appointed to wait upon him early to-morrow morning with the same. Accordingly, Col. Lee, Hon. Col. Ward, Col. Orne, Capt. Gardner, Henry Gardner, Esq., Mr. Devens, Mr. Gorham, Capt. Brown, Col. Pomeroy, Hon. Col. Prescot, Col. Thayer, Mr. Williams, Capt. Heath, Capt. Upham, Mr. Barnes, Capt. Doolittle, Mr. Lothrop, Major Thompson, Mr. Palmer, Mr. Pickering, and Capt. Thompson, were appointed. Resolved, That when this Congress shall adjourn over the sabbath, that it be adjourned to the court house in Cambridge.

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

FRIDAY, October 14, 1774, A. M.

Resolved, That the message to his excellency be printed in the Boston newspapers.

Adjourned to three o'clock this afternoon.

Afternoon.

The committee on the state of the province reported the following resolve, which was read, considered and accepted, and ordered that it be printed in the Boston newspapers, and attested by the secretary.

Resolved, That the several constables and collectors of taxes throughout the province, who have or shall have any moneys in their hands collected on province assessments, be advised not to pay the same, or any part thereof, to the Hon. Harrison Gray, Esq., but that such constables and collectors, as also such constables and collectors as have or shall have any county moneys in their hands, take and observe such orders and directions touching the same, as shall be given them by the several towns and districts by whom they were chosen. And that the sheriffs and deputy sheriffs of the several counties in the province, who have in their hands any province moneys, be also advised not to pay the same to the said Harrison Gray, Esq., but that they retain the same in their hands respectively, until the further advice of a Provincial Congress, or order from a constitutional assembly of this province. And that the present assessors of the several towns and districts in the province, be advised to proceed to make assessments of the tax granted by the great and general court of the province at their last May session, and that such assessments be duly paid by the persons assessed, to such person or persons as shall be ordered by the said towns and districts respectively. And the Congress strongly recommend the payment of the tax accordingly.

The Congress then adjourned to the court house in Cambridge, there to meet on Monday next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon.

CAMBRIDGE, Monday, October 17, 1774, A. M.

The Congress met according to adjournment, and adjourned to the meeting house in Cambridge.

Upon a motion,

Ordered, That Capt. Gardner, Mr Watson, and Mr. Cheever, be a committee to wait on the Rev. Doct. Appleton, and desire that he would attend the Congress and open the meeting with prayer.

The committee reported, that they had waited on the Rev. Doct. Appleton, and delivered the message, and that he would wait on the Congress immediately.

Upon a motion, the question was put, whether application be made to the governor of the college, for leave for the Congress to sit in the new chapel, and passed in the negative.

Resolved, That the seats now chosen by the members in Congress, and those which may be chosen by them in future upon their first coming into the same, be their seats during the session thereof.

Resolved, That the Congress be returned in divisions as agreed on at Concord.

Mr. President informed the Congress that he had in his hand his excellency's answer to our message to him of the thirteenth instant, directed to Col. Lee, and others which he read and is as followeth :||

To Col. Lee, Hon. Col. Ward, Col. Orne, Capt. Gardner, Henry Garduer, Esq., Mr. Devens, Mr. Gorham, Capt. Brown, Col. Pomeroy, Hon. Col. Prescot, Col. Thayer, Mr. Williams, Capt. Heath, Capt. Upham, Mr. Barnes, Capt. Doolittle, Mr. Lothrop, Major Thompson, Mr. Palmer, Mr. Pickering, and Capt. Thompson, said to be a committee to wait on his excellency with a message.

GENTLEMEN: The previous menaces daily thrown out, and the unusual warlike preparations throughout the country, made it an act of duty in me to pursue the measures I have taken in constructing what you call a fortress, which, unless annoyed, will annoy nobody.

It is surely highly exasperating, as well as ungenerous, even to hint that the lives, liberties, or properties of any persons, except avowed enemies, are in danger from Britons; Britain can never harbor the black design of wantonly destroying, or enslaving, any people on earth. And notwithstanding the enmity shewn the king's troops, by withholding from them almost every necessary for their preservation, they have not, as yet, discovered the resentment which might justly be expected to arise from such hostile treatment.

No person can be more solicitous than myself to procure union and

harmony between Great Britain and her colonies, and I ardently wish to contribute to the completion of a work so salutary to both countries. But an open and avowed disobedience to all her authority, is only bidding defiance to the mother country, and gives little hopes of bringing a spirited nation to that favorable disposition, which a more decent and dutiful conduct might effect.

Whilst you complain of acts of parliament that make alterations in your charter, and put you in some degree on the same footing with many other provinces, you will not forget that by your assembling, you are yourselves subverting that charter, and now acting in direct|| violation of your own constitution.

It is my duty, therefore, however irregular your application is, to warn you of the rock you are upon, and to require you to desist from such illegal and unconstitutional proceedings.

PROVINCE HOUSE, October 17, 1774.

THOMAS GAGE.

Resolved, That his excellency's answer be committed to the committee on the state of the province.

Ordered, That the letters on his honor's table, said to be wrote by the Rev. Mr. Peters,1 be committed to the committee on the state of the province.

Adjourned to three o'clock this afternoon.

(1) Rev. Samuel Peters, born at Hebron, in Connecticut, December 12, 1735, of Yale College 1757, took orders and assumed the charge of the churches of his native town and of Hartford in 1762. He resided in Hebron until 1774. In that year, public indignation was strongly roused by communications to the royalist newspapers attributed to his pen. His house was often visited by committees from the patriotic inhabitants, his papers searched, and his person sometimes treated with severity. The letters mentioned in the text were sent from Boston, where he had taken refuge, to his friends and relatives: they were intercepted, and submitted to the Congress.

