general, are too good judges not to learn the true merits of men, after being furnished with an opportunity to inspect them. I hope God will preserve me in the bounds of moderation, and enable me to support myself with proper dignity, neither rash nor timorous, pursuing a conduct marked with manly firmness, but never bordering on frenzy.

BIDDEFORD COMMITTEE TO MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS.

Biddeford, June 28, 1775.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONOURS: As we have thought proper to forward to your Honours, under convoy of the bearers, Messrs. Noah Hooper and Edgcomb Nason, a person who calls himself Thomas Neal, we apprehend it to be our duty, as a Committee of Inspection, to transmit you an exact detail of our proceedings relative to him, that he may be disposed of as your Honours may judge expedient: Therefore, beg leave to represent, that on Saturday last the person in question arrived in this Town, and being a stranger, some of the inhabitants were prepossessed with a suspicion of his being a spy. The Committee, in consequence, were immediately applied to. We attended, when he submitted to an examination, and gave the following account of himself, to wit: That he was a native of Britain; had lived several years in America; had frequently travelled, and was well acquainted in most of the Southern Colonies, and had, previous to the present unhappy crisis of the unnatural contest between Great Britain and her Colonies, acquired the birth of a steward on board of His Majesty’s ship Senegal, Captain Duddington, commander; that he left England in said ship about ten weeks since, fully persuaded, from the representations he had then received, that the disturbance in America was kindled by the breath of a faction by no means formidable; that it might be easily quelled, and was universally disapproved by the cool and dispassionate of all denominations in the Colonies; that the first American port they touched at was Boston, when they soon had orders to repair to Falmouth, in Casco Bay, at which place he had been two weeks; that on his arrival in America, found not a faction, but the whole Continent joined in opposition to Parliamentary measures; that, therefore, he could not, in conscience, continue in a service in which he must be obliged to draw the sword against America; for that reason he had left the ship, and proposed going to Philadelphia, where he has several friends and acquaintance; and that he should have applied for a pass prior to his leaving Falmouth, but that he imagined such application would be attended with danger, as the ship lay in the harbour.

In order, if possible, to be more fully ascertained of the truth of the above declaration, we next day despatched a person to Falmouth, to wait on the Committee there, who informed him that the Steward had departed the ship, and that the Captain, supposing he had been detained by the people, sent a message to Colonel Preble to demand a restoration of him. The Colonel returned for answer, that he knew nothing of him, but that he was seen a little before going out of Town, Colonel Preble likewise informed the messenger sent by us, that he had had some conversation with this person, and heard him say he intended to leave the ship for the reasons above mentioned. He hired a horse a little without the Town of Falmouth, and came publickly to this place.

The above, may it please your Honours, is a true account of what we have been able to collect relative to the person in custody; and as the people here are uneasy, and still apprehensive that he may be inimical to the interests of America, we have judged it most eligible that he should be sent to the Congress, that your Honours may give such farther orders concerning him as your wisdom may direct.

RICHARD JORDAN,
BENJ. HOOPER,
THOS. GILLPATRICK,

Committee of Inspection far the Town of Biddeford.

To the Honourable Provincial Congress.

COMMITTEE OF SAFETY TO MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS.

In Committee of Safety, Cambridge, June 28, 1775.

Whereas, the Honourable Provincial Congress did, on the 26th instant, pass a Resolve, “That all the small-arms that are or may be procured by the above order (mentioned in said Resolve) be delivered to the Committee of Safety at Cambridge, they to give their receipt for the same to the person from whom they receive them; that the same be delivered out to such officers as shall produce orders therefor from the Hon. General Ward, ” &c.

And whereas, the Honourable General Ward, in consequence of that part of the above quotation which is scored, has this day issued General Orders, in which are the words: “ And the Committee of Safety are hereby ORDERED to deliver out arms to such commanding officers as make application to them for the same :”

And whereas, this Committee apprehend that said Resolve does not empower the General to order them to deliver said arms, but only to order his officers to receive from this Committee such arms as they are ordered by the honourable Congress to deliver to the General’s orders to his officers.

And whereas, the Committee apprehend, that it is of vast importance that no orders are issued by the military, or obeyed by the civil powers, but only such as are directed by the honourable representative body of the people, from whom all military and civil power originates: And though this Committee are satisfied that General Ward has misunderstood said Resolve, and does not mean or intend to set up the military power above the civil; yet, lest this order of the General’s should be adduced as a precedent in future, we think it our indispensable duty to protest against the General’s said order; notwithstanding which protest, we also think it our indispensable duty to deliver said arms, agreeable to the spirit of said Resolve, and as the exigency of the publick requires, and submit our conduct to the honourable Congress.

BENJAMIN WHITE, Chairman.

To the Hon. Provincial Congress at Watertown.

JOHN O’BRIEN TO THE MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS.

Machias, June 28, 1775.

The Petition of JOHN O’BRIEN, for and in behalf of the Inhabitants of MACHIAS, humbly sheweth:

That the inhabitants of said Machias are a thousand souls, who have not provision, or any method to procure it, from the situation of the times; that the provision already made for their support by this Congress fills them with gratitude, but is so small that it will not support them for any length of time. The petitioner therefore prays that said inhabitants may be supplied with some more provision, in the same or like method as upon their former petition, or they will be obliged to remove from their habitations. And your petitioner, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.

JOHN O’BRIEN.

To the Hon. Provincial Congress at Watertown.

NEW-HAMPSHIRE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY TO GENERAL FOLSOM.

In Committee of Safety, Exeter, June 28, 1775.

SIR: Doctor Ezra Green is appointed Surgeon of Read’s Regiment, if he will accept. We are informed he is now with the Army. You will please to let him know he is appointed. The cannon are getting ready with all possible despatch. What you mention of the Artillery company, is under consideration of Congress.

We have not time to add, as the bearer is waiting, and in a great hurry, but shall write you fully by the Paymaster, who will be with you this week. Please to see that the enclosed is carefully delivered. We are, &c.

To General Folsom, Medford.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THE HAGUE, DATED JUNE 29, 1775.

In a full assembly of the States General the 20th ultimo, it was resolved, that orders be issued from the Admiralty Board of their High Mightinesses the States General, to the Sieur Van Stort, Vice-Admiral of the Dutch squadron in the West-Indies, instructing him to give orders to all persons under him, to their utmost power to seize and destroy all ammunition, stores, and provisions, which may be found