to the said Island of Nantucket, without a permit in writing from the Committee of Safety of this Colony, or such person or persons as they shall appoint to give such permit, expressing the quantity so to be transported, be first had and obtained, and that the same be exported from such port only (in this Colony) as shall be expressed in the same permit.

The Order of the Day was moved for.

The Report of the Committee on the establishment of an allowance of Provisions for the Soldiers was read and considered, and after debate thereon, was recommitted.

The Committee on the Petition from the County of Worcester reported, that it is the opinion of the Committee that the Delegates chosen by the Districts of Paxton and Charlton, as mentioned in said Petition, have not a right to seats in this House.

Moved, That a commission be delivered to Col. John Glover, as Colonel of a Regiment in the Massachusetts Army.

Afternoon.

The Report of the Committee on the Petition from the County of Worcester was considered, and, after much debate, the question was put, whether said Report be accepted; and it passed in the negative.

Ordered, That the Guard who has in custody the Prisoners from Arundel be relieved by a Guard from the Town of Watertown.

Ordered, That Mr. Sayer be added to the Committee who were appointed to consider some measures for commissionating the Officers of the Army, in the room of Col. Porter, who has leave of absence.

Leave of absence was granted to the Rev. Mr. Thayer and the Rev. Mr. Curtis; and it being moved, that they be directed to return as soon as may be, the question was put, and it passed in the negative.

Colonel Porter, who was of the Committee to consider the Letter of Mr. Gridley to the Committee of Safety relative to the Train, being absent, Mr. Partridge was appointed in his room.

Resolved, That the Committee of Safety be required, as soon as may be, to certify to this Congress the names of such gentlemen as are candidates for the command of a Regiment, with the number of privates that have been enlisted under them, and any other claims or pretensions that any gentleman may have to a commission in the service.

Ordered, That the Papers exhibited to this Congress by Captain Phelps be returned to him by Major Bliss.

Adjourned to nine o’clock to-morrow morning.

Saturday, June 10, 1775.

Ordered, That the Committee of Safety be directed to make return, in writing, to this Congress, as soon as may be, of the names of all those persons who claim or offer themselves to be commissioned as Colonels of Regiments in the Colony Army and are not commissioned, with any agreement that may have been made with any such persons by the Committee of Safety, as also a state of those Regiments which such persons claim the command of, as to their numbers, equipments, and the time they have been engaged in the service.

The Committee appointed to consider what is proper to be done with the Prisoners brought from Arundel, reported as follows, viz:

The Committee appointed to examine the persons and papers sent to this Congress by the Committee of the Town of Arundel, have attended that service, and after due perusal of said papers, Josiah Jones and Jonathan Hicks, therein referred to, were brought before them. Said Jones, in his defence, says, he had no concern with the Sloop Polly, otherwise than as a passenger in her to Nova-Scotia; notwithstanding which it appears clearly to this Committee, by said papers, as also by the evidence of Captain Smith, master, herewith transmitted, that said Jones went on board said sloop as supercargo, in the service of General Gage, to bring hay and other articles to Boston, to supply our enemies. We find by said Jones’s account of himself, that he went to Boston soon after the memorable Lexington battle, on the 19th of April last, in company with John Ruggles, of Hardwick, who was ordered by a Committee to the said Town of Hardwick; and that said Jones was knowing to the proceedings of said Committee against said Ruggles before they set out together from Weston to take refuge in Boston; that they left the common road, and went in the woods and difficult places, to pass the Town of Roxbury. This Committee, upon the whole, have not the least reason to doubt of said Jones’s being a notorious enemy to his Country, and of his having been in the actual employment of our enemies against the just liberties of the people; therefore beg leave to report the following Order, viz:

Ordered, That Josiah Jones, taken from the Sloop Polly, be sent with a sufficient guard to the Town of Concord, in the County of Middlesex, and committed to the common jail, there to remain until the further orders of the Congress, or House of Representatives of this Colony.

Said Jonathan Hicks, in his defence, says, that since the publick disputes respecting the liberties of the Country, he has not liked the part that has been acted, in many respects, on either side, therefore could not see his way clear to join with any.

Upon examination the Committee find, by evidence, that at Gardinerston, while he lived there, he expressed himself highly against Committees of Correspondence, &c., calling them rebels, and using other opprobrious language against the people who appeared for liberty, and endeavoured to hinder their unity. That also, while he, the said Hicks, lived at Plymouth, he was esteemed by the good people there inimical to the liberties of his Country by his general conduct, and that at certain times he appeared very high, and once drew his sword or spear upon certain persons. Said Hicks, upon the whole, owns his general conduct has been such as the people for liberty call a tory, but still says he is against the oppressive acts.

Said Hicks confesses that the evening after the battle of Lexington, aforesaid, he left Plymouth and took shelter with the Troops at Marshfield, not thinking himself safe in the country; that he went with them to Boston, and there remained until he went on board the Sloop Polly with Jones, and says he designed for Halifax, there to tarry, if he could find business, in order to be out of the noise. Captain Smith, master of said sloop, can give no account of Hicks’s business on board. All he can say is, he in general appeared inimical, calling the liberty people rebels, &c. The Committee, therefore, beg leave to report the following Order:

Ordered, That Jonathan Hicks, taken from the Sloop Polly, be sent with a sufficient guard to the Town of Concord, in the County of Middlesex, and committed to the common jail, there to remain until the further orders of the Congress, or House of Representatives of this Colony.

Resolved, That the Keeper of the Jail in the County of Middlesex be directed to receive Messrs. Jones and Hicks, who were taken prisoners from the Sloop Polly, at Arundel, and keep them in safe custody till further order, and provide them necessaries for their subsistence whilst in jail; and that the Committee of Correspondence for the Town of Watertown be directed to see that the Resolves of Congress respecting the said Jones and Hicks be forthwith carried into execution, and to take such guard as they think necessary for that purpose.

Ordered, That the Hon. Mr. Sever, Colonel Otis, and Mr. Davis, be added to the Committee who were appointed to consider the expediency of establishing a number of armed Vessels for the protection of the sea-coasts.

Ordered, That Major Hawley, Captain Stone of Framingham, Colonel Parks, Hon. Mr. Sever, Mr. Johnson, Hon. Mr. Spooner, and Deacon Plympton, be a Committee to take into consideration the Artificers which may be necessary for the Army in the pay of this Colony, and that they report, as soon as may be, in what way such Artificers shall be established, the numbers wanted for the Army at Cambridge and Roxbury, of each kind, and the sum that is proper to be allowed them per month.

Ordered, That Mr. Whittemore, Captain Dwight, and Mr. Kollock, be a Committee to bring in a Resolve for the