On the 28th of September, he writes to his mother: "I should be happy if my friends and relations at Hebron were provided for at these bad times when things are growing worse. Six regiments are coming over from England and sundry men of war. So soon as they come HANGING WORK will go on, and DESTRUCTION will attend first the sea port towns. The lintel sprinkled on the sidepost will preserve the faithful."

In a letter to Dr. Auchmuty, at New York, dated at Boston, October 1, 1774, he writes: "The riots and mobs that have attended me and my house, set on by the Governor of Connecticut, have compelled me to take up my abode here; and the clergy of Connecticut must fall a sacrifice with the several churches, very soon, to the rage of the puritan mobility, if the old serpent, that dragon, is not bound."...." Judge Auchmuty will do all that is reasonable for the neighboring charter. Necessity calls for such friendship, as the head is sick and heart faint, and spiritual iniquity rides in high places, with halberts, pistols, and swords. See the proclamation I sent you by my nephew, on their pious sabbath day, the 4th of last month, when the preachers and magistrates left the pulpits, &c., for the gun and drum and set off for Boston, cursing the King and Lord North, General Gage, the bishops and their cursed curates, and the church of England. And for my telling the church people not to take up arms, &c., it being high treason, &c., the sons of liberty have almost killed one of my church, tarred and feathered two, abused others, and on the 6th day destroyed my windows, and rent my clothes, even my gown, &c., crying out, down with the church,

Afternoon.

Resolved, That in the absence of the president, the secretary have power to adjourn the Congress.

Ordered, That the committee appointed to wait on the Rev. Doct. Appleton this morning to desire his attendance on the Congress, and [that he would] open the meeting with prayer, again wait on him, and return him the thanks of this Congress for his attendance ||on|| and prayer with them this morning; and desire that he would officiate as their chaplain during their session here.

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

TUESDAY, October 18, 1774, A. M. Ordered, That the galleries be now cleared, and that the doors of the house be kept shut, during the debates of the Congress, until the further order thereof.

Resolved, That a doorkeeper be appointed; and that the members of the town of Cambridge appoint some suitable person for that purpose. Mr. William|| Darling was appointed accordingly. Adjourned to three o'clock this afternoon.

Afternoon.

Moved, That the Congress now determine whether they will, or will not, reply to his excellency's answer.

After some debate thereon, the question was put, whether the Congress will make a reply to his excellency's answer, and it passed in the affirmative.

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

WEDNESDAY, October 19, 1774, A. M.

Ordered, That the doorkeeper see that the galleries be now cleared. The committee on the state of the province reported a reply to his excellency's message. The same was read and ordered to be recommitted.

Ordered, That Capt. Heath, Major Fellows, Col. Thomas, Capt. Gardner, and Col. Pomeroy, be a committee to make as minute an inquiry into the present state and operations of the army as may be, and report.

a Congress met pursuant to adjournment.[]

the rags of popery, &c. Their rebellion is obvious, and treason is common, and robbery is the daily devotion, The Lord deliver us from anarchy. The bounds of New York may directly extend to Connecticut river; Boston meet them; New Hampshire, take the province of Maine; and Rhode Island be swallowed up as Dathan. Pray lose no time, nor fear worse times than attend us." Mr. Peters went to England in the autumn of 1774: published a history of Connecticut in 1781, which has not been considered a work of good authority: returned to America in 1805: went to the falls of St. Anthony claiming a large territory under Carver, in 1817 and 1818: and died in New York, April 19, 1826, aged 90.

Afternoon.

Ordered, That no members be called out.

The committee on the state of the province reported an answer to his excellency's message; which, having been read and considered, in ||paragraphs, and so passed was ordered to lie on the table. Adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine o'clock.

THURSDAY, October 20, 1774, A. M.

The committee appointed to make inquiry into the state and operations of the army reported. The report, after being read, was ordered to lie on the table.

Afternoon.

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to consider what is necessary to be now done for the defence and safety of the province.

Resolved, That the committee consist of thirteen, viz: two in the county of Suffolk, and one in each other county ["which has] returned members to this Congress.

Resolved, That each county appoint its own member.

The members of the several counties retired, soon returned, and reported that they had made choice of the following gentlemen respectively, viz:

Suffolk.-Hon. Samuel Dexter, Esq., and Capt. Heath. Middlesex.— Capt. Gardner. Essex. Col. Orne. Hampshire.-Major Hawley. Plymouth.-Col. Thomas. Barnstable.-Daniel Davis, Esq. Bristol.-Col. Walker. York.-Edward Cutt, Esq. Dukes.-Mr. Smith. Worcester.-Hon. Col. Ward. Cumberland.-Major Freeman. Berkshire.-Major Fellows.

Upon a motion, Ordered, That the gentlemen appointed by the several counties respectively be a committee for the purpose aforesaid. The committee on the state of the province reported a resolve relative to the payment and collecting of the outstanding rates and taxes; the same was read, and ordered to be recommitted.

Upon a motion, Ordered, That the answer to his excellency's message remain on the table.

Then adjourned till nine o'clock to-morrow morning.

FRIDAY, October 21, 1774, A. M.

Ordered, That Mr. Gerry, Col. Warren, and Col. Lee, be a committee to report a letter to the selectmen, overseers of the poor, committee of correspondence, and committee of donations, for the town of

a ||paragraph by paragraph.

b [who have.]

c ||being.||