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Mr. Vandyke reported that he had waited on the House of Assembly according to the order aforesaid.

A committee from the House of Assembly, attending at the door, were admitted and delivered to the Chair

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A bill for ascertaining the salaries and allowances to the officers and persons herein mentioned employed in the Government of this State, and for the providing funds for the payment thereof."

Which, by order, was read the first time.

On motion,

Ordered, That a certificate of the appointment of the Delegates to the Congress, as chosen yesterday in the General Assembly, expressing the powers they are to be invested with, be drawn up and sent to the House of Assembly for their concurrence; which being done at the table and transcribed, is as follows, to wit:

IN COUNCIL, November 8th, 1776.

WHEREAS George Read, John Dickinson, and John Evans, Esquires, have been chosen, by joint ballot of the two Houses of Assembly, to represent the Delaware State in Continental Congress,

Resolved, That they, or any one or more of them, are hereby fully authorized and empowered for and in behalf of this State to concert, agree to, and execute any measure which they, or he, together with a majority of the Continental Congress shall judge necessary for the defense, security, interest and welfare of this State in particular and America in general; with power to adjourn to such times and places as shall appear most conducive to the public safety and advantage.

Ordered, That Mr. Vandyke wait on the House of Assembly and deliver the same for their concurrence; who, having returned, reported that he had delivered the same according to order.

Adjourned till to-morrow, 10 o'clock.

Council met.

SATURDAY, November 9th, 1776.

Present all the members.

The committee appointed to confer with a committee of Assembly to adjust and settle the accounts of the Military Treasurers of the several Counties in this State, and to settle and adjust the pay and accounts of the officers appointed in the battalion ordered to be raised by the late Convention in September last in this State; likewise the accounts of the signers of the last emission of paper currency, and of those persons who attended the press, &c., brought in their report,

Which, by order, was read and ordered to lie on the table for consideration.

The Council being informed that the commissioners appointed to repair to the camps were ready to proceed as soon as the General Assembly should direct.

Ordered, That Mr. Dingee wait on the House of Assembly with a verbal message containing the following quæres, to wit:

As the commissioners appointed to go to the camps should be furnished with some of the printed resolutions of Congress relating to the reënlistment of the army, and the blank commissions transmitted by the President of Congress :

Quare. If the House of Assembly are not in possession of both?

Quære. If the commissioners ought not to have a sum of money voted to them for the expenses of their journey?

Quære. If any one person is appointed by the House of Assembly to collect all the blankets, linens and woolen cloth, recommended by the Council of Safety, whose proceedings are before the House of Assembly, and to carry the same forward to the camps and there distribute to such as may want at first cost?

The Council would have taken up this last business, but understood some directions had been given to individuals, and therefore avoided doing anything in it that might interfere with what the House of Assembly had done; and for this further reason, that a grant of money for the carrying it into execution would be

necessary.

Mr. Dingee, being returned, reported that he had waited on the House of Assembly according to the order aforesaid.

A member from the House of Assembly, attending at the door, was admitted and proposed sundry amendments to the report of the committee appointed to confer with a committee of Assembly to adjust and settle the accounts of the Military Treasurers, &c., to wit:

As to Col. Collins, nothing allowed for the transportation, &c., of money.

As to Capt. Porter, forty shillings added, which was omitted by mistake of committee.

As to John Clowes, 40s. added.

And the same being taken into consideration,

Ordered, That Mr. Bassett wait on the House of Assembly with the following verbal message, to wit:

The Council having considered the amendments proposed by the House of Assembly to the report of the Committee for Public Accounts, to wit:

The taking off £6: 4 : 0 from the allowance made to Colonel Thos. Collins, for expenses attending the delivery of part of the bills of credit, lately signed by him; the addition of 40s. to the allowance made to Capt. Alex. Porter, and the addition of the like sum to Mr. John Clowes, for their attending the printing of the same bills of credit; as to the two last amendments the Council accede thereto.

As to the first, they apprehend the committee have misstated the service for which that allowance was made. The Council are informed that the greater part of the charge arises from the carraise of the bills from the press to the house of the signer, where

it might be expected they ought to have been delivered by the attendants of the press, who undoubtedly should have been allowed therefor. The remaining part of the charge to Dover, it is urged, was for that part of the moneys belonging to the office in Sussex. For these reasons the Council are of the opinion such a charge is just, and submit it to the reconsideration of the House.

The Council propose an alteration in the sum allowed for commissions on the £500, in the first part of the report, to Brigadier McKinly, this sum being paid under an order drawn by him, as Chairman of the Council of Safety of New Castle County, on Col. Collins in favor of Lieutenant Kamford, Col. Collins being allowed commissions thereon, £7 : 10, the sum to be deducted.

Mr. Bassett reported that he waited on the House of Assembly according to the order aforesaid.

A member from the House of Assembly, attending at the door, was admitted and delivered to the Chair the resolutions following, to wit:

"On motion, by order,

"The report of the committee appointed to devise the best "method of supplying the inhabitants of this State with salt, was "read the second time, and, being debated and amended, was "agreed to, as follows, to wit:

"That they are of opinion the most certain and expeditious "method of procuring a speedy supply of salt would be to au"thorize and empower some careful and prudent persons at the "Town of New Castle to purchase one or more cargo or cargoes "of salt from on board vessels bound to Philadelphia, or after "their arrival there, at the lowest prices for which the same can "be procured, and to distribute, to the quantities they shall buy, "from time to time, equally between the several Counties of this "State, and cause the proportion for each County to be delivered "to some member of the Council of Safety in such County, who, "with the advice and assistance of the other members of the said "Council, residing in said Counties respectively, shall cause the "same to be delivered out to the inhabitants thereof in proportion "to their several wants.

"That 4,000 bushels of salt are now wanted to supply the i "mediate necessities of the people, and that the commission 'appointed to buy it ought to be supplied with £2,500 for th "purpose, and that it should be retailed out to the inhabitan "at so small an advance as would be only sufficient to reimbur "the State.

"Resolved, That Messrs. Zachariah V. Lenvington and Josep "Tatlow, of the Town of New Castle, be and they are hereb "appointed commissioners to carry the foregoing resolution "into execution; and that they be authorized to borrow, from any person or persons who will lend the same on the credit of "this State, any sum or sums of money, not exceeding £2,500 "to be repaid, with interest at six per cent., in three months.

"Resolved, That certificates, signed by the said commissioners. "expressing therein the sums borrowed, to be upon the above terms and for the above purposes, shall be sufficient vouchers to entitle the lenders to the repayment thereof by this State.

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"Resolved, That the said commissioners render an account of "their proceedings in the premises to the General Assembly of "this State at the next session."

Read and concurred in.

A member from the House of Assembly, attending at the door, was admitted and delivered to the Chair the resolution following, to wit:

"Resolved, That the balance of public money remaining in the "hands of Thos. Collins, Esq., Military Treasurer for the County "of Kent, be paid into the hands of the Speaker of this House, "whose receipt shall be a sufficient discharge to the said Military "Treasurer for the same; and that the Speaker be accountable "for the disposal thereof."

For the consideration and concurrence of the Council.

Read and concurred in.

A member from the House of Assembly, attending at the door, was admitted and returned the resolution of Council expressing

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