For SUFFOLK COUNTY: Thos. Tredwell, Ezra L’Hommedieu, John Foster.

For WESTCHESTER COUNTY: Gouverneur Morris, James Van Cortlandt, Joseph Drake, James Holmes, John Thomas, Jun., William Paulding, Philip Cortlandt.

For KING’S COUNTY: Henry Williams, Jeremiah Remsen, Nicholas Covenhoven, John Vanderbilt, Theodorus Polhemus.

For RICHMOND COUNTY: Paul Micheau, Aaron Cortelyou, John Journey, Richard Connor.

For QUEEN’S COUNTY: Jacob Blackwell, Jonathan Lawrence, Sam’l Townshend, Joseph Robinson, Nathaniel Tom, Richard Thorne, Joseph French.

For CHARLOTTE COUNTY: David Watkins.

For TRYON COUNTY: John Marlett.

A Letter from the Honourable Jonathan Trumbull was read and filed.

A draught of a Letter to the Delegates of this Colony at the Continental Congress, on the subject of Tea, was read and approved, and is as follows, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New-York, July 28, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: You must be sensible that our exertions in the publick cause have subjected us to a very large expense, (of which certainly the greatest part is justly pay able by the Continent,) and at the same time you cannot but perceive that a large sum of money is and will be expended in articles purely at the cost of our Colony. These considerations show us the necessity of laying a tax on our Colony; but prudence or policy will impress as strongly on your minds as on our own, the propriety of doing this in the manner least liable to popular disgust, or perhaps opposition. These observations will, we hope, introduce to you in a favourable light, some things which we now proceed to mention.

Sundry of our merchants have on hand a considerable quantity of tea imported from Holland, which cannot be sold for reasons which we need not repeat. The consequence of the situation is, that our Dutch Traders are deprived of the means of introducing into our Colony sail-duck, Russia drillings, osnaburghs, arms and ammunition, all of them highly necessary for us, and easily to be obtained from Holland, notwithstanding the late placart of the States-General.

Should the retail price of Bohea tea be fixed at six shillings per pound, from six pounds and upwards, and six and sixpence by the single pound, and the wholesale price at five and sixpence, with a tax of one shilling on the pound, payable by the vendor, and similar regulations for green tea, we might raise a considerable sum from the obstinate consumers of this article, and at the same time, the precautions taken by us in giving permission to merchants to sell under certain restrictions, will prevent a trade which, as to the recommendations of the Continental Congress, may well be called illicit, and which does now most undoubtedly obtain, as will readily be acknowledged by those who perceive the general consumption of it throughout the Colony.

We have already furnished to Connecticut almost all the tents which we had provided for our own troops, and we have not now any materials to make more; and we further precaution you that we do not mean to encourage the future introduction of tea into the Colony. Should you, gentlemen, and the Congress, perceive force in what we have just now hinted to you, we humbly conceive it would be proper for the Congress to refer our determination in general terms to certain petitions which have, as we are informed, been presented to them by those who have quantities of tea in their possession.

The prudence, the reason, the policy of making provision which will prevent those gentlemen from being influenced by the strong temptation to a clandestine sale, with many other considerations to the same effect, which will naturally arise in your minds, we modestly forbear to mention, but beg leave to assure you, gentlemen, that with the highest deference to the superiour judgment of the Continental Congress, we are your most obedient humble servants. By order.

To the New-York Delegates in the Continental Congress.

Ordered, That a copy thereof be signed by the President, and transmitted.

A draught of a Letter to the Delegates of this Colony at the Continental Congress, on the subject of Flaxseed, was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New-York, July 28, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: As considerable quantities of Flaxseed will, in all probability, be ready for shipping long before the tenth of September next, we submit it to the Congress whether it will not be proper to inhibit the exportation of that article immediately.

We are, Gentlemen, respectfully, your most obedient humble servants.

To the New-York Delegates in Continental Congress.

Ordered, That a copy thereof be signed by the President and transmitted.

A draught of a Letter to the Hon. Jonathan Trumbull, in answer to his Letter of the twenty-fifth instant, received this day, was read and approved, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New-York, July 28, 1775.

SIR: We have received your letter of the twenty-fifth instant, requesting that this Congress will furnish Colonel Hinman’s Troops at Ticonderoga with tents. Convinced of the absolute necessity of such, supply, and of the inability of your Colony to furnish it, although our own Troops will soon want them, and we are in doubt whether we shall be able to get materials to make others, yet we shall take care to send up the tents with all possible despatch, expecting that, as they are taken on account of your Colony, you will remit us the money to pay for them, and some other expenses incurred for your Colony, of which we shall send you an account.

We are, Sir, your very humble servants.

To the Honourable Jonathan Trumbull, Governour of the Colony of Connecticut.

P. S. We supplied General Wooster with upwards of two hundred tents, made of the very best materials.

Ordered, That a copy thereof be signed by the President, and transmitted.

The Petition of John Morrell, Adam Patrick, and Isaiah Purdy, praying to be discharged from confinement, was read.

Ordered, That John Morrell, Adam Patrick, and Isaiah Purdy, be brought to the Bar of this Congress.

A draught of a Letter to Wolvert Acker and Samuel Brewster, Chairmen of the Committees of Newburgh and New-Windsor, was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New-York, July 28, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: John Morrell, Adam Patrick, and Isaiah Purdy, are liberated from their confinement upon their contrition and promises of amendment. You will therefore endeavour to prevent any injuries to their persons or property, and at the same time, if you think it necessary, we recommend it to you to take security for their keeping of the peace, which may be done according to the common course of the law; at the same time, if you shall be of opinion that the peace and safety of the country cannot otherwise be preserved, you will take from them all arms of offence. But this, as it is a punishment in its nature, ought to be inflicted only with the utmost caution, and therefore we recommend to you the utmost deliberation and tenderness on this occasion.

We are, Gentlemen, your humble servants. By order.

To Messrs. Wolvert Acker and Samuel Brewster, Chairmen of the Committees of Newburgh and New-Windsor Precincts.

Ordered, That a copy thereof be signed by the President, and transmitted.

John Morrell, Adam Patrick, and Isaiah Purdy, being brought to the Bar of this Congress, were informed that the Congress had wrote a Letter to the Committees of Newburgh and New-Windsor, to take securities of the peace of them, and to disarm them if they thought proper, and that the Letter should be sent by Mr. Robert Boyd. They were then admonished by the President of their past