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Thomas Harding, David Young, Jonathan Doane, Esquire, Amos Knowles, John Taylor, John Doane, Jun., Benjamin Doane, and Samuel Doane, did reconsider the said vote, and made it null and void; but have since, in consequence of a Resolve of the Congress, passed the 31st of March, 1775, recommending to the several Towns and Districts that they oblige their several Constables and Collectors to pay the balances due from them to the Province, &c., did vote that Mr. Job Crocker and Mr. Willard Knowles, Junior, late Constables, pay the Province money in their hands to Henry Gardner, Esquire, taking his receipt, and that Mr. Jonathan Linnel, 3d, and Mr. Jesse Cole, Constables for the year 1774, should pay the Province money assessed in their bills to Henry Gardner, Esq., taking his receipt when it was collected. ISAAC SPARROW, Committee of Correspondence for the Town of Eastham. N. B. The Resolve for the above fell into the hands of the Town Clerk, and never hath been communicated to the publick, and we were not able to obtain it until this day we were favoured with one from Colonel Nathaniel Freeman, of Sandwich. Eastham, May 26, 1775. The following is a true state of the transactions of the Town of Eastham, since February 22, 1774: The Committee of Correspondence of the Town of Eastham were first chosen by the freeholders and other inhabitants of the Town, from twenty-one years old and upwards, and have acted ever since in that capacity, without molestation, with this exception: At a meeting of the inhabitants of the Town of Eastham, qualified by law to vote in town meetings, called by the Selectmen, at the request of Amos Knowles, Junior, and others, for the purposes of regulating a vote of this Town, passed at a legal town meeting, directing the Collectors for the year 1774, to pay the Provincial money assessed in their bills to Henry Gardner, Esquire, of Stow, taking his receipt; also, to dismiss the Committee of Inspection, viz: Messrs. Thomas Paine, Job Crocker, and Isaiah Higgins, appointed by the County Congress to see that the resolves and recommendations of the several Congresses are put in execution in this Town, and to choose others in their room; and also to dissolve the above Committee of Correspondence, and to choose another in their room, did then and there presume to dissolve said Committee, and chose Messrs. Theophilus Hopkins, Edward Knowles, Amos Knowles, Junior, Solomon Pepper, and John Yates, a Committee of Correspondence, who have never appeared to act in that capacity. The recommendations of the Provincial Congress for choosing a Delegate came to hand on the evening of Friday, the 19th instant; and from the former conduct of our Selectmen, the Committee of Correspondence thought it best for them to call a meeting for the purpose of choosing said member or members as above; proceeded to notify said meeting, by posting up in the usual places for notifications in this Town an exact copy of the recommendation and resolve of said Congress, desiring the freeholders and other inhabitants of the Town of Eastham, qualified to vote for Representatives, to assemble at the South Meeting-House in said Town, on Wednesday, the 24th of this instant, May, at two o’clock, P. M., then and there to act as they shall think proper. In compliance with the said recommendation, the people met at the time and place, and chose Captain Isaac Sparrow Moderator. The Town Clerk was desired to take his place, and record the proceedings of said meeting, which he refused. The Town then chose Mr. Thomas Paine to record the proceedings of said meeting. The question being put, whether they would choose a member to represent them in said Congress, it passed in the affirmative; when Mr. Amos Knowles, Junior, was chosen by a majority of two votes, including the votes of twelve persons whom the Committee of Correspondence had agreed to discriminate from those who were friendly to their Country, which thing was attempted, but could not be done by reason of there being so great a number of opposers. And whereas the said Amos Knowles, Junior, is chosen as above, who, for ought we know, may obtain a seat in Congress, we find ourselves constrained to mention that three of us have heard him accuse the Provincial Congress of acting in said capacity from selfish views. Some other things of the like nature we might mention, but for brevity’s sake omit them. ISAAC SPARROW, Eastham, June 16, 1775. I, Jonathan Linnel, of Eastham, of lawful age, testify that, on the eleventh of April last, at the house of Mr. Josiah Myrick, I heard Amos Knowles, Junior, declare that what the Continental Congress had done was worse than nothing. Further saith not. JONATHAN LINNEL. BARNSTABLE, ss., June 16, 1775: Then Jonathan Linnel, after being carefully examined and cautioned to tell the whole truth, made solemn oath to the within deposition, by him subscribed to, taken at the desire of several inhabitants of the Town of Eastham, to be used in their behalf at the Provincial Congress now sitting at Watertown; the adverse party, Mr. Amos Knowles, Junior, being at Watertown aforesaid, not notified nor present at the taking of this deposition. Before me: JOHN GREENOUGH, Justice of the Peace. Samuel Paine, of lawful age, testifieth and saith, on the twenty-fourth day of May last, as he was walking with Amos Knowles, Junior, that said Knowles said to me, that some measures the Congress had taken were as much tyranny as those at home. SAMUEL PAINE. BARNSTABLE, ss., June 16, A. D. 1775: Then Samuel Paine, after being carefully examined and cautioned to tell the whole truth, made solemn oath to the truth of the above deposition, by him subscribed to, taken at the desire of several of the inhabitants of the Town of Eastham, to be used in their behalf at the Provincial Congress now sitting at Watertown; the adverse party, Mr. Amos Knowles, Junior, being at Watertown aforesaid, not notified nor present at the taking this deposition. Before me: JOHN GREENOUGH, Justice of the Peace. Eastham, June 15, 1775. We, Joseph Cole and Isaac Sparrow, both of Eastham, of lawful age, testify, that in January last, we heard Amos Knowles, Junior, exclaim against the Resolves of the Provincial Congress, because they allowed the Towns to send as many members to Congress as they thought proper, because those Towns near the Congress could keep more members at the Congress than those Towns that were remote, and by that means they could carry points in the Congress as they pleased, to serve their own sinister ends; and further saith not. JOSEPHCOLE, BARNSTABLE, ss., June 16, A. D. 1775: Then Joseph Cole and Isaac Sparrow, after being carefully examined and cautioned to tell the whole truth, made, solemn oath to the truth of the within deposition, by them subscribed to, taken at the desire of several inhabitants of the Town of Eastham, to be used in their behalf at the Provincial Congress now sitting at Watertown; the adverse party, Mr. Amos Knowles, Junior, being at Watertown aforesaid, not notified nor present at the taking this deposition. Before me: JOHN GREENOUGH, Justice of the Peace. Eastham, June 15, 1775. I, Jonathan Linnel, the 3d, of Eastham, of lawful age, testify, that I have, at divers times, heard Amos Knowles, Junior, of Eastham, exclaim against Congresses, and in particular, some time in April last, did hear him say, if
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