Resolved, That the vote relating to a brief be reconsidered, and that it be in order to be revised.

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

TUESDAY, December 6, 1774, A. M.

The committee appointed to take into consideration the state of the manufactures in this province, reported; the report was recommitted for some additions.

The committee appointed to devise means of keeping up a correspondence between this province, Montreal and Quebec, and of gaining frequent intelligence from thence of their movements, reported, that a committee be appointed to correspond with the inhabitants of Canada. Accordingly, the Hon. Major Hawley, Col. Pomeroy, Mr. Brown, Mr. Samuel Adams, Doct. Warren, Hon. Mr. Hancock, and Doct. Church, were appointed a committee for that purpose.

The committee appointed to prepare a brief to be circulated through the several towns in this province, to promote donations for the persons suffering in the towns of Boston and Charlestown, under the operation of certain acts of the British parliament, having amended the same, reported; the report was read and accepted, and is as followeth :

The operation of the cruel and iniquitous Boston port bill, that instrument of ministerial vengeance, having reduced our once happy capital and the neighboring town of Charlestown, from affluence and ease to extreme distress; many of their inhabitants being deprived of even the means of procuring the necessaries of life; from all which they have most nobly refused to purchase an exemption, by surrendering the rights of Americans; and although the charitable donations from the other colonies and several towns in this province, have, in a good measure, relieved their immediate necessities, while their approbation has animated them to persevere in patient suffering for the public good, yet as the severity of winter is now approaching, which must add greatly to their misery; and there has been no general collection for them in this colony, we hold ourselves obliged, in justice, to contribute to their support; while they, under such a weight of oppres sion, are supporting our rights and privileges.

It is therefore Resolved, That it be recommended to our constituents, the inhabitants of the other towns, districts, and parishes, within this province, that they further contribute liberally to alleviate the burden of those persons, who are the more immediate objects of ministerial resentment, and are suffering in the common cause of their country; seriously considering how much the liberty, and consequently the

happiness, of ourselves and posterity depend, under God, on the firmness and resolution of those worthy patriots.

And it is Ordered, That Doct. Foster, Mr. Devens, and Mr. Cheever, be a committee to transmit printed copies of the above resolve to the ministers of the gospel in the several towns, districts, and parishes, in this province, who are desired to read the same to their several congregations, in order that their contributions of such necessaries of life as they can spare, may be forwarded as soon as possible.

The committee appointed to prepare an address to the clergy, having amended the same, again reported; the report was read and accepted, and ordered that copies thereof be sent to all the ministers of the gospel in the province; ||which|| is as followeth :

Reverend Sirs:-When we contemplate the friendship and assistance our ancestors, the first settlers of this province, (while overwhelmed with distress) received from the pious pastors of the churches of Christ, who, to enjoy the rights of conscience, fled with them into this land, then a savage wilderness, we find ourselves filled with the most grateful sensations. And we cannot but acknowledge the goodness of heaven in constantly supplying us with preachers of the gospel, whose concern has been the temporal and spiritual happiness of this people.

In a day like this, when all the friends of civil and religious liberty are exerting themselves to deliver this country from its present calamities, we cannot but place great hopes in an order of men who have ever distinguished themselves in their country's cause; and do therefore recommend to the ministers of the gospel in the several towns and other places in this colony, that they assist us in avoiding that dreadful slavery with which we are now threatened, by advising the people of their several congregations, as they wish their prosperity, to abide by, and strictly adhere to, the resolutions of the Continental Congress, as the most peaceable and probable method of preventing confusion and bloodshed, and of restoring that harmony between Great Britain and these colonies, on which we wish might be established, not only the rights and liberties of America, but the opulence and lasting happiness of the whole British empire.

Resolved, That the foregoing address be presented to all the ministers of the gospel in the province.

The Congress then|| adjourned to three o'clock, P. M.

Afternoon.

Resolved, That the names of the following persons be published repeatedly, they having been appointed counsellors of this province by

mandamus, and have not published a renunciation of their commission, viz: Thomas Flucker, Foster Hutchinson, Harrison Gray, William Browne, James Bouteneau, Joshua Loring, William Pepperrell, John Erving, Jr., Peter Oliver, Richard Lechmere, Josiah Edson, Nathaniel Ray Thomas, Timothy Ruggles, John Murray, and Daniel Leonard, Esquires.

Adjourned to nine o'clock to-morrow morning.

WEDNESDAY, December 7, 1774, A. M.

Ordered, That Capt. Barrett, Mr. Bridge, and Major Fuller, be a committee to collect the several expenses that have accrued to the Congress in this and the former session thereof, and they are directed to sit forthwith.

Ordered, That Mr. Sullivan, Doct. Holten, Mr. Palmer, Col. Lee, and the Hon. Col. Ward, be a committee to take into consideration and determine what recompense the delegates, who, from this province attended the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, in September last, shall be allowed for their services and expenses.

Ordered, That Col. Orne, Hon. Mr. Cushing, and Hon. Major Hawley, be a committee to bring in a resolve, directing the Hon. James Russell, Esq., impost officer, to pay the moneys now in his hands to Henry Gardner, Esq., ||and not to Harrison Gray, Esq.; the committee are directed to sit immediately.

