By order of the Board, an order was drawn on John Nixon, Esq'r, & others, the Committee of Accounts, for two hundred pounds, in favor of Colo. William Rankin, being towards the payment of Firelocks purchasing by him in York County on account of Congress.

By order of the Board, an order was drawn on John Nixon, Esq'r, & others, the Committee of Accounts, in favour of Thomas Goucher, for thirty pounds, being so much paid him for disclosing his Art of Boreing and Grinding Gun Barrels, agreeable to his Agreement of this Day.

Upon application of Robert Morris, Esq'r, from the Marine Committee, for a quantity of Lead for the use of the four Frigates building for account of Congress.

Resolved, That this Board supply the said Ships with Lead for their Head pumps & Haurse Holl.

ROBERT MORRIS, Vice President.

By order of the Board, the Committee of Accounts was directed to pay Colo. Miles his order for the Amount of a Hoggshead Rum received by him at Lewis Town, for the use of the Provincial Riffle Batt'n under his Command, and charge the same to account of Congress.

The Conference of Committees having sent the following Resolve to this Board by Mr. Hill, Mr. Smith & Mr. Blewer, Members of that Body:

Resolved, That the same be enter'd on the Minutes of this Committee.

"In Conference, June 25th, 1776.

"Resolved Unanimously, That it be Recommended to the Committee of Safety of this Province, to Confine the Command of Commodore Davison to the Ship of War and Floating Battery belonging to the Province, and to Issue no orders to the Captains or other Officers of the Row Galleys, Fire Ships, or Fire Rafts, through the said Commodore, until the Convention meets, and that it be recom

mended to the Captains and other Officers of the Row Galleys, &c., to pay all due obedience to the Committee of Safety until that time, and until a new appointment shall take place.

"A true Copy

"Sign'd, THO'S M'KEAN, President."

In consequence of the above Resolve, a Letter was wrote to Commodore Davison, directing him to confine his Command to the Ship and Floating Battery; and a Letter wrote to Capt. Dougherty, inclosing him a Copy of said Resolve, with directions that he repair forthwith to this Committee, to receive such Instructions as may be judged necessary.

Resolved, That Mr. Clymer, Mr. James Biddle & Mr. Wilcocks, be a Committee to draw up a state of the Public Transactions of this Board, in order to its being laid before the Public, if thought necessary.

By order of the Board, an order was drawn on John Nixon, Esq'r, and others, the Committee of Accounts, in favour of Thomas Fitzsimons and Joseph Moulder, for five hundred pounds, to be Charged to their accounts.

Capt. David McCutcheon being brought before this Board by a Sub-Committee of the Committee of Inspection & Observation, as a person dangerous to the safety of American Liberty, And Mr. James Steward, a Pilot, appearing at same time, Deposed, that the said McCutcheon told him if he would go aboard the Asia, at New York, there was a good offer, and that he should have two Dollars a day, & other matters, that will more fully appear by the Deposition of said Steward. In Consequence thereof he was ordered to be Confined in the Gaol of this City, and the following Commitment was Issued:

"To the Keeper of the Gaol of Philadelphia County:

"You are hereby required to receive into your Custody David McCutcheon, and keep him in Close Confinement until discharged by this Committee.

"By order of the Committee,

"Sign'd, GEO. CLYMER, Chair'n."

By order of the Board, an order was drawn on John Nixon, Esq'r, & others, the Committee of Accounts, in favour of Wm. Richards & Nath'l Falconer, or either of their orders, for Three hundred pounds, to be Charged to their accounts, for Alarm signals.

By order of the Board, an order was drawn on John Nixon, Esq'r, & others, the Committee of Accounts, in favour of William Richards, or his order, for four hundred pounds, to be charged to his account, towards the payment of Provincial Naval Stores.

By order of the Board, an order was drawn on Michael Hillegas, Esq'r, in favour of Ludwick Kerker, for Fifteen hundred pounds, being so much advanced him towards the payment of Provisions supplied the Provincial Troops.

Resolved, That the Officers confined in the Gaol of this City be allowed fifteen Shillings per Week for their subsistence, from the time of their being first Confined.

The Board thinking it necessary that Capt. Henry Dougherty should have proper Instructions for his Government, the following were drawn up, approved of, and sign'd by the Chairman:

"Sir:

"In Committee of Safety, 27th June, 1776.

