincial Congress, or general assem-

bly,

“ 17-Congress meets at Cambridge,

Answer of Governor Gage to the address of the Provincial Congress,

Referred to the committee on the state of the province,

Intercepted letters of the Rev. Mr. Peters referred to the same committee,

Rev. Doct. Appleton appointed chaplain,

" 18–Sessions of the Congress ordered to be held with closed doors,

The Congress determine to reply to the governor,

“ 19—A committee appointed to inquire into the state and operations of the

British army,

Reply to the governor, reported, and recommitted ; reported again, and

laid on the table,

20—Report of the committee to inquire into the state and operations of the

army. Ordered to lie on the table,

OCT. 20—Committee to consider what is necessary for the defence and safety of the

province,

Report relative to the payment and collection of outstanding taxes,

21-Resolutions relative to the mandamus counsellors,

Committee to publish the names of the mandamus counsellors,

Committee to report a non-consumption agreement,

Committee to report a resolve for the total disuse of India teas,

Committee to examine Rivington's newspaper,

Resolution for the disuse of India tea,

22—Report of the committee on the defence and safety of the province, con-

sidered, and recommitted,

Consideration of the propriety of sending an agent to Canada referred

to the next meeting of the Congress,

Day of public Thanksgiving recommended,

Report on the safety and defence of the province, amended, and recom-

mitted,

24—Committee to report the most proper time to provide a stock of powder,

ordnance, &c.

Debates to be kept secret by the members,

Committee report that now is the most proper time for the province to

provide a stock of powder, ordnance, &c.

Committee to determine what quantity shall be provided, and estimate

the expense,

Consideration of the report on the safety and defence of the province re-

sumed, and the report recommitted,

25—Committee on the non-consumption agreement, ordered to sit forthwith,

Committee to inquire into the state of the stores in the commissary gen-

eral's office,

Report on the quantity of powder and ordnance stores necessary for the

province,

All proceedings of Congress to be kept secret,

" 26—Report on the safety and defence of the province, considered and ac-

cepted, .

Committee to consider wbat military exercise will be best for the people

to adopt,

27-Commillee of safety appointed,

Five commissaries (committee of supplies) appointed,

Three general officers appointed,

Committee to sit during the recess of Congress,

Members of the governor's constitutional council,

List of mandamus counsellors,

Reply to the governor's answer recommitted for amendments,

Members of the governor's constitutional council desired to attend the

next session of this Congress,

28–Hon. Samuel Dexter appointed receiver general, and excused from ser-

ving, at his own request,

Report of the committee relative to the removal of the inhabitants of Bos-

ton, recommitted,

Henry Gardner, Esq. appointed receiver general,

Mr. Benjamin Hall chosen, in place of Mr. Greenleaf, of the comunitiee of

supplies,

Report relative to collecting and paying outstanding taxes,

Committee to report a resolve relative to a non-consumption agreement,

Oct. 28–Committee to bring in a resolve relative to an equal representation of the

