give protection to the inhabitants, and to be employed as part of the American Continental Army. We, therefore, reposing special confidence in your prudence, courage, and affection to the liberties of this Country, do request and authorize you to enlist and raise a company of seventy-two able-bodied, sober men, of good reputation, (including three sergeants, three corporals, one drummer, and one fifer, ) to serve as part of the said Troops; and that from time to time you report your progress in the premises to this Congress, for which this shall be your warrant. And we hereby give you assurance that you will be appointed a . . . . . . in the said Troops when raised and embodied, if the number of men enlisted by you, (and . . . . . . . intended to be the other officers of one company,) and received into the said Troops by such proper officer or muster-master as shall be appointed for that purpose, shall amount to the number above-mentioned.

A draught of Instructions to the several Officers to be employed in raising Troops, was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

Instructions of the Enlisting of Men.

First. You are not to enlist any man who is not ablebodied, healthy, and a good marcher; but as men of good appearance may have ruptures and venereal complaints, which render them incapable of soldier’s duty, you must give attention that you be not imposed upon, and take the opinion of a surgeon where there is room for suspicion.

Second. You will have great regard to moral character, sobriety in particular; let our manners distinguish us from our enemies, as much as the cause we are engaged in.

Third. Those who engage in defence of their Country’s liberties, shall be enlisted till the last day of December, of the present year, unless sooner discharged by the Continental Congress.

Fourth. You shall appoint such men sergeants and corporals as recommend themselves by their ability, activity, and diligence.

Fifth. You will use all diligence in completing your Company, and report to the President of the Provincial Congress, to the end that you may receive orders to join your Regiment.

Sixth. During the time you are filling up your Company, you will engage, at the cheapest rate, for the provisions of such men as are already enlisted, (if there be no publick magazine of provisions from whence you may be supplied, ) not exceeding eight shillings per week.

Seventh. You will lose no time in disciplining your men, so far as your situation will admit.

Eighth. You will take notice that proper persons will be appointed to inspect your men, and reject such as do not answer to your instructions.

Ninth. You will furnish the subalterns appointed to your Company with a copy of these instructions, who are hereby ordered to put themselves under your command.

Tenth. You will observe that the Troops raised by this Colony will be placed precisely upon the same footing as to pay, clothing, &c., with other the Continental Troops now raised, or hereafter to be raised for the general defence.

Eleventh. No apprentice or servant to be enlisted, without the consent of his master.

Ordered, That five hundred copies of the said Warrant, and as many copies of the said Instructions, be printed.

Colonel Holmes has leave of absence.

Ordered, That all the Muskets and Bayonets belonging to this Colony, which are in the different Counties in this Colony (except Albany ) be sent to the Committee of the City of New-York, with all convenient speed, and in such manner as that they may come with the greatest safety; and the Committees of the respective Counties, where any such Muskets and Bayonets now are, are hereby requested and desired to take all such Arms into their care, and to see that this order be complied with immediately.

The Congress then adjourned to four o’clock, P. M.

Die Martis, 4to ho. P. M., June 27, 1775.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment. Present:

For the City and County of New-York.—Peter Van Brugh Livingston, Esquire, President; Isaac Low, Alexander McDougall, Abraham Brasher, John De Lancey, Samuel Verplanck, Richard Yates, Thomas Smith, Benjamin Kissam, John Morin Scott, John Van Cortlandt, Jacobus Van Zandt, and John Marston.

For the City and County of Albany.—Abraham Yates, Peter Silvester, Walter Livingston, Robert Van Rensselaer, and Henry Glenn.

For Dutchess County.—Zephaniah Platt, Richard Montgomerie, Gilbert Livingston, Jonathan Landon, Melancton Smith, and Nathaniel Sackett.

For Ulster County.—Johannes Hardenbergh, James Clinton, and John Nicholson.

For Orange County.—John Coe and Benjamin Tusteen.

For Suffolk County.—Nathaniel Woodhull, John Sloss Hobart, John Foster, Thomas Wickham, and Selah Strong.

For Westchester County.—Gouverneur Morris, Lewis Graham, Stephen Ward, James Holmes, John Thomas, Junior, Robert Graham, and William Paulding.

For King’s County.—Henry Williams, Jeremiah Remsen, and Theodorus Polhemus.

For Richmond County.—John Journey, Aaron Cortelyou, and Richard Conner.

For Queen’s County.—Jacob Blackwell, Jonathan Lawrence, Joseph Robinson, Nathaniel Tom, and Richard Thorne.

For Charlotte County.—(None.)

For Tryon County.—Christopher P. Yates, and John Marlett.

For Cumberland County.—Paul Spooner and William Williams.

The Congress resumed the consideration of the Report of the Committee on the subject-matter of a Plan of Accommodation with Great Britain.

The same was read, and after some time spent therein, Mr. Scott moved, and was seconded by Mr. Verplanck, that the following words be added to the second paragraph, at the end thereof, to wit: “For the general benefit of the whole, and not for the separate interest of any particular part.”

The same was unanimously approved of and agreed to.

Resolved and Ordered, therefore, That this addition be made to the said second paragraph.

Mr. Scott then moved, and was seconded by Colonel Hardenbergh, in the words following, to wit: I move that the following article be added to the Report of the Committee upon the Plan of Accommodation with the Mother Country, viz: “That the Colonies, respectively, are entitled to a free and exclusive power of legislation within themselves, respectively, in all cases of internal polity whatsoever, subject only to the negative of their Sovereign, in such manner as has been heretofore accustomed.”

And the same was unanimously resolved and agreed to, and ordered to be added to and made a part of the said Plan of Accommodation; and that it be inserted therein previous to the Resolution of this Congress on that subject, entered into on the 24th instant, “That no one article thereof shall be considered as preliminary to another.”

Mr. McDougall, with the unanimous leave of the Congress, withdrew his motion of the 24th instant, “for retaining the copy of the Plan of Accommodation until the Delegates from New-York can be written to and their answer received.”

The Report of the Committee, as amended, with the Resolution subjoined thereto, are as follow:

Your Committee appointed to prepare a Plan of Accommodation between Great Britain and America, do report:

That all Statutes and parts of Statutes of the British Parliament, which are held up for repeal by the late Continental Congress in their Association, dated the 20th day of October, 1774; and all the Statutes of the British Parliament passed since that day, restraining the Trade and Fishery of the Colonies on this Continent, ought to be repealed.

That from the necessity of the case, Britain ought to regulate the trade of the whole Empire, for the general benefit of the whole, and not for the separate interest of any particular part; and that from the natural right of property, the powers of taxation ought to be confined to the Colony