Saturday, May 6, 1775.

Resolved, That the Committee of Safety be, and they are hereby empowered to procure Powder, in such quantities as they shall think necessary, not only at Connecticut and Rhode-Island, but at New-York, or any other Colony on the Continent.

Ordered, That Mr. Sawyer, Captain Stone, and Doctor Taylor, be a Committee to bring in a Resolve for the purpose of appointing two Officers (one in each Camp) of the Colony Army, whose business it shall be to pass muster on the Soldiers, and draw for them, out of the Treasury, their half month’s pay.

Ordered, That the President, Colonel Dexter, Colonel Warren, Doctor Holten, and Mr. Mills, be a Committee to take into consideration the Letter received yesterday from the Speaker of the General Assembly of Connecticut.

A form of a Pass, and Resolve thereon, brought in by Colonel Warren, was accepted, and is as follows, viz:

“To the Guards of the Colony Army:

“Pursuant to a Resolve of the Provincial Congress, you are hereby ordered to permit . . . . . . , a Member of said Congress, to pass and repass, with his company, at all times.      . . . . . . , President pro tem.

“May. . ., 1775.”

Resolved, That the General Officer of the Army of this Colony be, and hereby is directed to give orders to his Officers to pay obedience to all Permits of the foregoing form, signed by the President of this Congress.

Resolved, That Colonel Dwight proceed with the Letters and Depositions, as ordered by this Congress, with all possible speed, to Hartford, there to tarry (if, at his discretion, he thinks necessary) until he receives an answer to said Letter, and a copy of the Letter sent by General Gage to the Assembly at Connecticut; and to inform the said Assembly of the alteration made by this Congress in the pay of the Field-Officers of the Army now raising in this Colony.

Ordered, That Mr. Whiting, Major Fuller, Colonel Thurston, Doctor Taylor, Colonel Field, Doctor Sawyer, and Colonel Warren, be a Committee to bring in a Resolve containing a reconsideration of the Resolve passed yesterday, respecting the choice of Delegates for a new Congress, so far as to determine what Towns should send Members, and how many Members each Town and District ought to send.

This last Order was reconsidered: Whereupon,

Ordered, That Mr. Rauson, of Mendon, Colonel Gardner, Mr. Thurston, Esquire Davis, and Mr. Sawyer, be a Committee to take into consideration an equal representation of this Colony, and report thereon.

Ordered, That Colonel Thurston, Esquire Dix, and Mr. Lothrop, be a Committee to take into consideration the form of an Establishment for the Train, and report a Resolve thereon.

The Committee appointed to bring in a Resolve for the appointment of Muster-Masters, reported.

Resolved, That three o’clock this afternoon be assigned for choosing two Muster-Masters, and that they be chosen by ballot.

Col. Lincoln brought in a Resolve empowering the Committee of Supplies to import Military Stores from such place, and in such manner and quantities, as they shall judge proper; which was read and accepted, and is as follows, viz:

Whereas, in the course of the present disputes with Great Britain, it may be necessary to import, on the risk of the Colony, many kinds of Military and other Stores:

Resolved, That the Committee of Supplies be, and they hereby are empowered and directed to import, or cause to be imported from any place whatever, such and so many Stores aforesaid, as they shall judge necessary for the defence of the Colony, and the same to risk at their discretion, with or without making insurance on the vessels and cargoes which may be so sent out or imported.

Ordered, That this Resolve be kept an absolute and entire secret by every Member of this Congress.

Resolved, That four o’clock this afternoon be assigned to consider if any method can be taken for settling the appointment of the Field-Officers.

Adjourned to three o’clock, P. M.

Afternoon.

The Order of the Day was read.

Ordered, That Mr. Dix, Mr. Gill, and Doctor Sawyer, be a Committee to sort and count the votes for two Muster-Masters; who reported, that General John Whitcomb and Colonel Benjamin Lincoln were unanimously chosen.

The Report of the Committee respecting the appointment of Muster-Masters, was accepted, and is as follows, viz:

Resolved, That General John Whitcomb and Colonel Benjamin Lincoln be, and hereby are appointed Muster-Masters in the Massachusetts Army, whose business it shall be to pass muster on every Soldier that shall be enlisted into said Army, and by no means to accept of any but such as are able-bodied effective men; and also examine if their Arms and Accoutrements are in proper order. And said Muster-Masters are hereby directed and empowered to receive from Henry Gardner, Esq., Receiver-General, or his successors in office, twenty Shillings, lawful money, for each and every Non-commissioned Officer and Private Soldier thus mustered and sworn, who shall appear with their Arms and Accoutrements; and shall give Bonds to said Receiver-General, with sufficient surety, for such Moneys drawn out of the Treasury; and shall forthwith pay out said sum of twenty Shillings as advance pay to each and every Non-commissioned Officer and Private Soldier; and on producing Receipts from them to said Receiver-General, said Bonds shall be cancelled.

Resolved, That the consideration of the Pay of the Muster-Masters be referred to some future time.

Ordered, That Colonel Thurston and Mr. Sawyer be a Committee to apply to the Committee of Safety for a list of all such persons to whom they have given encouragement to receive Commissions as Field-Officers of the Army now raising in this Colony; and they are directed, to inquire of said Committee of Safety what Field-Officers they expect will be most likely to succeed in filling up their Regiments.

Ordered, That Esquire Rawson, Mr. Patridge, Major Brooks, Mr. Webster, Colonel Mosely, Mr. Bliss, and Captain Stone, be a Committee to inquire what number of Province Arms there are in the Province, and in what place; and in particular, that they apply to the Committee of Supplies to know what number of Fire-Arms they have procured, and how they have disposed of them.

The Committee who were appointed to consider the form of an Establishment for the Train, reported verbally, that the pay was, in their opinion, reasonable; but as to the number of Matrosses, they were not proper judges. The Establishment was accepted, and is as follows, viz:

An Establishment for the Company of Train, as fixed upon by the Committee of Safety.

WILLIAM COOPER, Secretary.

Adjourned until to-morrow morning, eight o’clock.

Sunday, May 7, 1775.

Resolved, That the Committee of Supplies be, and they are hereby empowered and directed to procure at Connecticut, Rhode-Island, New-York, or any other Colony on the Continent, such a number of Fire-Arms and Bayonets for the use of this Colony, as they shall think necessary.

The Committee appointed to make application to the Committee of Supplies, to know what number of Fire-Arms they had procured, reported verbally, that they had not procured any.

On an application made to this Congress by Captain Benjamin Dunning, of Harpswell, for Powder, this Congress passed the following Resolve, viz:

*