made up to the number of sixty-six men, including Officers, and that he forthwith enlist and enrol them.

Voted, That the Blanks for Commissions for the Military Officers of this Colony be forthwith printed.

Voted, That the Field-Officers of each Regiment in this Colony recommend to the Committee of Safety a proper person to be Adjutant or Quartermaster for their respective Regiments, to be commissionated by said Committee of Safety.

Voted, That there be a Surgeon appointed to Colonel Bedel’s Company of Rangers.

Voted, That the return of the Committee chosen to prepare a Vote to perfect the regulation of the Militia in this Colony, be received and established; which regulation is as follows, viz:

1. That the Commanding Officer of the Regiment in this Colony give notice to each Town in his Regiment, for all the training Soldiers to meet at the most publick and convenient place at said Town, in order to make choice of their Officers, agreeable to the directions of the Continental Congress, giving them eight days’ notice; and that one or more of the Field-Officers attend said meeting, and see the matter fairly conducted, and then give out the Commissions to the several Officers that shall be fairly elected by said Soldiers; and that each Commission, so given out, be published by said Field-Officer or Officers so attending, as soon as may be, and attest the choice as aforesaid.

2. That each Town in this Colony, containing a sufficient number of training Soldiers to make two or more Companies, agreeable to the recommendation of the Continental Congress, be accordingly divided by a division line, to be drawn between them by the Selectmen and Committees of such Towns, or the major part of them.

3. That the Officers and Soldiers in the Militia be governed by a law of this Colony, formerly made for the regulation of the Militia, (excepting that clause that relates to calling the Companies together,) and that the Captains of the respective Companies of Militia of this Colony call their respective Companies together at least once a month, when the season will admit of it, in order to acquaint themselves with the use and exercise of Fire-Arms, according to the exercise published and printed in the year 1764.

4. That Regimental Musters shall be made once in every year, at such time or times as the General Officer shall appoint.

Voted, That the Colonel of each Regiment in this Colony have a copy of the above Vote, in order to settle their respective Regiments as soon as may be.

Wednesday, August 30, 1775.

Voted, That Colonel Jonathan Chase be appointed Colonel of the Regiment lately commanded by Colonel Gilbert; Elisha Paine, Esq., be his Lieutenant-Colonel, Israel Curtis, Esq., his First Major, and Francis Smith, Esq., his Second Major.

Voted, That William Whipple, John Dudley, Nicholas Gilman, Ebenezer Thompson, Stephen Evans, Samuel Hobart, Wiseman Clagget, Benjamin Giles, and Jonathan Childs, Esquires, be a Committee to proportion the representation of the several Towns and places in this Colony, in any future Congress or Convention, and lay a plan thereof before this Congress as soon as may be.

Voted, That the Secretary of this Congress be paid seven Shillings per day for his services as Secretary, out of the Publick Treasury, by the Receiver-General.

Voted, That there be paid by the Receiver-General, out of the Publick Treasury, to Captain John Langdon, one of our Delegates to the Continental Congress, the sum of one hundred Pounds, lawful money, to be by him accounted for.

Voted, That the Company of Militia in Conway remain independent until further orders of the Congress.

Voted, That the several Members of the two last Houses of Representatives of the Colony be paid, for each day’s attendance in General Court before this time, five Shillings per day, out of the Publick Treasury, by the Receiver-General, (the number of days to be certified by their respective Clerks,) and that the same be added to the tax of their respective constituents in the next Tax Bill; and that they be paid for travel, as usual, out of the Treasury, to be certified as aforesaid; and that the respective Clerks have five Shillings per day, out of the Publick Treasury, for their respective services, to be certified as aforesaid.

Voted, That Ichabod Rawlings, Esq., and Mr. Timothy Walker, Jun., be a Committee, fully empowered to repair to the Army, and there strictly examine into the losses sustained by every Officer and Soldier of the Troops raised by this Colony for the united service, in Clothing, Fire-Arms, &c., that was their own property, or that they were accountable for, at the battle at Charlestown, and estimate what they think is the true loss sustained by each individual; and that they then acquaint themselves with what value each individual has received towards his loss, and then to pay each and every person, in money, what they find due to make up his loss; and that they apply to the Committee of Safety for orders on the Receiver-General for that purpose; and that they apply to the Captain-General, Commissary-General, or such other person as they think can inform them, to know if our engagement to give each Soldier a Coat will be performed by order of the United Colonies; and also to provide a Blanket for each Soldier who has not received one, and to pay for those already procured; and to notify the Officers to transmit by them all accounts they have against the Colony; and that they also pay a month’s wages to each Soldier enlisted in the Continental service who was returned by our Paymaster not paid.

Whereas it is evident that many ill consequences have followed upon so large a use of Spirituous Liquors as has been commonly practised, upon the publication of Commissions and other military occasions, some persons drinking to excess, which leads to confusion and disturbance, and greatly tends to frustrate the proper end and design of such military regulations and movements, viz: the improvement of the Soldiers in the use of arms. It being the duly and interest of a people to avoid extravagance and dissipation at all times, and especially at such a day as this, when we are under the awful rebukes of Providence, and the burden of publick charges must necessarily be very great, this Congress have thought themselves in duty bound earnestly to recommend it to the Soldiers that they will not expect nor desire such large and extravagant treats as have been (we cannot but say too much) used heretofore; nothing doubting that all that are friends to virtue and frugality, and have a generous regard to the welfare of their Country, will be pleased and gratified with a retrenchment of all extravagance in this way; and therefore we earnestly recommend it to all Officers in the Militia, whether of higher or lower rank, to forbear all extravagance, and practise a laudable moderation and economy in this way; and particularly we recommend that at the meetings of the Soldiers to choose their respective Officers, there by no means be any treats given or received, if offered antecedent to such choice; all which we think is agreeable to the advice of the honourable Continental Congress.

Thursday, August 31, 1775.

Voted, That the Towns of Cardigan, Grafton, Protectworth, and Savile, be and hereby are annexed to and made a part of the Regiment under the command of Colonel Jonathan Chase.

Voted, That Mr. Sparhawk and Major Hubbard be added to the Committee for drawing up Instructions for our Delegates to the Continental Congress.

Upon a motion of Col. March, Voted, That the Vote of the 24th inst., appointing William Whipple, Esq., Colonel of the First Regiment of Militia of this Colony, be reconsidered.

Voted, That Captain William Whipple be and hereby is appointed Colonel of the First Regiment of Militia in this Colony.

Voted, That Benjamin Barker be appointed First Major of the First Regiment of Militia in this Colony, and Ephraim Pickering Second Major.

Voted, That John Giddinge, Esq., the late Treasurer of the Congress, have the loan of twenty-nine Pounds, eighteen Shillings, and ten Pence, lawful money, to be delivered him by the Receiver-General, out of the Publick Treasury, to be accounted for by said Giddinge.