The Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts in 1774 and 1775

Report of the committee to consider measures for assisting the poor of

Boston to move out of said town,

176

Apportionment of the poor inhabitants of Boston among the towns of the

province,

Committee of supplies ordered to furnish provisions to certain persons

who had sustained losses from the British troops at Lexington,

Committee to consider what should be done with respect to furnishing the

178

army with necessaries,

178

"2-Col. Joseph Warren chosen president of Congress,

178

Committee to consider the propriety of taking measures to secure the

records of the counties exposed to danger,

Committee to draught a letter to the delegates from Congress to Connec-

ticut,

Committee to draw up the form of an oath for the officers and soldiers of

179

Letter to the delegates of Congress in Connecticut respecting the arrival

of gentlemen from that colony with a commission to treat with Gen-

eral Gage,

Letter from Gov. Trumbull of Connecticut to General Gage,

Committee to take into consideration a letter from Dartmouth respecting

sending vessels to sea,

Committee to bring in a resolve for granting liberty to persons in Boston

to send into the country for their effects,

183

Committee to forward an express to the Continental Congress with copies

of papers transmitted to Great Britain,

183

Resolve granting license to persons in Boston to send into the country for

their effects,

184

Committee to consider what shall be done for the liberation of the Amer-

ican prisoners taken on the 19th of April,

184

"3 Rev. Doct. Cooper requested to officiate as chaplain,

Resolve for supplying Col. Benedict Arnold with money and warlike

stores,

185

Committee to overlook the commissions of the committees of safety and

supplies, and see what additional powers they should have,

Resolves authorizing the receiver general to borrow money, and prescrib-

ing the form of the security to be given to the lender,

Resolve for exempting the horses and carriages of members of Congress

from being impressed, .

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The receiver general directed to issue no notes for a less sum than four

pounds, lawful money,

186

The committee appointed to consider the subject of advance pay to the
soldiers, reported. The report was recommitted,

Committee to procure a copperplate for printing the colony notes, and to

countersign them,

Letter to the Continental Congress,

187

MAY 3-Rev. Mr. Gordon requested to officiate as chaplain,

Report of the committee appointed to consider measures for liberating
the prisoners taken by General Gage's troops on the 19th of April, .

"4-Report of the committee appointed to take into consideration the advance

pay to the soldiers,

Committee to bring in a resolve for reconsidering a former resolve, and

recommending to the towns and districts not to obey the precepts of

General Gage for calling a general assembly,

189

190

Committee to examine the towns' and districts' stocks of powder,

Committee to hold a conference with the delegates from Connecticut to

General Gage,

190

191

Report of the committee appointed to inquire into the conduct of the

191

towns towards the prisoners of war,
Report of the committee appointed to confer with the Connecticut dele-
gates,

Committee to prepare a letter to the assembly of Connecticut,

"5-Committee to bring in a resolve relative to an obstruction to the removal

of the inhabitants of Boston,

Report of the committee respecting General Gage's writs for calling a

general assembly,

Committee to bring in a resolve for the choice of delegates to a new Pro-

Letter to the governor and company of the colony of Connecticut,

Report of the committee, and letter to General Ward relative to an ob-

struction to the removal of the inhabitants of Boston,

Resolve for the election of delegates to a new Provincial Congress,

Letter from Gov. Trumbull of Connecticut,

Resolve for supplying the assembly of Connecticut with the rules and reg-

ulations of the army,

"6-Committee of supplies empowered to procure powder in any of the colo-

nies,

Committee to bring in a resolve for the appointment of two muster mas-

ters,

Committee to take into consideration the letter from the speaker of Con-

necticut,

197

Form of a pass through the guards of the army for members of Congress,

Col. Dwight ordered to proceed to Hartford, with letters and depositions

for the general assembly of Connecticut,

197

198

Committee to take into consideration the subject of an equal representa-

tion of the colony,

Committee to consider the form of an establishment for the train,

Resolve empowering the committee of supplies to import military stores,

Two muster masters appointed, and report of the committee respecting

their appointment,

Committee to enquire what number of province arms are in the province,

and what number of fire-arms have been procured by the committee

of supplies,

Establishment for the companies of the train,

7-Committee of supplies directed to procure such a number of fire-arms as

MAY 8-Committee to transcribe the narrative of the proceedings of the king's

troops, on the 19th ult.

