A Petition from the Town of Gloucester, read: Ordered, That the Petitioner have leave to withdraw his Petition.

Walter Spooner, Esq., brought down a Resolve of this House, appointing a Committee to be joined with a Committee of the honourable Board, to apply to the Colonels of the several Regiments in the camp at Cambridge and Roxbury, for a complete list of such men in their Regiments as have not received their advance pay, with their doings thereon, viz:

“In Council, Read and concurred, as taken into a new Draught, and Colonel Lincoln is joined.”

The new Draught is as follows, viz:

“Whereas sundry complaints have been made by some of the Soldiers raised by this Colony, that they have not received the advance pay of forty Shillings, agreeable to the Resolution of the Provincial Congress:

“Therefore, Resolved, That a Committee be appointed forthwith to apply to the Colonels of the several Regiments raised by this Colony, and to the Muster-Masters and Paymasters in the Camps at Cambridge, Roxbury, &c., and obtain of them a complete list of the Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers in their respective Regiments, distinguishing those that have been mustered and paid from those that have not, that such methods may be pursued as shall remove all just ground of complaint.”

Read, and Ordered, That Colonel Cushing and Mr. Webster, with such as the honourable Board shall join, be a Committee for the purposes above-mentioned.

In Council, July 29, 1775: Read and concurred, and Col. Lincoln is joined.

The Committee on the Petition from Machias reported that the same lie on the table until an application be made from the Committee of Machias.

Ordered, That the Secretary be directed to attend this House, to inform them whether the Council, in the capacity of Governour, have consented to the election of Henry Gardner, Esq., to be Treasurer and Receiver-General for this Colony, the current year.

The Secretary accordingly came down, and informed the House, that the honourable Board, in their capacity as aforesaid, have not as yet informed him in this matter.

The Committee appointed to consider the Report of the Committee of Safety respecting the emission of Bills of Credit, reported.

The Report was recommitted, and the Committee instructed to insert in their Report that eight Committees be appointed, instead of four, to sign said Bills.

Afternoon.

Resolved, That Col. Mitchell have leave to withdraw from the files of the late Congress the Account he exhibited of procuring Spears, and of laying it before this House.

Resolved, That the instructions given the Committee who were appointed to examine Muster-Roils, to direct that the Soldiers shall receive the Money due to them, be reconsidered; and that said Committee direct that the Captains shall receive the Soldiers’ Wages, and give security for paying the same to the Soldiers.

The House accepted of Capt. William Bacon and Lieut. John Hubbard, as Sureties for Capt. John Stevens; also, Capt. Samuel Kellock, as Surely for Capt. Samuel Wright and Col. Easton and Capt. Wright, as Sureties for Capt. Matthews.

Leave of absence was granted to Colonel Grout.

Ordered, That the Secretary attend, to inform the House if the honourable Council, in capacity of Governour, had consented to the election of Henry Gardner, Esq., as Receiver-General.

The Committee appointed to consider a Message from the honourable Board reported. Read and accepted.

Resolved, That Dr. Church, Mr. Woodbridge, and Mr. Sewall, with such as the honourable Board shall join, be a Committee to wait on his Excellency General Washington, and inform him of the distressed situation of the inhabitants of the Eastern parts of this Colony, and know of him if he can, consistent with his instructions and the general service, order a detachment there, to prevent the enemy from ravaging the country, and plundering the inhabitants of their cattle, sheep, wood, &c., to supply themselves.

In Council, July 29, 1775: Read and concurred, and James Otis and William Sever, Esqrs., are joined.

The Committee attended the service, and reported, verbally, that his Excellency General Washington gave them for answer, that it was the expectation of the Congress that each Colony should defend their own sea-coast at their own proper expense.

A Memorial of the Committee of Supplies, relative to an insult offered them by Col. Ephraim Doolittle, and a Letter from said Doolittle, accompanying it, was read, and committed to Mr. Devens, Mr. Cross, Capt. Parker, Mr. Dix, and Mr. Greenleaf.

The Report of the Committee, relative to a new emission of Bills of Credit, was again read, and accepted, and sent up for concurrence.

Col. Foster came down from the honourable Board, to inquire if the House had any matter to send up to the Board this afternoon.

Ordered, That a Message go up to the honourable Board, informing them that nothing would go up from the House this evening.

The Committee on the Memorial of the Committee of Supplies reported. The Report was recommitted to Mr. Davis, to be reduced to the form of a Resolve.

The Committee on the Petition from Pownalborough, praying that Mr. Rice may be discharged from this House, reported. The Report was read, and Tuesday next, at nine o’clock, A. M., assigned for the consideration of it.

Mr. Davis, agreeable to order, reported the following Resolve, directing the attendance of Col. Doolittle at this House, on Tuesday next, at four o’clock, P. M.:

Resolved, That Col. Doolittle attend this House, on Tuesday, the first day of August next, at four o’clock in the afternoon, to answer for his conduct in sending a contemptuous Letter to the Committee of Supplies.

Then the House adjourned to Monday morning, eight o’clock.

Sabbath-day, July 30, 1775.

The Speaker having received a Letter last evening from General Washington,* relative to a number of the Inhabitants of Boston coming over to Chelsea, as many Members as could be summoned, (viz. about fifty,) met at the Meeting House, at eight o’clock, and the Letter from Gen. Washington being read and considered,

Ordered, That Major Hawley, Mr. Cushing, and Col. Orne, be a Committee to bring in a resolve for the appointment of a Committee to repair to Chelsea, to take some measures for providing for such inhabitants, and guarding against the small-pox: who reported the following Resolve, which was accepted, viz:

Upon advice received last evening from General Washington, that the inhabitants of Boston are unexpectedly coming out from that Town to Chelsea, by way of Winnisimit Ferry: and as this House are apprehensive that the people of the country may be exposed to take the small-pox; the said inhabitants of Boston being suffered indiscriminately to resort into the country, and to such parts as they may choose: and probably some of the said inhabitants may be in such weak and inform circumstances as to stand in need of immediate relief:

Therefore Resolved, That Mr. Freeman, Col. Orne, Mr. Cushing, and Major Smith, with such as the honourable Board shall join, be a Committee immediately to repair to Chelsea, to inspect the state and characters of such inhabitants of Boston as have, or may arrive there from

* CAMBRIDGE, July 29, 1775.

SIR: I have this instant received a letter from Chelsea, of which the enclosed is an extract. As the inhabitants are coming out in a different manner than proposed by your Assembly to the Selectmen of the Town of Boston, I have not delayed a moment’s time in giving you the earliest information of it; and request that you may take the matter into consideration, and determine what is proper to be done on the occasion. If you think it prudent to receive them in this manner: Query, Whether it may not be proper to appoint some person to attend the movement?

I am, in haste, and with great respect, Sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.