And for the encouragement of American Manufactures of Fire-Arms and Bayonets, it is further Resolved, That this Congress will give the preference to, and purchase from them, so many effective Arms and Bayonets as can be delivered in a reasonable time, upon notice given to this Congress at its next session.

The Committee appointed to take into consideration the Address from the Committee of Correspondence of the Town of Scituate, and other Towns in that vicinity, reported. Their Report was read and accepted, and ordered that it be published in the Newspapers, and is as followeth, viz:

Voted, That the Congress do highly approve of the vigilance and activity of the Selectmen and the Committees of Correspondence of the several Towns of Plymouth, Kingston, Duxbury, Pembroke, Hanover, and Scituate, in detecting the falsehoods and malicious artifices of certain persons belonging to Marshfield and Scituate, not respectable either in their numbers or their characters, who are, with great reason, supposed to have been the persons who prevailed upon General Gage to take the imprudent step of sending a number of the King's Troops into Marshfield, under the pretence of protecting them, whereby great and just offence has been given to the good people of this Province, as very fatal consequences must have arisen therefrom, if the same malevolent spirit which seems to have influenced them, had actuated the inhabitants of the neighbouring Towns; or if the same indiscretion which betrayed the General into the unwarrantable measure of sending the Troops, had led this people to destroy them.

Voted, That the Congress do earnestly recommend it to the Selectmen and Committees of Correspondence in the several Towns of Plymouth, Kingston, Duxbury, Pembroke, Hanover, and Scituate, steadily to persevere in the same line of conduct which has in this instance so justly entitled them to the esteem of their fellow-countrymen, and to keep a watchful eye upon the behaviour of those who are aiming at the destruction of our liberties.

Ordered, That Mr. Adams, Mr. Gerry, Honourable Mr. Gushing, Mr. Paine, Honourable Colonel Ward, Colonel Prescott, and Major Holten, be a Committee to wait on the Honourable Colonel Williams and —— Walter, and inform them that the Congress have had a notice of their being in Town as a Committee from Connecticut, in order to have a conference with us; and that we are ready to confer with them by a Committee, at such time and place as shall be most agreeable to them.

Ordered, That no Member of this Congress depart therefrom, until the conference with the Committee from Connecticut be over.

The Committee appointed to wait upon the gentlemen from Connecticut, reported that they had attended that service, and delivered the message with which they were charged, and that the gentlemen propose this evening to meet the Committee from this Congress, at such place as you shall appoint.

Ordered, That the Committee on the State of the Province be the Committee from this Congress to meet the gentlemen from Connecticut this evening, at Captain Stedman's, for the proposed conference.

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

Thursday, February 16, 1775, A. M.

Adjourned to twelve o'clock at noon.

Met agreeable to adjournment.

Ordered, That Mr. Pickering, Doctor Warren, and Mr. Lothrop, be a Committee to bring in a Resolve purporting the business and duty of a Committee to be appointed to correspond with the House of Assembly of Connecticut, and if necessary, with the other neighbouring Colonies.

Resolved, That at three o'clock this afternoon the Congress will come to the choice, by ballot, of a Committee to correspond with the neighbouring Governments.

Afternoon.

Ordered, That Mr. Pitts, Mr. GilI., and Mr. Fuller, be a Committee to count and sort the votes for the Committee to correspond with the neighbouring Governments.

Ordered, That Major Hawley, Mr. Brown, and Colonel Patterson, be a Committee to bring in a Resolve relative to the adjournment, and empowering the Members of Charlestown, and others, to call the Congress together at an earlier day than that to which it may be adjourned.

Ordered, That Colonel Gardner, Major Holten, and Captain Batcheldor, be a Committee to wait on the Rev. Doctor Appleton, and return him the thanks of this Congress for his services as their Chaplain during this session.

The Congress then proceeded to bring in their votes for a Committee to correspond with the neighbouring Governments. After sorting and counting the same, the Committee reported that the Honourable John Hancock, Esquire, Honourable Thomas Cushing, Esquire, Samuel Adams, Doctor Joseph Warren, Mr. Elbridge Gerry, and Colonel William Heath, were elected.

Upon a motion, the question was put, whether the vote in the morning relative to, the choice of a Committee to correspond with the neighbouring Governments, by ballot, be so far reconsidered, as that the three persons now to be appointed thereon, be chosen by a hand vote, and that Mr. Richard Devens, Colonel Joseph Palmer, and Mr. Moses Gill, be of the Committee, and passed in the affirmative.

Resolved, That Henry Gardner, Esquire, Receiver General, be and hereby is directed to pay into the hands of the Committee of Correspondence of the Town of Boston, the sum of twenty Pounds, lawful money, to enable the said Committee to correspond with the inhabitants of Canada, they to be accountable for said sum to this or some other Congress.

The Committee appointed to bring in a Resolve setting forth the business and duty of the Committee appointed to correspond with the neighbouring Governments, reported. Read and accepted, and is as followeth, viz:

Resolved, That the Honourable John Hancock, Esquire, Honourable Mr. Cushing, Mr. Adams, Mr. Gerry, Doctor Warren, Colonel Heath, Mr. Devens, Colonel Palmer, and Mr. Gill, or the majority of them, be and are hereby appointed to act as a Committee of Correspondence with the other Colonies on this Continent, during the recess of this Congress, and they are hereby empowered and directed to consult with and make proposals to such Committees as now are or shall hereafter be appointed as Committees of Correspondence in the several American Colonies, and to make report of their doings to this Congress, at their next session.

While the iron hand of power is stretched out against these American Colonies, and the abettors of tyranny and oppression are practising every art to sow the seeds of jealousy and discord among the several parts, of this country, it is incumbent on us to take every step in our power to counteract them in their wicked designs; and as we are convinced that the union now established throughout the several Colonies, can never be maintained without frequent communication of sentiments between them; nor can any plan formed for their common benefit be carried into execution, without a previous knowledge of the general disposition of the Colonies.

The Report of the Committee recommending a day of Fasting and Prayer to be kept throughout this Province, which was ordered to lie on the table, was now taken up, considered, and accepted, and is as followeth, viz:

Whereas, it has pleased Almighty God, the just and good Governour of the world, to permit so great a calamity to befall us as the present controversy between Great Britain and these Colonies, and which threaten us with the evils of war.

And whereas, it has been the annual and laudable custom of this Colony, at the opening of Spring, to observe a day of Fasting and Prayer, to humble themselves before God for their sins, and to implore his forgiveness and blessing.

It is therefore Resolved, as the sense of this Congress, that it is highly and peculiarly proper, and a duty incumbent upon this people, more especially at a time of such general distress, that a day of Fasting and Prayer should be observed and kept throughout this Colony, not only on account of the present calamities, but also in conformity to the laudable custom of our ancestors; and it is accordingly recommended to the several religious assemblies in the same, that Thursday, the sixteenth day of March, next, be observed as a clay of Fasting and Prayer, to humble ourselves before God, on account of our sins; to implore his