having heard the charge alleged against him, it was Resolved, that Mr. Edwards have leave to withdraw, and that he be directed to attend this Congress to-morrow morning, at ten o'clock.

The petition of Major Baldwin,1 being read and considered, it is thereupon Ordered, that the Rev. president Langdon be requested to furnish Major Baldwin, out of the college apparatus, with [such] instruments as he stands in need of, to perform the public services therein mentioned, he giving his receipt therefor, to return the same in good order, as soon as the said services shall be performed.

A resolve of the committee of safety, relative to the ["admission] of slaves into the army was read, and ordered to lie on the table for further consideration.

The committee appointed to bring in an additional resolve, relative to making provision for the poor of Boston, reported: the report was read, amended and accepted, and ordered to be printed in the Cambridge, Watertown and Worcester papers; and is as follows:

Whereas, the provision already made for the removal of the poor of Boston, suffering by the cruel hand of arbitrary power, has not answered the salutary purposes intended, and it becomes necessary that further provision be made, therefore, Resolved, that such suffering poor shall be allowed to remove into any town or district in the colony, other than such towns or districts as are already ordered to provide for and receive the number of said poor to them assigned; and every town and district in the colony, that shall receive and provide necessary support for such suffering poor, shall be indemnified, in every respect, as fully as any other town or district in the colony, provided they observe and comply with directions already given relative to said poor. And, whereas, in the present distressed circumstances and confusion of the town of Boston, some of said poor have or may remove out of said town without proper certificates from the committee of donations, and the town to which such persons remove, may refuse to receive them for want of the same; Resolved, that it be recommended to the selectmen of the several towns and districts in this colony to which such persons may remove, that such provision be made, as is necessary to prevent their suffering, until such certificate can be procured; and such town or district shall be indemnified, as before provided, they observing the directions given in the resolve passed by the last Con

a [inadmission.]

(1) The petition of Loammi Baldwin represented, that Gen. Ward had approved of a proposal for taking surveys of the ground between the camp of the Massachusetts army and the posts of the British troops, and requested the loan of mathematical instruments from the apparatus of Harvard College, to be used in the execution of this service.

gress relative to said poor; and such persons shall be considered as part of their assignment. And, whereas, it is found extremely difficult for the committees at Charlestown and Roxbury to remove said poor to the several towns and districts to which they are destined, for want of teams to go such a distance as is necessary in many cases, it is further recommended to the selectmen of each town and district in this colony, that they assist in removing said poor, upon every necessary occasion, when it is in their power, to the several places of their assignment, keeping a particular account of their trouble and expense, and the names of the persons they assisted, and they shall be paid in manner as before provided. And the committees at Charlestown and Roxbury, who were appointed by this Congress to make provision for such poor as might come out of the town of Boston, are desired to procure a list of said poor from the committee of donations for future use and also, to take the advantage of the teams that may come from the westward, for the removal of said poor by every opportunity in their power.

Ordered, That the committee appointed to inquire into the circumstances of bringing four prisoners from Cambridge, be directed to make such provision for them as is necessary, till further orders from this Congress, and that Mr. Robinson be added to the committee, and that said committee report what they think would be best to be done with them.

Adjourned to Wednesday morning, eight o'clock.

WEDNESDAY, June 7, 1775.

Ordered, That Mr. Sullivan, Col. Parker, Mr. Webster, Major Fuller and Col. Prescott, be a committee to wait on General Ward, requesting him to exhibit to this Congress a return of the number of men in the Massachusetts army, and that Mr. Sullivan, Doct. Holten and Mr. Cushing be a committee, to bring in a resolve for this purpose.

The committee appointed to consider what is best to be done with the four prisoners brought from Dartmouth, via Cambridge, reported: the report was recommitted.

A petition from the inhabitants of Machias was read and committed to Mr. Batchelder, Col. Otis, Mr. Nichols, Mr Lothrop and Mr. Webster, to consider thereon and report.1

(1) The following is the petition mentioned in the text. It was subscribed by Jonas Longfellow and thirty-seven other citizens.

