Ordered, That Deacon How have leave to return home, but ||he is to return to his duty immediately. Ordered, That copies of the order to Hon. Richard Derby, Esq., for fitting out his vessel as a packet, be taken and authenticated by the president pro tempore.1 Ordered, That the Hon Richard Derby, Esq.'s order to the treasury, be also authenticated by the president pro tempore. Ordered, That the committee of supplies [be directed] to [cause the] draught of the letter to our agent in Great Britain to be sent,|| with the papers now preparing for that purpose. Ordered, That Doct. Holten, Doct. Baylies, Capt. Whittemore, Col. Dwight and Mr. Kollock, be a committee to take the recommendation of the committee of safety into consideration, with respect ||to armourers for the army now forming. Moved, That when this Congress do adjourn, that they adjourn till seven o'clock to-morrow morning. ||And then|| adjourned accordingly. THURSDAY, April 27, [1775, A. M.] Seven o'clock-met according to adjournment. Ordered, That Capt. Goodman inquire of the committee of safety, whether any provision is made for a post or posts to ride from the army to Worcester, agreeably to a request from the selectmen of that town, and also to procure a writ for calling a general assembly in May next, issued from general Gage for that purpose. Ordered, That the secretary pro tempore take extracts from the minutes of the resolves of this Congress, and authenticate the same, and deliver them to the men now in waiting from York and Welles, for the purpose of obtaining some powder. Ordered, That Mr. Gerry have leave to bring in a resolve with regard to the sea ports in the county of Essex. [Whereupon, Mr. Gerry offered the following :] [Whereas, hostilities have been commenced in this colony by Great Britain, and the sword may remain unsheathed for a considerable time: a and be requested to send the same.]] (1) The order to Richard Derby, Esq. was as follows: IN COMMITTEE OF SAFETY, April 27, 1775. Resolved, That Capt. Derby be directed, and he hereby is directed, to make for Dublin, or any other good port in Ireland, and from thence to cross to Scotland or England, and hasten to London. This direction is given, that so he may escape all cruisers that may be in the chops of the channel, to stop the communication of the provincial intelligence to the agent. He will forthwith deliver his papers to the agent on reaching London. J. WARREN, Chairman. P. S.-You are to keep this order a profound secret from every person on earth. Resolved, That it be, and it hereby is earnestly recommended to the committees of the sea port towns in the county of Essex, that they use their utmost endeavors to have all the effects of the inhabitants of their respective towns removed as soon as possible: that the Congress highly approves of the conduct of said towns in wearing a pacific appearance until their effects shall be secured that the Congress consider it as absolutely necessary for said inhabitants to be in readiness to go into the country on the shortest notice, and to avoid mixing with our enemies, as thereby their own lives will ever be in imminent danger when the colony and the continent shall attack such enemies. And it is also recommended to them that their application to Congress for advice, and this resolve in consequence thereof, be kept a secret, that their effects may more easily be removed.]1 Ordered, That three o'clock next Tuesday be assigned to take up the matter in the resolve brought in by Mr. Gerry. Ordered, That Mr. President, Col. Orne, Doct. Taylor, Major Fuller of Middleton, and Capt. Goodman, be a committee to confer with the officers of the army, relative to the reduction of their pay. Col. Dwight [was] appointed to wait on the committee of safety, and acquaint them with the names of the officers in the regiments of minute men in Worcester county. Mr. Hale ||is| appointed to the same business ||for|| the county of Hampshire. Then adjourned till three o'clock. [Afternoon.] ||Afternoon, three o'clock-met according to adjournment.|| Ordered, That Capt. Kingsbury, Doct. Holten and Deacon Stone, are appointed to enquire, and endeavor to get an exact account of the men killed, and wounded, and murdered, in the late scene on the 19th instant. The order of the day was moved for, to take up the matter of supplying the treasury. Ordered, That a committee be appointed for that purpose, to consist of five, and to be chosen by written votes. Ordered, That two be added to this committee. Ordered, That Doct. Holten, Mr. Bullen and Capt. Batchelder be appointed to count and sort the votes. Ordered, That nine o'clock be assigned for that purpose. Ordered, That Mr. Partridge, Capt. Greenleaf and Doct. Baker, be appointed to consider the petition from Gorham, and to sit forthwith. (1) Mr. Gerry's resolution is transcribed from the original on the files of Congress. Ordered, That Capt. Whittemore, Mr. Freeman and Doct. Baylies, assist as scribes, the committees in taking fair copies of the depositions in order for the press; and to sit forthwith. Ordered, That Jonas Dix, Esq., [William] Stickney, Esq. and Deacon Stone, be appointed to take true copies of the depositions, and have them signed by the deponents, and authenticated by the justices and a notary public. Ordered, That Mr. Hubbart have leave to go home a few days. [FRIDAY, April 28, 1775, A. M.] Nine o'clock-met "according|| to adjournment. Ordered, [That] Mr. President, Col. Gerrish, Mr. Gerry, Doct. Holten and Mr. Gill, be appointed to confer with the gentlemen from New Hampshire, and are desired to lay the letters just received from New York, before them.1 Ordered, At the desire of the secretary pro tempore, that he be excused from that service after another is appointed in that place. Accordingly Mr. [Samuel] Freeman was appointed to that office pro tempore. IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, Watertown, April 28, 