method is best to be taken for providing each of the soldiers with a

coat.

The form of a warrant for the surgeons was read and accepted, and is as follows, viz. :

The Congress of the Massachusetts Bay, to A. B. Greeting. Being informed of your skill in surgery, and reposing especial trust and confidence in your ability and good conduct, we do, by these presents, constitute and appoint you the said A. B., to be surgeon of the regiment of foot, whereof is colonel, raised by the Congress aforesaid, for the defence of said colony. You are, therefore, carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of a surgeon to the said regiment, in all things appertaining thereunto, observing such orders and instructions as you shall, from time to time, receive from the colonel of said regiment, according to military rules and discipline established by said Congress, or any your superior officers, for which this shall be your sufficient warrant.

By order of the Congress,

Dated at Watertown.

President.

Ordered, That the committee appointed to make out commissions for the officers of the army, be directed to make out warrants for the surgeons agreeably to the above form, as soon as they have been examined and appointed.

Ordered, That Deacon Fisher, Col. Thompson, and Mr. Wiswall, be a committee to bring in a resolve for the purpose of preventing the unnecessary ['expenditure] of gunpowder.

The committee appointed to consider the petition of Mr. Obrian, reported verbally; that the petitioner be served with a copy of the report of this Congress on the petition of a number of the inhabitants of Machias. The report was accepted, and the petitioner had leave to withdraw his petition.

The report of the committee relative to making the notes and bills of credit of this and the other colonies, a tender, being amended, was accepted, and ordered to be authenticated and printed in the Cambridge, Watertown, and Worcester papers, and is as follows: Whereas, a former Congress of this colony, ordered their receiver general to issue notes and bills upon the credit of this colony, for the payment

a [expense]

and supply of their army, and other necessary expenses of this colony; and whereas, divers others of the sister colonies have issued notes or bills, for the payment of their respective forces; and it is necessary, that the notes and bills of this and the sister colonies should have free currency; therefore, Resolved, that the notes and bills of the colony of Rhode Island, at and after the rate of six shillings and nine pence an ounce for silver, and the bills and notes of this and all the other colonies, excepting Nova Scotia and Canada, at and after the rate of six shillings and eight pence an ounce for silver, shall be taken and received, and accounted a good and sufficient tender for the payment of all debts, and the damages that may arise upon the non-performance of any promises, and also be received into the public treasury of this colony, without any discount or allowance whatever. And if any person whatever, shall refuse to take any of the notes or bills of the colonies aforementioned, at the rates before expressed, for any debt, or in satisfaction for the damages sustained by reason of the non-performance of any promise, or shall ask, demand, or receive, any discount, gratuity, or premium, for receiving any of the bills or notes aforementioned, he or she so offending, shall be deemed an enemy to the country. And the several committees of correspondence, inspection, and safety in their respective towns, are required to return the names of all persons who shall contravene this resolve, to this or some future Congress, or House of Representatives, that they may take order thereon as to them shall seem meet.

The resolve relative to the commencement of the pay of the officers and soldiers, was considered, and recommitted, and Mr. Batchelder and Major Fuller added to the committee.

Ordered, That Mr. Webster, Major Perley, and Mr. Mighill, be a committee to bring in a resolve for the purpose of recommending to the governor and company of the colony of Connecticut, to suffer the inhabitants of the eastern parts of this colony, to purchase and carry out of said colony such provisions as their necessitous circumstances may ` require.

Resolved, That the committee appointed to prepare a letter to the Continental Congress, be empowered and directed to communicate it to the committee of supplies, and then to forward the same to the delegates of this colony at said Congress, without reporting it to this Congress, said delegates to communicate it to the Continental Congress, if they think proper.

Ordered, That Mr. Starkweather, Capt. Partridge, and Col. Dexter, Mr. Singletary, and Col. Coffin, be a committee to examine into the

conduct and books of Mr. John Pigeon, commissary general, Mr. Pigeon having desired that a committee might be appointed for that purpose, and that said committee consider the expediency of furnishing Mr. Miller, a deputy commissary, with a horse.

Resolved, That tomorrow morning, ten o'clock, be assigned for the purpose of considering the proposal of the commissary general, for an allowance of molasses to the soldiers.

The committee appointed to bring in a resolve relative to the commencement of the pay of the officers and soldiers, reported the following, which was accepted, and ordered to be published in the papers, and is as follows, viz.:

Resolved, That each commissioned officer in the colony army shall draw pay, according to the present establishment, from the time of his first engaging in the public service or receiving beating orders, and that each non-commissioned officer and private draw pay from the time of his enlisting in said service; also, that such of the minute men and militia, as marched into the field on the 19th April, and soon after, and have remained there, and since engaged in said army for the defence of the colony, shall be paid for their service, agreeably to the present establishment, from the time of their first marching into the field.

Ordered, That Doct. Taylor, Mr. Hall, Major Brooks, Mr. Partridge, and Deacon Fisher, be a committee to consider the written proposal of Doct. Whiting, relative to saltpetre.1

Adjourned to eight o'clock, tomorrow morning.

THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1775.