To the Honorable Congress of the Massachusetts Bay: “GENTLEMEN:-With the highest satisfaction, we now consider you as the guardians of this

The committee appointed to inquire what is become of the original letter from the Stockbridge Indians, reported, that they think it probable, from what they have on inquiry heard, that it is in the hands of the Hon. Mr. Hancock.

The committee appointed to consider of Col. Gridley's letter to the committee of safety, beg leave to report in part, that an ordnance storekeeper be immediately appointed, and recommend that Major Nathaniel Barber be appointed to that employment, and beg leave to sit again, to report a proper establishment, as also to report what further ["steps] are necessary to be taken as requested in Col. Gridley's letter.

Ordered, That commissions be delivered to the lieutenants and ensigns of Col. Mansfield's regiment, agreeably to the list by him exhibited.

Ordered, That Mr. Edwards, Col. Porter, Doct. Whiting, Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Goodridge, be a committee to consider the letters from the Stockbridge Indians, and report.

extensive and wealthy province, and relying on your wisdom, the wisdom of the Continental Congress, the justice of our cause, and the tender mercy of our fathers' God, we promise ourselves, in due time, a happy deliverance from the iron chains of tyranny, which were forming for us, and from servitude equal to Egyptian bondage."

"As a part, therefore, of your charge, we, the distressed inhabitants of Machias, beg leave to approach your presence, and to spread our grievances at your feet. We dare not say we are the foremost in supporting the glorious cause of American liberty; but this we can truly affirm, that we have done our utmost to encourage and strengthen the hands of all the advocates for America with whom we have been connected; that we have not even purchased any goods of those persons, whom we suspected to be inimical to our country, except when constrained by necessity; and that none on the continent can more cheerfully risque all that is dear to them on earth, when called, in support of those precious privileges which God [gave,] and our venerable ancestors, as a most invaluable legacy, have handed down to us."

"We must now inform your honors, that the inhabitants of this place exceed one hundred families, some of which are very numerous, and that divine Providence has cut off all our usual resources. A very severe drought last fall prevented our laying in sufficient stores; and had no vessels visited us in the winter, we must have suffered; nor have we this spring been able to procure provisions sufficient for carrying on our business. Our laborers are dismissed; some of our mills stand still; almost all our vessels have forsaken us; our lumber lies by us in heaps; and, to complete our misfortunes, all our ports are to be shut up on the first of July next; we must add, we have no country behind us to lean upon, nor can we make an escape by flight; the wilderness is impervious, and vessels we have none."

"To you, therefore, honored gentlemen, we humbly apply for relief. You are our last, our only resource, and, permit us again to say, you are our guardians, and we rejoice and glory in being subject [to you]. Pardon our importunity. We cannot take a denial, for, under God, you are all our dependance, and if you neglect us, we are ruined. Save, dear sirs, one of your most flourishing settlements from famine, and all its horrors. We ask not for charity; we ask for a supply, to be put into the hands of Messrs. Smith and Stillman, or any other person or persons your wisdom may point out, who shall obligate themselves to pay the whole amount on demand in lumber, the only staple of our country."

"That God may long preserve you, and make you happily instrumental in his hand, in bestowing all the sweets of peace and liberty to this much injured country, and even to Great Britain herself, is the constant and fervent prayer of, gentlemen, your most humble petitioners." "Machias, May 25, 1775."

a [stores.]

A petition from Col. Brewer, and another from several nominal captains under him, were read and ordered to lie on the table.

Two resolves from the Continental Congress were read, and ordered to be printed in hand bills, and dispersed throughout the colony.

Col. Porter, Col. Tyng and Mr. Jewett, were appointed a committee to prepare a resolve for the purpose of carrying into execution the said resolves.

Resolved, That Mr. Edwards be called in, and admonished by the president: which was done accordingly.

