appointment of a number of Armourers for the Massachusetts Army, and for the establishment of their pay.

The Resolve for establishing an allowance of Provisions for the Soldiers was again read, and accepted, and ordered to be printed in handbills, and is as follows, viz:

The Committee appointed to make an establishment for the allowance for Provisions for the Soldiers of the Massachusetts Army, beg leave to report the following Resolve, viz:

Resolved, That each Soldier in the Massachusetts Army shall have the following allowance per day, viz: one pound of Bread; half a pound of Beef and half a pound of Pork, and if Pork cannot be had, one pound and a quarter of Beef, and one day in seven they shall have one pound and one quarter of salt fish, instead of one day’s allowance of meat; one pint of Milk, or if Milk cannot be had, one gill of Rice; one quart of good spruce or malt Beer; one gill of Peas or Beans, or other sauce equivalent; six ounces of good Butler per week; one pound of good common Soap for six men per week; half a pint of Vinegar per week per man, if it can he had.

The Committee appointed to inquire into the slate of the Army reported, that in order to execute their commission, it is necessary that they should be furnished with a copy of all recommendations for commissions sent to this Congress by the Committee of Safety, and a list of all Officers commissioned by the Congress; and asked leave to sit again. The Report was accepted.

Ordered, That Mr. Sayer, Mr. Edwards, and Major Fuller, be a Committee to consider the proposal of the Hon. General Ward respecting furloughs for the Soldiers, and report.

Afternoon.

The Petition of a number of the Freeholders of Williamsburgh was read, and committed to Mr. Hale, Mr. Lyman, and Colonel Danielson.

The Petition of Davis and Coverly was read, and committed to Mr. Fairbank, Mr. Webster, and Col. Sawyer.

Monday next, three o’clock, P. M., was assigned to make choice of three Delegates, to meet those that may be sent from the other New-England Colonies.

The choice of two Major-Generals referred to Monday, five o’clock, P. M.

Hon. Colonel Warren, Hon. Mr. Spooner, Dr. Taylor, Captain Stone, Mr. Edwards, Colonel Cobb, and Colonel Thompson, were appointed a Committee to consider the expediency of establishing a number of armed Vessels.

Sunday, June 11, 1775.

The Congress met at eight o’clock, and adjourned to half past three, P. M.

Resolved, That the Hon. Major Hawley, Hon. Mr. Spooner, Hon. Colonel Warren, and Hon. Colonel Foster, have leave to offer for the consideration of this Congress an Address which they have prepared to the Continental Congress.

The same being read and amended, was accepted, and ordered to be transcribed and signed by the Hon. Major Hawley, as Vice-President, and sent immediately by express to Philadelphia, and that the Committee of Supplies be desired to procure some person to carry it. It is as follows, viz:

May it please your Honours:

The situation of any Colony or People perhaps was never before such as made it more necessary for fully exercising the powers of civil Government, than the present state and situation of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay.

The embarrassments, delays, disappointments, and obstructions in executing every undertaking necessary for the preservation of our lives, and much more of our property, are so great and many, as that they cannot be represented or enumerated; and that is chiefly to be attributed to our want of a settled civil polity or government. Besides, every thing necessary for the abovesaid most important purposes, which is in some degree effected, is done in the most expensive manner; in short, although the times we are fallen into, and the prospects before us, are such as require the utmost economy, yet nothing of the kind can be preserved in our present state.

There are in many parts of this Colony alarming symptoms of the abatement of the sense in the minds of some people of the sacredness of private property, which is plainly assignable to the want of civil government; and your Honours must be fully sensible that a community of goods and estate will soon be followed with the utter waste and destruction of the goods themselves. Besides, the necessity of civil government appears more and more apparent, from the extreme difficulty of maintaining the publick peace without it; although we can truly say much fewer enormities and breaches of the peace have happened among Us, than it was natural to expect from the contemplation of such a state as we have been cast into.

May it please your Honours: The pressing weight of our distresses has necessitated the sending a special post to obtain your immediate advice upon this subject; and we do most earnestly entreat that you would as soon as possible despatch the messenger with such advice.

Our former application to you of the 16th of May last, has rendered it unnecessary that we should further enlarge upon this subject; and to prevent repetition, we beg leave to refer you to our letter of that date.

The Army under the command of General Gage we estimate to amount at least to five thousand men, well appointed, under the command of Generals of character and experience, and prepared with every thing necessary for action, exclusive of the additional strength derived from negroes, which the General has taken into his service, and disaffected Americans. We have great reason to apprehend that a re-enforcement of at least eight regiments of foot, and one of horse, may be hourly expected. We enclose a copy of an intercepted letter from Major Sheriff, (dated May 29, 1775,) which exhibits to you one ground of this apprehension. We have had under our consideration the propriety and necessity of augmenting our Army, notwithstanding our embarrassments, and though we have not yet adopted it, nothing perhaps but the more ample provision of the neighbouring Colonies will relieve that necessity.

The depredations and piracies frequently committed on our sea-coasts, and the little trade which remains to us, whereby, among other capital articles, the importation of ammunition and provision is almost totally obstructed and threatens our ruin, have also occasioned our contemplating steps to prevent these inconveniences, by fitting out a number of armed vessels with sufficient, strength to encounter their small though numerous cutters.

We shall only add, that as the seat of war, with all its attendant distresses, have for the present taken their principal residence here, we should consider it as a happy event, if you should think proper to adjourn to some part of the Continent not so far distant, that the advice and aid of the Continent may be more expeditiously afforded upon any emergency.

Adjourned to Monday morning, eight o’clock.

Monday, June 12, 1775.

Ordered, That Mr. Wheeler, Deacon Baker, and Mr. Webster, be a Committee to consider some measures for preventing the violation of the Sabbhath, and to bring in a Resolve for this purpose.

Resolved, That five o’clock in the afternoon be assigned for the consideration of the Report of the Committee who were appointed to bring in a Resolve for giving a free currency to the Bills of Credit of this and the other Colonies.

Ordered, That the Hon. Mr. Spooner, Hon. Colonel Gerrish, and Dr. Whiting, be a Committee to consider the Petition from the Committee at Charlestown, and report.

Resolved, That the Secretary have liberty to procure such assistance from time to time as he shall think necessary.

Resolved, That two persons be appointed to repair to the Fortress of Ticonderoga, to examine into the state of that Fortress, and of affairs there, and to act in such a manner as they shall be directed by this Congress, and that four o’clock in the afternoon be assigned for the choice of such persons by ballot; and that the Hon. Major Hawley,