Be it enacted by the Governour, Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That during the continuance of this Act, no person shall be imprisoned or confined, or held in Prison, on any attachment or execution for Debt; and in every case wherein any Debtor is released out of Prison by virtue of this Act, who was imprisoned by virtue of an execution for Debt, the Creditor may take out an alias execution against the estate of such Debtor; and the Clerk of the Court, or the authority before whom the judgment was rendered, is hereby authorized to issue such alias execution, upon being certified by the Sheriff that such Debtor was released out of Prison without satisfying the Debt, by virtue of which alias execution the lawful fees for the former service and commitment may be collected, as well as the Debt. This Act to continue in force until the rising of the General Assembly in October next.

Upon the Memorial of Joseph Gurnsey and others, inhabitants of the Parish of Westbury, in the Town of Waterbury, shewing to this Assembly that they have, with great care and expense, applied themselves to the use of arms and military exercises for a considerable time, have gained considerable skill in military exercises and the art of war, and praying this Assembly to constitute them a special and distinct Military Company, &c., as per Memorial on file;

Resolved by this Assembly, That the Memorialists be, and they are hereby, constituted and made a distinct Military Company, and shall be distinguished by the name of the Nineteenth Company in the Tenth Regiment in this Colony, with power, under the direction of the Field Officers, to receive and enlist in the room of those that shall be removed by death or otherwise from said Company, provided the enlistment and enrolment aforesaid be made from the two Military Companies in the Parish of Westbury, in said Town of Waterbury, and that that enlistment and enrolment do not reduce the number of men in the two Military Companies aforesaid below the number by law established; and that said Company be, and they are hereby, constituted with all the powers, privileges, and advantages, and under the same regulations that other Companies by law do enjoy; and the Colonel, or chief Officers of said Regiment, is hereby directed and empowered by himself, or such officer as he shall appoint, to lead said company to the choice of their Officers on their being first formed and enlisted.

Upon the Memorial of John Sutliff, Jun., and others, inhabitants of the Society of Northbury, in the Town of Waterbury, shewing to this Assembly that there are within the limits of the West Company or Trainband in said Society, the major part of which have evidently discovered themselves inimical to the Constitution of this Colony, &c., and under Commissioned Officers wholly disaffected to the American cause, praying to be annexed to the new Company or Trainband in said Northbury, lately established by this Assembly, &c., as per Memorial on file;

Resolved by this Assembly, That Thomas Matthews and Timothy Judd, Esquires, be, and they are hereby appointed a Committee to inquire how far said Commissioned Officers are inimical to, or disaffected with, the American cause, and all matters contained in said Memorial, and make report to the next General Assembly.

Upon the Memorial of Joseph Monson of New-Haven, praying for permission to transport in the Sea-Flower, to the West-Indies, twenty-six head of Cattle, by him purchased for that purpose, before laying the embargo by this Assembly;

Resolved, That said Monson have liberty, and he is hereby permitted, to transport said Cattle in said vessel to the West-India Islands.

Upon the Memorial of Joseph White, of Weathersfield, in Hartford County, shewing that before any embargo was laid by this Assembly, he had procured twenty Cattle and necessary provisions for them, and eighty barrels of Pork, to be laden on board a vessel he owns, called the Schooner Fox, commanded by James Mitchell, and destined on a voyage to the West-Indies, and that said Cattle remain on his hands at great expense and loss, &c., praying for liberty to export said Cattle in said vessel, &c., as per Memorial on file, dated May 3, 1775;

Resolved by this Assembly, That the Memorialist, upon his taking out said eighty barrels of Pork, except so much as is necessary for sea-stores, have liberty, and liberty is given to him, to export said twenty Cattle in said vessel to the West-Indies, any thing in said Act laying an embargo notwithstanding.

Upon the Memorial of Hezekiah Smith, shewing that he had planned a voyage to the West-Indies, &c.;

Resolved by this Assembly, That the said Hezekiah Smith have liberty, and liberty is given and granted to him to ship the said fourteen Cattle to the West-Indies on board the vessel whereof he is master, the said embargo lately laid by this Assembly notwithstanding.

This Assembly was adjourned by proclamation without day.

GEORGE WYLLYS, Secretary.

PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE.

Committee Chamber, April 27, 1775.

Whereas the Continental Congress did resolve in the words following, viz: “And we further agree and associate that we will have no Trade, Commerce, Dealings, or Intercourse whatever, with any Colony or Province in North America which shall not accede to, or which shall hereafter violate this Association,” &c.

And Whereas the Parliament of Great Britain, in pursuance of their plan for subjugating and distressing the Colonies, have passed a Bill for depriving our brethren in New-England of the benefit of Fishing on their own Coasts; therefore,

Resolved, That all Exportation from this City to Quebeck, Nova-Scotia, Georgia, and Newfoundland, or any part of the Fishing Coasts or Fishing Islands, ought, in the opinion of this Committee, immediately to be suspended; and that it he accordingly recommended to every Merchant immediately to suspend all Exportations to those places, until the Continental Congress shall give further orders therein. By order of the Committee of the City and Liberties of Philadelphia.

JONATHAN B. SMITH, Secretary.

STEPHEN HOPKINS TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS.

Providence, Rhode-Island, April 27, 1775.

SIR: Yesterday, Mr. John Brown, one of the principal merchants of this Town, being at Newport, as an agent of this Colony appointed by the General Assembly to purchase provisions for the use of this and your Government, was seized upon in a freight or packet boat coming to Providence. He was carried and confined on board a Man-of-War lying in Newport, and about three hundred barrels of flour in that packet and another freight boat, taken by the Ship-of-War. It is said the captures are to be sent to Boston for condemnation.

We are greatly alarmed at this open force and hostility, and cannot but expect that the worst of treatment will be offered to our agent. We have thought proper to send you this notice, to the end that you may detain all such of the King’s Officers, or others, in his immediate service, as may be in your hands, to answer and be accountable for the conduct and treatment which may be had and acted to Mr. Brown, and such as may be captured with him in the said two vessels; and that you would, on your part, in the common cause, do your utmost to make reprisals of persons to stand as security in like manner; not doubting but you will cheerfully do those things which, by the laws of Nature and Nations, are justifiable to be done to those who put themselves in a state of war with others.

We are sorry to inform you that the first struggle which hath happened in our Colony, hath been unfavourable; an event which could not have come to pass, but by the faithlessness of some of the Members of our Assembly, who must have revealed their proceedings, although the oath of God was upon them to secrecy.

Reprisals, recommended by the Continental Congress, and sanctioned by the several Colonies, appears to be a

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