province in Congress, -

Resolve inviting the constitutional couns lors to attend the next Con-

gress,

Resolve for a non-consumption agreement,

Report on the warlike stores in the commissary general's office,

" 29—Report on a system of military exercise for the province,

Consideration of the state of the executive courts referred to the next

Congress,

Committee of safety directed to write to the Continental Congress, show-

ing the grounds and reasons of the proceedings of this Congress,

Reply of the Congress to the governor's answer. A committee appoint-

ed 10 present it,

Committee to extract such parts of the proceedings of Congress, passed

on the 26th and 28th, as are necessary to be published,

Their report,

Two members added to the committee of safety,

Congress adjourned to the 23d day of November,

Nov. 23—Congress meet according to the adjournment,

Walter Spooner, one of his majesty's constitutional council, desired to

attend the Congress,

John Adams and Robert Treat Paine desired lo allend,

Representatives of Massachusetts in the Continental Congress,

24—Members of the Continental Congress desired to rep their proceed-

ings,

Rev. Doct. Appleton appointed chaplain,

Proceedings of the Continental Congress, reported, and committed,

Petition from the officers of minute men in the northwest part of the

county of Worcester,

Committee to prepare a plan for the defence and safely of the govern-

ment, required to sit forthwith,

Committee for publishing the names of the mandamus counsellors, lo pre-

pare a report forthwith,

25—Members of the constitutional council invited to take seats in the Pro-

vincial Congress,

26—Committee to devise means for keeping up a correspondence with Mon-

treal and Quebec,

Committee to draw the form of an order with respect to the treasurer's

giving bonds, -

28—Commillee to take into consideration the state of manufactures in the

province, and how they may be improved,

29—Committee to make an estimate of the injury to the province by the

operation of the Boston port bill,

Committee to state the amount of the sums which have been extorted

from us, since 1763, by the operation of certain acts of the British

parliament,

30—Resolves for the appointment of five members to attend the Continental

Congress,

Committee to bring in a resolve, expressing the thanks of Congress to

the other colonies, for their donations to the poor of the town of Bos-

ton, and to prepare a brief,

Letters from Dr. Franklin to Mr. Cushing referred to the provincial com-

mittee of correspondence,

Dec. 1—Report of the committee on the proceedings of the Continental Congress

read, and recommitted,

Resolve expressing the thanks of Congress to the other colonies, for their

donations to the town of Boston,

Committee to apply to the secretary for a list of the mandamus counsel-

lors,

“ 2–Members to represent the province in the Continental Congress,

Committee on the state of the province reported, •

" 3—Report considered,

6 5—Committee to prepare an address to the clergy of the province, desiring

them to exhort the people to sustain the Congress,

Report on the proceedings of the Continental Congress,

" 6-Committee to correspond with the inhabitants of Canada,

Brief to be circulated through the province to promote donations for the

suffering inhabitants of Boston and Charlestown,

Address to the clergy,

Mandamus counsellors who have not published a renunciation of their

commissions,

7—Committee to determine the recompense of the delegates to the Conti-

nental Congress,

Resolve for taking the number of inhabitants, and the quantity of the ex-

ports and imports, and of the manufactures of the province,

Committee to prepare a census of the inhabitants and a true state of the

exports and imports,

" 8—Report of the committee and resolutions of Congress relative to the en-

couragement of manufactures,

Two general officers chosen,

9-Committee to bring in a resolve relating to an address from the Baptists

to the Congress,

Report of the committee relating to the public moneys in the hands of

constables and others,

Committee to bring in a resolve relative to an article in the association of
the Continental Congress respecting foreign goods, wares,

and mer-

chandise, and their report,

Committee to consider a plan of military exercise proposed by Capt.

Timothy Pickering,

Report of the committee on the address from the Baptists,

Thanks of Congress to the chaplain, and to the proprietors of the meet-

ing-house,

Committee on a letter from the town of Hardwick,

“ 10—Report on the letter from Hardwick,

Form of association intended for the signature of the royalists,

Address of Congress to the freeholders and other inhabitants of the towns

and districts of Massachusetts Bay,

Report of the committee relative to assuming civil government, taken up,

and laid on the table, -

Resolve, and committee for procuring returns of the number of officers

and men of the militia, and of the minute men of the province,

Report of the committee on the state of the province,

Resolves relative to the dissolution of this Congress, and meeting of the

next,

Report of the committee on the plan of military exercise proposed by

Capt. Pickering, read, and accepted,

Dec. 10_Expense of transmitting address to the Canadians to be paid by the gov-

ernment,

The Congress dissolved,

SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS OF MASSACHUSETTS.

1775.

FEB. 1-Meets at Cambridge,

List of the Members,

John Hancock chosen president, and Benjamin Lincoln, secretary,

Committee to take into consideration the state of the province,

2-Rev. Doct. Appleton appointed chaplain, .

Monitors appointed,

3—Committee to extract from the journal of the last Congress what relates

to the public taxes and the militia, and cause it to be printed,

Committee to consider the representations of committees of Boston and

other towns, that many of the inhabitants are employed in working

for the army in Boston,

“ 4-Debates and resolutions of Congress to be kept secret,

Committee lo publish in a pamphlet some of the doings of the last Con-

gress, and to prepare an address to the inhabitants of the province,

6-Delegates to the Continental Congress to hold their offices to the 31st day

of December,

Resolution concerning the delegate from Waltham,

Troop of horse raised in Rowley,

Secretary empowered to adjourn Congress in the absence of the presi-

dent,

" 7-Inhabitants recommended not to supply the troops in Boston with any

thing that may enable them to annoy the people,

Committee to consider the accounts of the late delegates to the Continen-

tal Congress,

Address to the inhabitants relative to the province taxes, reported and re-

committed,

Members permitted to wear hats in the sessions of Congress,

"1 8Address to the inhabitants again reported and recommitted,

Committee to prepare a resolution recommending the saving of linen

rags,

Jabez Fisher chosen of the committee of safety,

" 9-Committee of safety, their powers and duties,

General officers appointed to act under the authority of the committee

of safety,

Elbridge Gerry, chosen on the committee of supplies,

Address to the inhabitants of Massachusetts Bay,

Address from Sciluate in relation to British troops in Marshfield, .

Committee to bring in a resolve empowering the committee of safety to

take possession of the warlike stores of the province,

Committee to bring in a resolve directing how the ordnance of the prove

ince shall be used,

Committee to make returns of the militia and minute men, to report as

soon as possible,

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The Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts in 1774 and 1775 ...