Ordered, That John Adams, Esq., Mr. Samuel Adams, and Col. Danielson, be a committee to bring in a resolve, relative to the taking the number of inhabitants, and the quantity of exports and imports of merchandize and of the manufactures of all kinds in this colony; and the committee was directed to sit immediately. The ||above|| committee having attended that service, reported as followeth, viz:

Resolved, That a committee be appointed, consisting of one gentleman from each county, and one from each maritime town of this colony, to prepare from the best authentic evidence which can be procured, a true state of the number of the inhabitants, and of the quantities of exports and imports of goods, wares, and merchandize, and of the manufactures of all kinds, within the colony, [to] be used by our delegates ||at|| the Continental Congress, to be held at Philadelphia, on or before the tenth day of May next, as they shall think proper. And the members of this committee for each county be nominated by the members of this Congress for said county, and the mem

a in.

ber for each maritime town be nominated by the representatives of

such town.

Ordered, That the several counties be ready to report their nominations at three o'clock this afternoon.

Resolved, That Mr. Sullivan be desired to forward to the Hon. Jedediah Preble, Esq., a resolve of this Congress appointing him a general officer.||||

Afternoon.

The several counties and maritime towns nominated their members for the committee according to the resolve in the forenoon, who were accepted by the Congress, and are as follow, viz:

COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, Mr. Palmer; Boston, Doct. Warren; Essex, Col. Gerrish; Lynn, Capt. Mansfield; Marblehead, Col. Orne; Salem, Hon. Mr. Derby; Beverly, Capt. Batchelder; Manchester, Mr. Woodbury; Gloucester, Capt. Coffin; Ipswich, Capt. Farley; Newburyport, Capt. Greenleaf; Haverhill, Samuel White, Esq.; Danvers, Doct. Holten; MIDDLESEX, Col. Prescot; Charlestown, Mr. Gorham; Medford, Mr. Hall; HAMPSHIRE, Hon. Major Hawley; PLYMOUTH, Doct. Perkins; Town of Plymouth, Mr. Lothrop; Kingston, Col. Thomas; Duxbury, Mr. Partridge; Scituate, Nathan Cushing, Esq.; BARNSTABLE, Daniel Davis, Esq.; Sandwich, Capt. Nye; Eastham, Mr. Holbrook; BRISTOL, Doct. Cobb; Dartmouth, Benjamin Aiken, Esq.; Freetown, Mr. Durfee; YORK, Mr. Sullivan; Kittery, Charles Chauncy, Esq.; [Wells, Mr. Ebenezer Sayer; DUKES COUNTY, Joseph Mayhew, Esq.; Tisbury, Mr. Ranford Smith; WORCESTER, Jedediah Foster, Esq.; CUMBERLAND, Enoch Freeman, Esq.; Scarborough, Mr. Samuel March; North Yarmouth, Mr. John Lewis; Harpswell, Mr. Samuel Thompson; BERKSHIRE, John Fellows, Esq.; LINCOLN, Mr. Langdon.]

[THURSDAY, December, 8, 1774, A. M.]

[The report of the committee appointed to take into consideration the state of the manufactures of the province being amended, was read, accepted, and is as follows:]

[As the happiness of particular families arises in a great degree, from their being more or less dependent upon others; and as the less occasion they have for any article belonging to others, the more independent, and consequently the happier they are; so the happiness of

a ||Adjourned to three o'clock this afternoon.||

(1) A leaf has, unhappily, been lost from the original journal of the Provincial Congress. The defective list of members of the committee has been partially restored from the fragment of a memorandum in the hand writing of Hon. Jedediah Foster. The report, to the fourth resolution, is supplied from the Massachusetts Spy, December 22, 1774.

every political body of men upon earth is to be estimated, in a great measure, upon their greater or less dependence upon any other political bodies; and from hence arises a forcible argument, why every state ought to regulate their internal policy in such a manner as to furnish themselves, within their own body, with every necessary article for subsistence and defence, otherwise their political existence will depend upon others who may take advantage of such weakness and reduce them to the lowest state of vassalage and slavery. For preventing so great an evil, more to be dreaded than death itself, it must be the wisdom of this colony at all times, more especially at this time, when the hand of power is lashing us with the scorpions of despotism, to encourage agriculture, manufactures, and economy, so as to render this state as independent of every other state as the nature of our country will admit; from the consideration thereof, and trusting that the virtue of the people of this colony is such, that the following resolutions of this Congress, which must be productive of the greatest good, will by them be effectually carried into execution, and it is therefore Resolved:]

[1st. That we do recommend to the people the improvement of their breed of sheep, and the greatest possible increase of the same; and also the preferable use of our own woollen manufactures; and to manufacturers that they ask only reasonable prices for their goods; and especially a very careful sorting of the wool, so that it may be manufactured to the greatest advantage, and as much as may be into the best goods.]

[2d. We do also recommend to the people the raising of hemp and flax; and as large quantities of flaxseed, more than may be wanted for sowing, may be produced, we would also farther recommend the manufacturing the same into oil.]

[3d. We do likewise recommend the making of nails, which we apprehend must meet with the strongest encouragement from the public, and be of lasting benefit both to the manufacturer and the public.]

4th. The making of steel, and the preferable use of the same, we do also recommend to the inhabitants of this colony.

5th. We do in like manner recommend the making tin plate, as an article well worth the attention of this people.

6th. As fire arms have been manufactured in several parts of this colony, we do recommend the use of such in preference to any imported; and we do recommend the making gun-locks, and furniture, and other locks, with other articles in the iron way.

7th. We do also earnestly recommend the making of saltpetre, as