unfit to bold or exercise the offices and employments to which they were appointed or commissionated: And whereas it is necessary for the safety and peace of this Colony, that all such Officers should be deprived of their offices, and that other men, who are able, true and real friends to American liberty, should be appointed and commissionated in their stead; and as it would not only be disagreeable, but also very inconvenient, either by act or proclamation singly and by name to deprive all such unfit persons of their respective offices, and to substitute and commissionate faithful men in their stead, leaving such as are friendly to right and liberty to exercise and discharge their respective offices by virtue of their present commissions; this Court doth judge it expedient that all the Officers, both civil and military, belonging to this Colony, now holding their offices under or by virtue of any appointment or commission, made or granted by any Governour or Lieutenant-Governour of the said Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England, either with or without the advice and consent of the Council, or by the major part of the Council in the absence of the Governour and Lieutenant-Governour, before the present meeting of this General Court, should be deprived of their respective offices, and that all such appointments and commissions should, from and after the nineteenth day of September next, wholly cease and determine:

Be it therefore enacted and declared by the Council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That from and after the said nineteenth day of September, all the nominations, appointments and commissions at any time, before the present meeting of this General Court, made or granted by any Governour or Lieutenant-Governour of the said Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England, or by the major part of the Council in the absence of the Governour and Lieutenant-Governour, appointing or commissionating any person or persons to any office, civil or military, shall be utterly null, void and of none effect, and that all the powers and authorities, either civil or military, of all and every person and persons belonging to the said Colony of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England, now holding or claiming to hold his or their office or place by or under any nomination, appointment or commission, made or granted by any Governour or Lieutenant-Governour of the said Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England, whether with or without the advice and consent of the Council or Assistants of the said Province in the absence of the Governour and Lieutenant-Governour, shall, from and after the nineteenth day of September, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, wholly cease and determine.

In Council, August 23, 1775: This Bill having had two several readings, Resolved, That it pass to be enacted.

On the Petition from Machias,*

Resolved, That there be raised at Machias a Company of fifty Men, Officers included, on the same pay and for the same time as the Forces that are already raised for the defence of the Sea-Coasts, and that there be allowed by this Colony six Shillings a week per man, billeting, during their service; and the Colony to supply said Captain Jeremiah Obrian, for the use of said Company, with fifty weight of Powder, and Ball equivalent, he to be accountable to the Court for the same; and said Company, when raised, to be under the direction of their Captain as to their station. Also, Resolved, That said Jeremiah Obrian be paid out of the Treasury of this Colony the sum of one hundred Pounds, towards his account, exhibited with this Petition, he giving security for the same, with one surety, (to this Colony Treasurer,) until he brings proper vouchers to support said account.

In Council, August 16, 1775: Read and concurred.

Order of the Day moved for.

The Bill for making and emitting the sum of One Hundred Thousand Pounds in Bills of Publick Credit. Read the second time, and ordered to be recommitted.

Benjamin Chadbourne, Esq., brought down a Letter from his Excellency General Washington, respecting an Indian Chief from St. François, appears as an Ambassador from that Tribe, with the following vote of Council thereon, viz:

“In Council, August 16, 1775.

“Resolved, That William Sever, Esq., and John Winthrop, Esq., with such as may be joined by the honourable House, be a Committee to confer with the Indian Chief mentioned in the within, and report what they may judge proper to be done thereon.”

Read and concurred, and Colonel Otis, Mr. Batchelder, and Mr. Hopkins, are joined with the Honourable Mr. Sever and Mr. Winthrop, to consider said Letter, and treat with said Chief, and report thereon.

The return of the Precept from Brookfield (signifying that the Town did not think proper to send a Member to the Assembly the present year) read.

The Committee on Lieutenant Lane’s Petition made a verbal Report.

Ordered, That the Petitioner have leave to withdraw his Petition.

Ordered, That Major Hawley, Colonel Bowers, Col. Freeman, Colonel Orne, and Colonel Otis, a Committee to confer with the Hon. John Hancock, Esq., and the gentlemen delegated by this Colony to represent it at the Continental Congress, with respect to the sum necessary to be drawn out of the Treasury to defray their expenses to and at Philadelphia, and also to receive any intelligence of the Proceedings of the Congress which the said Delegates may communicate, and to consider what matters are proper to be laid before them previous to their departure to Philadelphia.

Ordered, That Major Hawley, Mr. Cushing, and Col. Orne, with such as the honourable Board shall join, be a Committee to consider what Oaths are proper and necessary to be taken by the Officers, civil and military, who may be appointed by the honourable Board.

Sent up for concurrence.

Then the House adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine o’clock.

Thursday, August 17, 1775.

Ordered, That Colonel Dwight, Mr. Toby, and Major Leonard, be a Committee to consider the Petition of Lydia Paddock, the wife of Thomas Paddock, and report thereon.

Ordered, That Captain White, of Middleborough, be on the Committee for considering the Letter from Lieutenant Lane.

The Report of the Committee on the Memorial from the Town of Salem. Read, and recommitted.

The Bill declaratory of the right of Towns and Districts to send Representatives to the General Court. Read a third time, and passed to be engrossed.

In the fifteenth year of the Reign of GEORGE the Third, King, &c.

An Act declaratory of the right of certain Towns and Districts in the Colony of the MASSACHUSETTS-BAY, in NEW-ENGLAND, to elect and depute a Representative or

* To the Honourable Council and House of Representatives assembled at WATERTOWN, July 19, 1775:

The Petition of the subscribers, in behalf of the inhabitants of Machias, in the County of Lincoln, and Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, humbly sheweth: That your Petitioners in the present unhappy times have been at great expense in guarding the coast at Machias, by which means the inhabitants have done but very little else for two months past, which loaves us in a very distressed situation, unable to defend our. selves, or the common cause for which our Country in general are con. tending; however, we beg leave to hold ourselves ready and willing to exert ourselves still further by virtue of such encouragement as your Honours shall think proper. We, therefore, pray your Honours would please to allow us the privilege of raising a company of men amongst ourselves, on the expense of the Province, by whisk means, we humbly conceive, we should be enabled to guard our own post by continuing the young men in the place who at present are wholly out of employ, and contribute in some measure to the necessity of the poor inhabit ants; and the company raised to be under such restrictions and regulations as your Honours shall think fit. We would also beg leave to represent to your Honours that we have not a sufficiency of Powder and Ball to make any considerable defence in case of an invasion. We humbly pray your Honours would supply us with two hundred weight of Powder, and Ball in proportion. Your Honours are doubtless sensible of the great cost and charge your petitioners must necessarily be at in the conveyance of a number of Prisoners from Machias to Watertown, near three hundred and fifty miles distant. The particular accounts of which we beg leave to lay before your honourable Committee. We therefore pray your Honours would please to grant such a sum of money to be paid unto your petitioners as will enable us to defray all such charges as shall be found right and just; and your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.

JEREMIAH OBRJAN.
BENJAMIN FOSTER.