Whereas, many inconveniences have arisen, by reason of divers soldiers of the forces raised by this Colony enlisting a second time into other Companies than those which they first enlisted into, which ought to be remedied; therefore,

Resolved, That every soldier who, before the second day of July instant, has enlisted into other Companies than those with whom he at first enlisted, (unless the second enlistment was made with the consent of the officer with whom he at first enlisted, or by consent of the Committee of Safety, or order of Congress, in either of which cases the first enlistment shall be void,) shall return to the Company with whom he first enlisted, if requested by the commanding officer of such Company, otherwise to remain in the Company he next enlisted into; and in case any dispute shall arise whether any such second enlistment was made by consent or order as above expressed, the Committee of Safety are hereby empowered and directed fully and finally to settle and determine the same.

The Committee appointed to consider what Towns the ten Prisoners shall be sent to, reported. The Report was accepted, and is as follows, viz:

Resolved, That the ten persons taken from Long-Island be sent to the Towns in the County of Worcester, hereafter named, viz: John Hayes and Thomas Bibby to the Town of Lunenburgh, James Griffin and John Reef to Rutland, Perez Merren and Michael Malony to Shrewsbury, Patrick Hickey and Richard Nash to Brookfield, Michael Mellows and John Fleming to Sutton, to be received, employed, and provided for by the Selectmen of those respective Towns, in the best way and manner they can, till further order of this Colony.

And it is further Resolved, That the Prisoners shall not be at liberty to pass over the line of the Town where they are respectively stationed, without a pass from the Selectmen of such Town, after they have arrived therein.

Further Resolved, That a copy of the foregoing, so far as relates to each Town, be by them carried to the Selectmen of such Towns; and that each of the above mentioned persons be informed, that any attempt to make an escape, or evade the execution of the above Resolve, shall be deemed full evidence of his being engaged in the service of the enemies of this Country, and that he shall be treated as such.

Further Resolved, That each of the said persons be furnished with two days’ provisions, to enable them to repair to the several places of their destination, which provisions shall be delivered to them by Captain Brown out of the Colony stores in this place.

Ordered, That the President, Mr. Phillips, and Colonel Porter, Mr. Gerry, and Captain Stone, be a Committee to revise and explain the commission of the Committee of Safety.

The Committee appointed to revise the commission of the Committee of Safety, reported. The Report was accepted, and is as follows, viz:

Resolved, That the Hon. John Hancock, Esquire, Dr. Benjamin Church, Captain Benjamin White, Col. Joseph Palmer, Mr. Richard Devens, Mr. Abraham Watson, Col. Azor Orne, Hon. Benjamin Greenleaf, Esquire, Nathan Cushing, Esquire, Dr. Samuel Holten, and Hon. Enoch Freeman, Esquire, be, and hereby are appointed a Committee of Safety for this Colony, with the powers and authorities hereafter, expressed, and no other; that is to say, that the said Committee shall have full power, at any time timing the recess of this Congress, if they shall judge it necessary, in the shortest and most effectual manner, to summon and cause to come together a quorum of this Congress, forty at the least to be accounted a quorum, at such place as the said Committee shall judge most proper; and in assembling such quorum, the said Committee are hereby Strictly enjoined to notify such Members as may be most expeditiously assembled. Also, that the said Committee be, and they hereby are invested with full power, until the 30th day of July instant, or until their commission shall be abrogated by the representative body of the inhabitants of this Colony, upon application made to them therefor by the General and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in this Colony for the time being, or whenever the said Committee, without such application, shall judge the safety of the lives and property of the inhabitants of this Colony, or of any of them, shall absolutely require it, to warn and cause to be assembled such and so many of the Militia thereof as they shall judge necessary, at such place or places within the Colony as they shall judge proper, and such Militia to retain and discharge as to the said Committee shall seem meet. Also, that the said Committee are hereby empowered, during the time last mentioned, to procure and employ for that part of the said Continental Army raised by this Colony all such Armourers and other tradesmen and artificers as they shall suppose and judge to be needed to further and promote the operations of the said Army and them, as also all such tradesmen and artificers as are now retained and employed for that part of the said Army to regulate, arrange, remove, dismiss, and discharge for unskilfulness, unfaithfulness, or whenever the service may not require the further retaining them, or any of them. And the said Committee are hereby desired to be attentive to the behaviour and performances of such tradesmen and artificers as are now or shall be in the service and employ of this Colony in the said Army, that the Colony be not defrauded by unfaithful and incompetent persons. And the said Committee are hereby authorized to execute all the commissions, and perform all the services which have been given them, and to which they have been appointed in and by any special Resolves of this Congress, made and passed at this session, which they have not yet executed and performed. And, furthermore, the said Committee are hereby empowered to make such further provision for the reception, sustenance, and support of the Poor of Boston and Charlestown, as have or may come out of said Towns, as may appear to be necessary for their comfortable subsistence, according to the intention of Congress, taking all imaginable care to guard against the infection of the small-pox by persons coming out of the Town of Boston, and any other means whatever.

And it is hereby Resolved and Ordered, That any five of said Committee, if a majority are not present, be a quorum, with full powers to act in the same manner as if the whole were present; and the whole of said Committee are desired, notwithstanding, to give their punctual and constant attendance on said Committee.

Resolved, That the said Committee be, and they hereby are fully empowered, until the 30th of July instant, or until their commission shall be abrogated by the representative body of the inhabitants of this Colony, to receive, examine, and discharge, or cause to be confined, according to their wisdom, any person or persons taken captive, that may properly come under the cognizance of the representative body of this people, and to receive and duly secure any interests or effects, the conduct whereof is not already provided for, that shall be at the disposal of this Colony, And all the powers with which the Committee of Safety were vested, by the Resolve of the 18th of May last, except such as are contained in the above Resolves, are hereby revoked, and declared null and void.

Afternoon.

Ordered, That Major Fuller of Newton, Col. Farley, Mr. Crane, Captain Stone, and Major Fuller, be a Committee to examine the Prisoners brought from Machias, and report what is best to be done with them.

Ordered, That Colonel Mosely, Mr. Woodbridge, and Mr. Kollock, be a Committee to consider Lieutenant Ely Styles’s Account of the expense of bringing ten Prisoners from Machias.

The Committee last mentioned having attended the service to which they were appointed, reported the following Resolve, which was accepted, viz:

Resolved, That the Receiver-General be, and he is hereby directed to pay Lieutenant Ely Styles the sum of six Pounds, twelve Shillings, in full discharge of the money he expended in bringing a number of Prisoners from Machias to Watertown.

The Committee appointed to consider what is best to be done with the ten Prisoners brought from Machias, reported. Whereupon,

Resolved, That the Commanding Officer of the Town of watertown be desired to appoint some officer, with a guard of not more than eight men, to conduct the said Prisoners