A petition from Mr. John Calef2 was read, and committed to Major Fuller, Col. Coffin, Mr. Hopkins, Capt. Parker, and Mr. Mighill.

The committee appointed to bring in a resolve for the purpose of recommending to the governor and company of Connecticut, to supply the eastern country with provisions, reported: the report was accepted. 3

A letter from the committee of safety, enclosing a letter from Mr. Samuel Smith, chairman of the committee of Northfield, was read, and ordered to be sent to the committee of supplies.+

a [and is as follows.]

(1) Doct. Whiting recommended, that information in relation to the manufacture of saltpetre should be obtained from skilful persons in New York.

(2) This petition was for leave to send a ship fitted out in Salem, upon a foreign voyage.

(3) The substance of the resolve is stated in the text: the original has not been preserved.

(4) The committee of Northfield informed Congress, that two small cannon belonging to Massa

The committee appointed to consider the petition from Narraguagus and other towns at the eastward, reported. The report was ordered to subside, and the petitioners had leave to withdraw their petition.1

Ordered, That the President, Major Hawley, Doct. Whiting, Mr. Hopkins, and Mr. Greenleaf, be a committee to prepare an address to Generals Washington and Lee, to be presented to them on their arrival here.

The committee appointed to consider the petition of officers belonging to Col. Prescott's, Col. Fry's and Bridge's regiments, reported: which report was accepted." 2

Ordered, That the resolve passed the 19th instant, relative to spears, &c., be recommitted to Major Goodwin for amendment.

The committee appointed to consider a proposal made by Doct. Whiting, for sending some person to New York, to advise with Doct. Graham and others, and procure from them directions for the manufacture of saltpetre, reported; which report was ordered to lay on the table, and Mr. Phillips and Doct. Whiting were appointed to confer with Mr. Professor Sewall, on the subject matter contained therein.

The committee appointed to consider some methods for supplying the soldiers, stationed on the sea coasts, with provisions, reported. The report was amended and accepted, and is as follows, viz.: Resolved, that the selectmen of the several towns or plantations on the sea coast, or, where there are no selectmen, the assessors of such place where any such soldiers shall be stationed for their defence, be, and they hereby are directed, to supply the officers and soldiers with suitable provisions for their support, so long as said men continue in the colony service, and do their duty of soldiers in their several stations, for which provisions, the said selectmen or assessors shall be paid, out of the public treasury, the sum of five shillings for each man, per week, who shall be so supplied. And it is recommended to the owners of the Elizabeth Islands, to supply the soldiers that may be stationed on said islands, for which they shall be allowed, out of the treasury aforesaid, the same sum per week, which is allowed for the

a [and is as follows.]

chusetts, and a double fortified gun of New Hampshire, were left at Fort Dummer when that fortress was dismantled, and a cannon at Fort Hinsdale, above Northfield; all four pounders, which might be conveyed to the army.

(1) The scarcity of provisions and the deficiency of arms were assigned as the reasons for declining to make the appropriations requested by the petitioners.

(2) The report appears to have pointed out a mode of adjusting difficulties which had arisen in relation to the rank of some of the officers of the regiments.

supply of the soldiers to be stationed in the other parts of the sea

coast.

Ordered, That Mr. Hobart, Col. Farley and Mr. Webster, be a committee to inquire of the committee of supplies, in what manner the military stores in Watertown are guarded, and that they take effectual care that they be properly guarded, and that there be not so large a quantity kept together, as there now is in one place.

A letter from the committee of safety, respecting Gen. Ward's ordering them to deliver out small arms to such officers as may apply, was read; the consideration whereof was referred to 9 o'clock, tomorrow morning.

:

The committee on the petition of Mr. John Calef, reported. The report was accepted, and is as follows, viz. It appearing to this Congress inconsistent with the best interest of this colony, that the within mentioned ship should proceed on her voyage as requested by the within memorialist, therefore, Resolved, that the said ship do not accordingly proceed on said voyage, till further order from this Congress, or some future house of representatives.

Afternoon.

Ordered, That Col. Freeman, Doct. Taylor and Mr. Lothrop, be a committee to consider in what manner enlisting orders and commissions shall be given to the officers of the several companies to be stationed on the sea coasts.

Mr. Palfrey was introduced to this Congress, who brought with him a number of letters, which were brought from England by Capt. Jenkins.1

Resolved, That Ensign Campbell, now a prisoner at Concord, be sent for to this Congress, and that Doct. Taylor and Capt. Stone be directed to search his packages, and see that he is brought to this Congress, and that Mr. Partridge be directed to bring in a resolve empowering said gentlemen to [perform] this service.

Ordered, That the letters directed to gentlemen in Rhode Island, be sent to the officers of the Rhode Island forces; those to Connecticut to the officers of the Connecticut forces; and those directed to New Hampshire, to the officers of the New Hampshire forces.

Ordered, That Doct. Whiting, Mr. Webster and Col. Freeman, be a committee to take under consideration a resolve of Congress, empowering the committee for procuring guns, to draw on the treasurer,

(1) Some of these letters contained the expression of friendly sentiments, others information of the preparations for reducing the colonies to obedience; and among them were many addressed to individuals on affairs of business and trade.