It was then moved, that the sense of the Congress be taken on this question, viz: Whether there is now existing in this Colony a necessity of taking up and exercising the powers of Civil Government in all its parts?

After some debate, it was

Resolved, That this Congress will now form itself into a Committee of the Whole House, for consideration of the question in debate.

The Committee having considered thereon, the President, on a motion made, resumed the chair.

The Committee then, by the Honourable Joseph Warren, Esquire, their chairman, reported: “That a Committee be raised, for the purpose of reporting to the Congress an application to the Continental Congress, for obtaining their recommendation for this Colony to take up and exercise Civil Government as soon as may be, and that the Committee be directed to ground the application on the necessity of the case;” which Report being read, was accepted, by a very large majority: Whereupon,

Ordered, That the President, Doctor Church, Mr. Gerry, Colonel Warren, Mr. Sullivan, Colonel Danielson, and Colonel Lincoln, be a Committee to prepare an application agreeable to said Report.

A Letter from Colonel Quincy, of Braintree, to the President, was read: Whereupon,.

Resolved, That General Ward be, and hereby is directed to order four respectable Officers to escort the President of this Congress to Colonel Quincy, at Braintree, to-morrow morning.

Ordered, That Major Fuller, Mr. Goodwin, and Deacon Whitney, be a Committee to estimate the damages done at Concord, Lexington, and Cambridge, by the King’s Troops on the 19th ultimo, so far as respects private property only.

Ordered, That Mr. Sullivan, Doctor Taylor, and Mr. Lewis, be a Committee to take into consideration a Letter from the Honourable Enoch Freeman, Esquire, dated May 10, 1775, to his son, Mr. Samuel Freeman.

Resolved, That the further consideration of the Report of the Committee who were appointed to bring in a Resolve respecting the establishment of Post-Offices and Post-Riders, be resumed to-morrow morning, nine o’clock.

Resolved, That the Establishment for a Train of Artillery, which has been accepted by this Congress, be reconsidered, and that the following Report for such an establishment be accepted, viz:

Resolved, That the following Establishment be made for ten Companies of Matrosses:

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

Saturday, May 13, 1775.

Met according to adjournment.

The Petition of the Selectmen of the Town of Topsham, in the County of Lincoln, respecting their being supplied with Powder, was read; and

Ordered, That the same be committed to Captain McCobb, Mr. Lewis, and Doctor Taylor.

The Order of the Day, respecting the further consideration of the Report of the Committee appointed to bring in a Resolve respecting the establishing Post-Offices, &c., was taken up, and the blanks for Postmasters being filled up, ordered to subside till the Report on the Letter from the Honourable Enoch Freeman, Esquire, was read.

The Committee appointed to take into consideration a Letter from the Hon. Enoch Freeman, Esquire, dated May 10th, reported; and, after a long debate thereon, was ordered to be recommitted for amendment.

Moved, That a Committee be appointed to count and sort the votes for a Committee to be chosen, by ballot, to appoint Post-Riders. Time assigned for that purpose, three o’clock, P. M.

The Order of the Day was moved for, to choose a gentleman to preach the sermon on the 31st May.

Moved, That a Committee be chosen to count and sort the votes. Colonel Warren, Captain Jennison, and Major Bliss, were chosen.

The Committee chosen to count and sort the votes, reported that the Rev. Dr. Langdon was chosen.

Moved, That a Committee of three persons be appointed, to wait on the Rev. Dr. Langdon, and acquaint him that this Congress have made choice of him to preach a sermon to the Congress of this Colony on the 31st instant, and desire his compliance therewith. Colonel Gerrish, Mr. Pitts, and Doctor Sawyer, were chosen accordingly.

The Committee appointed to prepare a Resolve, respecting the taking a third set of the Depositions relative to the battle of Lexington, reported; which Report was accepted, and is as follows, viz:

Resolved, That William Read, William Stickney, Thaddeus Mason, Jonathan Hastings, Jonathan Cummins, Josiah Johnson, Duncan Ingraham, Jonas Dix, and Simeon Tufts, Esquires, be, and they hereby are required to take a third set of the Depositions relative to the battle of Lexington, similar to the two sets already by them taken; and they are empowered to summon, or cause to be summoned, such inhabitants of this Colony as they shall think proper, to attend them at any time and place in this country which they shall direct, for the purposes mentioned; and all such persons as shall be summoned by the Justices aforesaid, are hereby directed punctually to obey their summons

Ordered, That Mr. Pitts, Mr. Gill, and Mr. Sawyer, be a Committee to take into consideration a Letter from Mr. John Peck, respecting his confinement, to the Selectmen of Boston, and the said Selectmen’s Letter to this Congress on the same subject.

The Committee reported their amendment of the Report on the Honourable Enoch Freeman’s Letter. Referred to the afternoon.

Adjourned to three o’clock, P. M.

Afternoon.

Met according to adjournment.

The Report of the Committee respecting the Honourable Enoch Freeman, Esquire’s Letter, was taken up, amended, and accepted.

The Committee appointed to consider the Petition of the Selectmen of the Town of Topsham, reported. The Report was accepted, and is as follows, viz:

Whereas, the Town of Topsham, being a seaport place, in the eastern part of the Colony, and much exposed to the rage and incursions of our unnatural enemies, and not having a sufficient quantity of Gunpowder to defend themselves in case of an attack, and the Town of Wrentham being well stocked with that article: therefore,

Resolved, That it be and hereby is recommended to the Selectmen of the above-said Town of Wrentham, to deliver one half barrel of Gunpowder to Mr. Prince Rose, for the use of the Town of Topsham, he paying them for said Powder, which shall be replaced, if needed, as soon as the Colony Magazine can be supplied.

Resolved, That the Order of the Day, on the subject of Post-Riders, be now taken up; when Captain Jonathan Brown, Jonas Dix, Esq., and Deacon Cheever, were chosen a Committee to count and sort the votes for a Committee to establish Post-Riders; which Committee was chosen, and the blanks in the Resolve, respecting Post-Offices, being filled up with said Committee’s names, the Resolve was accepted, and is as follows, viz:

Resolved, As the opinion of this Congress, that Post-Riders be immediately established, to go from Cambridge, and to ride the following roads, viz: To Georgetown, in the County of Lincoln; to Haverhill; to Providence; to Woodstock, by Worcester; and from Worcester to Great Barrington, by Springfield; and to Falmouth, in the County of Barnstable. And that Post-Offices be kept as followeth, viz: one at Cambridge; one at Salem; one at Ipswich; one at Haverhill; one at Newburyport; one at Kennebunk, or Welles; one at Sandwich; one at Falmouth, in the County of Cumberland; one at Georgetown, County of Lincoln; one at Worcester: one at Springfield;