"The Committee think it proper to give you the following Instructions to regulate your Conduct, as Eldest Captain of the thirteen Armed Boats, or Galleys, in the service of this Province:

"You are forthwith to take upon you the Command of the said Armed Boats, and station them, at anchor, at the East side of Fort Island, and keep them at that station until otherwise ordered by this Board, or the necessity of the service shall require their removal.

"You are to cause the said Armed Boats to be frequently exercis'd, and keep them in a compleat state of preperation to receive the Enemy; And the better to effect this immediately, take an exact survey of the present Condition of the said Armed Boats, and whatever may be wanting in their Equipments make a Report of to Capt.

William Richards, who is appointed and directed to supply all their defficiencies.

"The Officers must Constantly Lodge in their Respective Boats, and you are to take particular care that neither Officers or Men be absent from their respective Vessels any length of time, without your license in writing, or the leave of this Board, and you are not to suffer more than four Officers, and of that Number not more than two to be Captains, to be absent at any one time, nor any of them to be longer absent than forty-eight Hours at one time.

"You are to cause fifty Rounds of Powder to be delivered from the Ammunition Vessel on Board each of the said Boats, for which the Respective Captains are to give Receipts, and all the powder now on Board said Boats to be put on Board the said Ammunition Vessel, and order her up immediately to this City, to deliver the same to the Commissary.

"You are by all possible Means to establish such a proper sense of subordination in the Officers & Men of the Boats, that all the orders you think necessary to Issue be punctually and implicitly obeyed, a loose and Relaxed discipline utterly enfeebling every Military Establishment, however Respectable it may otherwise be in the Circumstances of Number & Force.

"Should any accident or Circumstance happen in the Fleet that has the least tendency to effect the service, you are to give the earliest information of it to the Committee of Safety, that they, if they have the means of Remedy, may apply such as the nature of the case may Require.

"These being the principal matters that have occurred to the Committee, they earnestly Recommend that you endeavour to promote the utmost Harmony between you & the Officers of the Fleet, and between one another, on which depends so much the success of every undertaking where Men are to Act 'in Concert, and mutual assistance is required.

"By order of the Committee.

Sign'd, GEO. ROSS, Chairman.

"To Capt. Henry Dougherty.'

By order of the Board, Thomas Dewecs, Gaoler, was directed to discharge from confinement Robert Saunderson, a person taken with Capt. Duncan Campbell some time past.

The Committee having Reason to believe that wicked & ill-disposed persons have seduced and inticed some of the Men belonging to the Boats to desert the service and go into other employ, have thought it necessary to publish the following Resolve of Assembly:

"In Assembly, Tuesday March 26th, 1776.

"Resolved, That any person or persons, whatsoever, within this Colony, who shall harbour and Conceal any Deserter (knowing him

to be such) from the Continental Forces, or any other Forces raised within this or any other of the United Colonies, for the defence of America, shall forfeit and pay any sum not exceeding Fifty, nor less than Thirty Dollars, or suffer three months imprisonment for each offence, being convicted thereof by the Testimony of one or more Witnesses, before any two Justices of the Peace of the City, Borough, or County, respectively, where such offence shall be Committed, who are hereby authorized to hear and determine all Offences contrary to the above Resolve; which Fine shall be deposited in the Hands of the Overseers of the poor of the City, Borough, or Township, where the offence is Committed, for the use of the poor of such place."

And the Committee give this Public Notice, that they are determined to prosecute with the utmost Rigour, any person who shall Harbour, Conceal, or in any manner employ any Deserter from the service of this Colony.

Thomas Dewees, Gaoler, was directed to discharge a Man belonging to Capt. Dougherty, confined agreeable to sentence of Court Martial.

Resolved, That the Pay of the Captain Lieutenant of the Artillery Company be 22 Dollars P Month.

That the First Lieutenant of said Company be allowed 18 dollars per Month.

That the second Lieutenant of said Company be allowed 18 Dollars per Month.

Resolved, That Herculeus Courtney be appointed First Lieutenant to the Artillery Company.

That John Martin Strohbogh be appointed second Lieutenant to the Artillery Company.

Resolved, That Colo. Roberdeau, Mr. Clymer, Mr. Rittenhouse, Mr. James Biddle, & Mr. Owen Biddle, be a Committee to employ proper Engineers to make a draft of Fortifications proper to be erected at Billingsport, and Report what works are necessary to be Erected there.

That the said Committee be Authorized to purchase the whole or part of a Plantation at Billingsport, on which said Fortifications are to be Erected, at the Expence of Congress.