the late Provincial Congress, employed Sylvanus Drew, as a master boat-builder, but that no establishment has as yet been made for him or the said Drew; therefore,

Resolved, That Mr. Joshua Davis be, and hereby is entitled to the Pay of a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army for the time that he has and shall continue in the service; and likewise that Mr. Sylvanus Drew be entitled to the Pay of a Captain for the time that he has and shall continue in the service as master boat-builder; and that they, each of them, draw the same allowance as is provided for the Troops.

In Council, August 22, 1775: Read and concurred.

A Petition of Edward Emerson, praying that he may be allowed to fix a Schooner, which he had taken from the enemy, for a Privateer, for the defence of the Sea-Coast in the eastern part of the Colony, &c., was read, and committed to Colonel Spaulding, Major Johnson, Mr. Cross, Colonel Thompson, and Mr. Crane.

The Resolve of the honourable Board appointing a Committee to transmit the transactions of the General Court to the Continental Congress, was read, and concurred, as taken into a new Draught, viz:

Resolved, That William Sever, Jedediah Foster, and Joseph Palmer, Esqs., together with such as the honourable House shall join, be a Standing Committee for the purpose of transmitting, from time to time, to our Delegates at the honourable Continental Congress, all such transactions of the Great and General Court, together with all such other transactions and events as may affect the publick, and which may appear to said Committee proper and expedient that the said honourable Congress should be made acquainted with.

The Resolve appointing a Committee to prepare accounts of the sums disbursed by this Colony in the present contest with Great Britain being amended, was accepted; thereupon,

Ordered, That three o’clock in the afternoon be assigned for the choice of three persons to be a Committee for the purpose aforesaid.

Ordered, That no Report of any Committee shall be received, unless there is sufficient room on the paper fairly to be authenticated by the several Branches.

Ordered, That the Secretary be directed to lay the Resolve making a grant to the five Indians of the Tribe of St. François on the table.

The Secretary brought it down accordingly.

The Resolve directing Constables to transmit duplicates of their Receipts for such Money as they have paid to Henry Gardner, Esq., to the Secretary. Read and accepted, and is as follows, viz:

Resolved, and Ordered, That all and every person and persons in this Colony possessed, in behalf of any Town or District, of any duplicate of Receipts given by Henry Gardner, Esq., since his first appointment by the Congress of this Colony to the office of Receiver-General for the same, testifying his receipt of any sum of money as the Province Tax, or part of the Province Tax, set on any Town or District, for any year now past, do, as soon as may be, transmit and lodge in the Office of the Secretary of the Colony, lately appointed by the Council, such duplicate whereof he is possessed as aforesaid; and that every Constable or Collector, or other person, who may be possessed of any Receipt of any such moneys, whereof a duplicate was not given, is hereby directed and required to procure a copy of such Receipt to be made and to be examined by the Clerk of the Town where he resides, in this Colony, and certified by the same Town Clerk to be a true copy; and that the person so possessed of such single Receipts to transmit the said copy, with such certificate thereon, as soon as may be, to the Secretary’s Office aforesaid; and that every such Town Clerk who may be applied to rnake such examination and certificate, is hereby required to do the same without fee or reward therefor; and the said Secretary is hereby ordered to keep all such duplicates and copies as may be transmitted to him in the most careful and safe manner, to be improved by this Colony in settling their Accounts with their said Receiver-General. This Resolve to be published in the Cambridge, Watertown, and Worcester Papers.

In Council, August 22, 1775: Read and concurred.

Ordered, That Mr. Hopkins be directed to bring in a Resolve for the purpose of drawing out of the Treasury ten Pounds for the five Indians, and that the Committee furnish them with Blankets as was proposed.

Resolved, That no more Accounts be received in this House during the present session.

Afternoon.

Ordered, That Colonel Freeman, Mr. Thayer, and Mr. Dix, be a Committee to receive and sort the votes for a Committee to prepare accounts of the sums disbursed by this Colony, in the present contest with Great Britain.

Who having attended that service reported, that Mr. Elbridge Gerry, Colonel Porter, and Colonel Azor Orne, were chosen. Colonel Orne desired to be excused and having offered his reasons, the question was put, and he was excused accordingly. Mr. Dix was appointed to give notice to Mr. Gerry and Colonel Porter of their choice as above.

The Committee appointed to consider what sum would be meet and proper to be ordered and paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony to the several gentlemen Delegates from this Colony to the honourable Continental Congress, to enable them to defray their charge and expense in their journey and attendance at the next session of the said Congress, have attended that service, and after conferring with four of the said Delegates, and maturely weighing the matter, are of opinion, that it is proper that one hundred and thirty Pounds, lawful money, is a meet sum to be allowed to each of the said Delegates for the purpose aforesaid. Therefore the said Committee beg leave to report the following form of a Resolve, as proper to be passed on the occasion, viz:

Resolved, That as there has been already this session ordered and paid to the Hon. John Hancock, Esq., the sum of one hundred Pounds, for the purpose of defraying the charge of his travel and attendance at the next sitting of the honourable Continental Congress, there be ordered and paid to him, out of the publick Treasury, the further sum of thirty Pounds, for the purpose abovementioned; and that the sum of one hundred and thirty Pounds be ordered and paid out of the said Treasury to each of the other honourable Delegates to the said Congress for this Colony, to defray the charges of their travel and attendance at the next session of the said Congress; and each of the said gentlemen shall be accountable to this Court for the sum which they shall respectively receive.

In Council, August 22, 1775: Read and concurred.

An engrossed Bill prescribing the Form of an Oath to be taken by the Civil and Military Officers of this Colony. Read, and passed to be enacted.

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

An Act prescribing the form of an Oath to be taken by all Commission Officers, both civil and military, who have been commissionated for this Colony since the nineteenth day of JULY last, or may be hereafter commissionated, until the further order of the Great and General Court.

Be it enacted by the Council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That all and every Commission Officer or Officers, civil and military, who have been commissionated since the nineteenth day of July last, or may be hereafter commissionated by the Council or Assistants of the Colony of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England, or the major part of them, or deriving any authority from, by, or under any Commission made or to be made by the said Council, shall, until the further order of the Great and General Court or Assembly, before they proceed in or enter upon the execution of their respective offices, take the Oath

ours to consider his case, and grant him so much pay as in your wisdom you shall think his service entitles him to Your petitioner begs leave further to represent to your Honours, that by desire and under the direction aforesaid, he employed a master boat-builder, Mr. Sylvanus Drew, who still continues with him in the service, and whom your petitioner begs leave to represent as a worthy, capable person, who has faithfully discharged his duty; and therefore begs you will grant him such pay as you shall think he deserves. And, as in duty bound, your petitioner shall ever pray.

JOSHUA DAVIS.