Ordered, That commissions be delivered to Col. Fellowes and the officers of his regiment, agreeably to the list exhibited by his lieutenant colonel.

The committee appointed to bring in a resolve, expressive of the duty of the committee who were appointed this day to wait on General Ward, reported. The report was read and accepted, and is as follows, viz.:

Ordered, That Mr. Sullivan, Col. Parks, Mr. Webster, Major Fuller and Col. Prescott, be a committee to wait on the hon. general Ward, and hold a conference with him on the state of the army, and to desire him to make a return, as soon as may be, to this Congress, of the number and equipments of the troops raised by this colony, and now in the camps at Cambridge and Roxbury, and stationed elsewhere, that due advisement be had thereon.

The Hon. Mr. Spooner, Hon. Mr. Sever, Hon. Col. Bowers, appointed to consider a memorial from the convention of Worcester, being absent, Ordered, that the Hon. Mr. Dexter, Col. Dwight, and Capt. Stone, be appointed in their stead.

A memorial from the selectmen of the town of Salem was read, and committed to Col. Glover, Doct. Taylor and Mr. Wheeler.

The report of the committee appointed to bring in a resolve for giving currency to the bills of credit of the other governments, was read and recommitted.

Ordered, That Mr. Orne, Col. Porter and Mr. Whittemore, be a committee to consider the petition of Benjamin Ames, and seven other companies of Col. Fry's regiment, and report.

The committee on the petition of the inhabitants of Machias reported. The report was ordered to lie upon the table for further consideration.

[Afternoon.]

Ordered, That Col. Warren, Hon. Mr. Dexter, Col. Gerrish, Col. Otis and Col. Farley, be a committee to confer with the two gentlemen,

members of the Congress of New Hampshire, who have brought a letter from that Congress to this.

Resolved, That to-morrow, four o'clock, P. M., be assigned for the choice of two gentlemen to act as major generals in the Massachusetts army.

The report of the committee on the letter from Hopkinton was read: the consideration of it was put off to five o'clock this afternoon.

On the representation of the town clerk of Lunenburg, in his letter to Doct. Taylor, respecting their town's stock of powder, &c., Resolved, that that town be excused from delivering out of their stock any more than one half barrel; the resolve of the former Congress, directing the selectmen of said town to deliver two [barrels], to the order of the committee of supplies, notwithstanding.

Ordered, That Mr. Orne and Mr. Vose, be of the committee appointed to collect the letters of the late Governor Hutchinson, in the room of Doct. Perkins and Mr. Ellis, who are absent.

The committee appointed to inquire into the circumstances of the four prisoners, reported. The report was amended and accepted, and is as follows:

[The committee appointed to take into consideration the circumstances of four prisoners brought to this Congress on the second day of June instant, said to be taken at Dartmouth, since the nineteenth of April last, beg leave to report: that it is the opinion of this committee, that the said four prisoners, viz.: Richard Luckus, mate of the ship Falcon, John Dunkinson, surgeon's mate, Jonathan Lee and Robert Caddy, be sent to Concord, to the care of the selectmen of said town, to be by them secured and provided for, agreeably to their rank, at the expense of this colony, until they receive some further order, from this or some other Congress or house of representatives of this colony.]

The committee appointed to confer with the gentlemen from the New Hampshire Congress, reported, verbally; whereupon, Ordered, that said committee be directed to reduce their report to writing.

The report of the committee on the petition from the inhabitants of Machias, being again read, was accepted, and is as follows, viz. :

The committee appointed to consider the petition of the inhabitants of Machias, beg leave to report, that it be recommended by this Congress to the committee of correspondence of the town of Salem, or to the like committees of any other towns within this province, to supply Messrs. Gardner & Smith, of said Machias, for the present relief of the said inhabitants, with the following articles, viz.: one hundred bushels of indian corn; ten barrels of pork and beef; one cask of mo