Committee to prepare an answer to a letter from the selectmen of the

town of Hopkinton,

Form of an oath for the officers and soldiers of the Massachusetts army,

Committee to draw up a resolve for disarming such persons as will not

give an assurance of their good intentions to the country,

The muster masters empowered to administer the oath to the officers and

soldiers of the army,

Letter to the selectmen of Hopkinton, respecting the removal of disaffect-

ed inhabitants,

204

205

Committees to collect the province arms in the counties of Hampshire

and Berkshire,

Report of the committee appointed to bring in a resolve recommending

the disarming certain persons in the colony,

Committee to bring in a resolve, recommending to the inhabitants to save

their straw,

Committee to confer with the committee of safety with respect to settling

the appointment of field officers, and to enquire into the state of the

army,

Letter to General Ward respecting certain outrages upon private prop-

"9—The receiver general directed to give public notice of the resolve of Con-

gress for borrowing money,

Committee to prepare an application to General Gage respecting his

treatment of the inhabitants of Boston,

Col. Asa Whitcomb chosen a muster master in place of Col. John Whit-

comb who declined the trust, .

Committee to consider the expediency of establishing post offices and

riders in the colony,

Report of a committee appointed to consider a false account of the late

excursion of the king's troops to Concord,

Resolve for furnishing the soldiers who are destitute, with arms and

equipments,

209

"10-General officers directed to call in all the soldiers who are enlisted in the

army, .

Committee to take into consideration the proceedings of the town of Bris-

tol,

Resolve recommending to the inhabitants of the colony to save their

straw,

211

Committee to transcribe the depositions taken, relative to the proceedings

of the king's troops on the 19th ult.,

211

Resolve for the security of the county records,

211

Report of the committee on the establishment of post offices made, and

Committee to consider the propriety of establishing a regiment of the

train of artillery,

212

MAY 10-Committee to consider a resolve of the committee of safety relative to

establishing a court of enquiry,

Committee to inquire into the complaint made by the selectmen of Wor-

cester against individuals of that town,

Remonstrance to General Gage against the treatment of the inhabitants

of Boston,

212

Resolve for the establishment of a regiment of artillery,

213

Petition from Timothy Langdon respecting the imprisonment of Edward

Parry,

214

Report of the committee upon the complaint from the selectmen of Wor-

cester,

214

Committee to consider applications from the eastern parts of the province

for arms and ammunition,

215

"11-Report of the committee on said applications,

Committee to prepare a letter to the committee of correspondence of New

York, relative to the sailing of men of war from Boston to New York,

Letter of the committee,

"12-Letter from Hon. Enoch Freeman respecting the Penobscot Indians, and

Letter from General Jedediah Preble, respecting an attack upon a king's

ship in Falmouth harbor,

217

Committee to take into consideration the expediency of raising a compa-

ny of Indians, .

218

Resolve for aiding the Rev. Mr. Gordon in examining and taking deposi-

tions of the British prisoners,

218

Committee appointed to consider measures for establishing post offices

and riders, reported. The subject postponed,

A committee raised to make application to the Continental Congress, for

obtaining their recommendation for this colony to take up and exer-

cise the powers of civil government,

Committee appointed to estimate the damages done to private property

"13-Petition from the town of Topsham for a supply of powder, committed,

220

Rev. Doct. Langdon chosen to preach the election sermon,

221

Resolve for taking a third set of depositions relative to the battle of Lex-
ington,

Report of the committee appointed to consider the petition of the select-

men of Topsham,

Resolves for the establishment of post offices and post riders,

"15-Ordered that a committee be directed to desire the Continental Congress
to take measures for directing and regulating the American forces,

The committee appointed to prepare an introduction to the depositions

relating to the affairs of Lexington, reported. The report was re-

committed,

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Resolve for preventing persons inimical to the colony from removing with

their effects out of the colony without permission of the committee of

the town to which they belong,

226

Resolve respecting an embassy to Canada,

227

MAY 15-Report of the committee appointed to bring in a resolve for establishing a
court of inquiry, made and rejected,

Delegates to repair to the Congress of New Hampshire,
Committee to bring in a resolve for supplying one month's advance pay

to the soldiers,

Mr. John Pitts chosen on the committee of supplies in place of Col. Lee,
Committee to draw up instructions to the delegates to the Congress of

New Hampshire,

"16-Committee to apply to the committee of safety for a list of persons who
have received enlisting orders, and the number of men each officer
has enlisted,
Application to the Continental Congress respecting the exercise of civil
government by the Massachusetts Bay,

Instructions to the delegates to the New Hampshire Congress,

Doct. Benjamin Church chosen to go to Philadelphia with the application

to the Continental Congress,

Resolve respecting the organization of the train of artillery in the pro-
vincial army,

Committee to consider what measures should be taken relative to the
prisoners in Boston and the inhabitants there kept in duress,

Report of the committee appointed to apply for a list of officers,
"17-Committee to take into consideration certain letters giving an account of
the taking of the fortress at Ticonderoga,