1775. Resolved, That the committee appointed to confer with the committee who this day arrived here from the colony of New Hampshire, have leave to report to this Congress a draught of a letter, which they have prepared as an answer to one received from the convention of the said colony of New Hampshire, dated 26th instant. The said draught was accordingly reported, read and unanimously accepted, and ordered to be authenticated by the president, and delivered to Col. Nathaniel Folsom, Col. Josiah Bartlet and Major Samuel Hobart, Esq., the committee from the said convention of New Hampshire, and is as follows, viz. "Gentlemen :—It is with pleasure we have received your letter abovementioned, and by a committee of this Congress, have had a conference with your respectable committee. We find the fullest conviction in the minds of the inhabitants of a conformably || (1) The letters from New York enclosed communications from London, containing intelligence of the proceedings of parliament, information of the designs of the ministry, and exhortations to union and firmness in resistance. our sister colonies, as well as of this, that by their immediate and most vigorous exertions, there is the greatest prospect of establishing their liberties and saving their country; and that without such exertions all must be lost. It is the opinion of this Congress, as already communicated, that a powerful army on our side, must, at once, cut out such a work for a tyrannical administration, as, under the great opposition which they meet with in England, they cannot accomplish; and that their system of despotism must soon be shaken to the foundation: but should they still pursue their sanguinary measures, that the colonies will then be able to make a successful stand. We have the utmost confidence in your patriotic colony, whose inhabitants have signalized themselves in joining their brethren in this; and hope to see New Hampshire, and every other government which has been exposed to the corruption of a British ministry, soon placed upon such a footing as will be best calculated to promote the true interest of the same, and to prevent in future such unhappy disputes as have taken place with the mother country. We have just received an agreeable account of the conduct of our brethren in New York, and have delivered a copy of the letter to your committee. We sincerely thank you for your late|| measures taken by your|| convention at Exeter, and are fully persuaded that the Congress of your colony, which is to meet on the 17th May, will take such effectual steps as the present exigency of public affairs requires, and the continent of America must necessarily approve. Ordered, That the secretary authenticate a copy of the letter this day received from governor Hopkins of Rhode Island, and deliver the same to the abovementioned committee from New Hampshire. Ordered, That Mr. Dickenson, Doct. Holten and Col. Gerrish, be a committee to wait upon the committee from New Hampshire to the committee of safety of this colony, now sitting at Cambridge, to consult with them respecting the New Hampshire forces now at Cambridge. Ordered, That the president, Mr. Gerry and Mr. Gardner, be a committee to take into consideration a letter this day received from the Hon. Stephen Hopkins, Esq., dated Providence, April 27th, 1775.1 a ||in.|| (1) This letter cannot be recovered: it related to the capture of Mr. John Brown: the substance 18 stated in the note to the journal of April 29. Ordered, That Mr. Crane, Mr. Grout and Mr. Fisher, be a committee to take into consideration the expediency of establishing post riders between the Massachusetts forces and the town of Worcester. Ordered, That Mr. Crane, Mr. Grout and Mr. Fisher, be a committee to take into consideration the propriety of recommending to the several towns and districts in this colony, that they take no notice of the precepts lately issued by general Gage, for calling a general assembly. Ordered, That Major Fuller of Newton, Mr. Goodman, Doct. Taylor, Doct. Baylies and Major Brooks, be a committee to prepare a form of a commission for the several officers of the army now forming in this province. Adjourned to three o'clock this afternoon. Afternoon. Ordered, That Mr. Fisher, Doct. Taylor and [Benjamin] Aikin, Esq., be a committee to prepare a draught of rules and regulations to be in future observed by the several members of this Congress. The committee appointed in the forenoon to take into consideration a letter received from the Hon. Stephen Hopkins, Esq., reported. The report [was] accepted, and ordered to lie on the table for the present. Ordered, That the committee appointed to introduce the honorable delegates from the convention at Exeter, in New Hampshire, to the committee of safety, apply to said committee for an authentic account of what transactions have certainly taken place, with respect to the liberation of our friends in Boston, and report as soon as may be. Ordered, That Col. Dexter, Major Brooks, Doct. Taylor, Capt. Batchelder and Capt. Greenleaf, be a committee to bring in a resolve empowering the committee of supplies to procure such provisions, military stores, and other stores, as they shall judge necessary for the army, now forming in this colony, during its establishment. It was Moved, That the sense of this Congress be taken, whether it would be expedient to reduce the pay of the field officers of the army now forming in this colony || after much debate the question was put, and it passed in the affirmative by a large majority. Whereupon, it was determined, that the pay of the chief colonel be reduced from £15 to £12: and that the lieutenant colonels and majors be reduced in the same proportion; ||accordingly,|| Ordered, that Major Fuller ||of Newton,|| Col. Dexter and Capt. Little, be a committee to bring in a resolve for that purpose. This Congress was then|| adjourned till to-morrow morning, eight o'clock. |