PENNSYLVANIA COUNCIL.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Saturday, 29th July, 1775. Present:

The Honourable John Penn, Esquire, Governour; William Logan, Benjamin Chew, James Tilghman, Andrew Allen, and Edward Shippen, Jun., Esquires.

The Governour laid before the Board a Petition from Mons. Dominique Du Casse, Commander of the Schooner Mary, belonging to the inhabitants of Martinico, which was read, and follows in these words viz:

“To the Honourable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant-Governour and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of PENNSYLVANIA, and three lower Counties of NEW-CASTLE, KENT, and SUSSEX, on DELAWARE:

“The Petition of DOMINIQUE DU CASSE, Master of the Schooner MARY, belonging to MARTINICO, now in the Port of PHILADELPHIA, humbly sheweth:

“That on or about the sixteenth day of June last, your petitioner sailed from the Island of Martinico, bound on a voyage to Miguilan; that in prosecution of the said voyage he met with many hard and severe gales of wind, attended with very great and heavy seas, in which the said Schooner, through violent straining, was rendered very leaky, and made it impossible for him to proceed on the said voyage; and your petitioner was under the necessity of coming into this Port of Philadelphia, in order to repair his said vessel; the particulars of all which appears by your petitioner’s protest, duly made since his arrival here, here with exhibited to your Honour. He therefore prays your Honour to permit him to repair the said Schooner, and sail from this Port of Philadelphia, in prosecution of his said intended voyage. And your petitioner, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c.

DOMINIQUE DU CASSES.

“Philadelphia, July 12, 1775.”

At the same time was laid before the Board the Captain’s Protest referred to in the above Petition. And the Board taking the said Petition and Protest into consideration, and finding, upon due examination and inquiry, that the facts set forth in them are true: It is ordered, that the said Schooner be examined, and the necessary repairs made on her, and that she be then permitted to prosecute her intended voyage, provided that she takes on board no Goods, Wares, or Merchandise, whatever.

Messrs. Meredith and Clymer are appointed to inspect the repairing of the said Schooner, and to transact the business relating to her, as factors or agents for the Master, during his continuance in this Port.

JOHN ADAMS TO JOSIAH QUINCY, BRAINTREE, MASS.

Philadelphia, July 29, 1775.

DEAR SIR: I had yesterday the honour of your letter of July the eleventh, and I feel myself much obliged by your kind attention to me and my family, but much more by your care for the publick safety, and the judicious and important observations you have made. Your letters, Sir, so far from being “a burden,” I consider as an honour to me, besides the pleasure and instruction they afford me. Believe me, Sir, nothing is of more importance to me, in my present most arduous and laborious employment, than a constant correspondence with gentlemen of experience, whose characters are known. The minutest fact, the most trivial event, that is connected with the great American cause, becomes important in the present critical situation of affairs, when a revolution seems to be in the designs of Providence, as important as any that ever happened in the affairs of mankind.

We jointly lament the loss of a Quincy and a Warren; two characters as great in proportion to their age, as any that I have ever known in America. Our Country mourns the loss of both, and sincerely sympathizes with the feelings of the mother of the one, and the father of the other. They were both my intimate friends, with whom I lived and conversed with pleasure and advantage. I was animated by them in the painful dangerous course of opposition to the oppressions brought upon our Country, and the loss of them has wounded me too deeply to be easily healed. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. The ways of Heaven are dark and intricate, but you may remember the words which, many years ago, you and I fondly admired, and which, upon many occasions, I have found advantage in recollecting:

“Why should I grieve, when grieving I must bear, And take with guilt, what guiltless I might share?”

I have a great opinion of your knowledge and judgment from long experience, concerning the channels and islands in Boston harbour; but I confess your opinion that the harbour might be blocked up, and seamen and soldiers made prisoners at discretion, was too bold and enterprising for me, who am not very apt to startle at a daring proposal; but I believe I may safely promise you powder enough, in a little time, for any purpose whatever. We are assured, in the strongest manner, of saltpetre and powder in sufficient plenty another year of our own make. That both are made in this city, you may report with confidence, for I have seen both, and I have seen a set of very large powder works, and another of saltpetre.

I hope, Sir, we shall neve see a total stagnation of commerce for any length of time. Necessity will force open our ports; trade, if I mistake not, will be more free than usual. Your friend, Dr. Franklin, to whom I read your letter, and who desires his kind compliments to you, has been employed in directing the construction of row-gallies for this city. The Committee of Safety for this Province have ordered twenty of them to be built; some of them are finished. I have seen one of them; it has twelve oars on each side. They rowed up the river the first time, four miles in an hour, against a tide which ran down four miles an hour. The Congress have recommended to the Colonies, to make provision for the defence of their navigation, in their harbours, rivers, and on their sea-coasts. Of a floating battery I have no idea—am glad you are contriving one.

You tell me, Sir, that General Lee complained that “he did not find things as the Massachusetts Delegates had represented them.” What General Lee could mean by this, Sir, I know not. What particular he found different from the representation, I do not know; nor do I know which Delegate from the Massachusetts he received a mistaken representation from. I think he should have been particular, that he might not have run the risk of doing an injury. If General Lee should do injustice to two of the Massachusetts Delegates, he would commit ingratitude at the same time; for to two. of them he certainly owes his promotion in the American Army, how great a hazard soever they ran in agreeing to it. I know him very thoroughly, I think, and that he will do great service in our Amry, at the beginning of things, by forming it to order, skill, and discipline. But we shall soon have officers enough.

Your friend and humble servant,

JOHN ADAMS.

NEW-YORK DELEGATES TO THE PROVINCIAL CONGHESS.

Philadelphia, July 29, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: We have received your letters of the 18th and 22d instant, and though sensible of the inconveniences arising from a scarcity of arms, are much at a loss respecting the best measures for a supply. As we have good reason to believe that an application to the Congress to recommend a loan of the Jersey arms would not succeed, we have agreed not to make it. No Colony has as yet given the Congress any trouble on that head, and we are unwilling that New-York should be the first. We advise, however, that accurate accounts of disbursements for arms be kept, so that, should any charges of that kind be made against the Continent, our Colony may be prepared to support their claim. Besides, it is easy to foresee that New-Jersey, under the present circumstances of publick affairs, would very reluctantly part with their arms, and be displeased with any recommendation for that purpose.

Permit us to recommend to your most serious attention the necessity of laying your hands on all the powder that is or may be imported into the Colony. We think none should be permitted to go out of the Province, but by the express direction of the Congress, or your Committee, and that magazines of that article should be forrned in different parts of the Province, and not that the whole be risked in one place.

We hope our Province will depend for defence on their own exertions, and without delay put the Militia on the footing recommended by the Congress.

The. Delegates of New-Jersey are charged with the