other necessaries, in obedience to the orders of this Congress; and that Mr. Livingston take Mr. Curtenius’s receipt for the same, on account.

A Letter from William Smith, Esq., Chairman of the Committee of Suffolk County, bearing date the 22d instant, was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

“Suffolk County, August22, A. D. 1775.

“GENTLEMEN: The Committee of this County are now met to give proper directions for taking the stock from Gardiner’s and Plumb Islands, according to your direction of the 18th of this instant. It is with the greatest concern that we find the Troops at the east end of this island are ordered away, whereby we shall be left defenceless. General Wooster was prevailed on, before the receipt of your letter, to tarry with his Troops a few days; he is now present with us, and lets us know that he purposes to depart to-morrow. There are now three cutters at the east end of this island, cruising; and we must beg leave to inform you that the stock on Montauk, Shelter-Island, and Oyster Pond Point, will be in the utmost danger of falling into the hands of the enemy, besides the constant alarms and expense the inhabitants of this part of the County will be exposed to, unless your honourable House will take Our situation under your consideration, and allow us at least such number of men as may be sufficient to secure these parts from the depredations of the enemy.

“The Companies raised here, we presume, will not disobey your orders; but we pray you to consider how destitute we shall be left when our men are gone, our arms put into their hands, and carried from us. With the advice of General Wooster, we have ventured to desire the Captains not to march until we can send an express to you to let us know whether we can have any hopes of relief. And, further, we think we cannot at present get off the stock without a sufficient guard upon the islands. General Wooster informs us, that he had advice from Governour Trumbull to return to New-York before he received your letter, and we cannot think it could be the design of the Continental Congress that this County should be left in this situation. Colonel Gardiner, of Plumb-Island, says, that Colonel Abijah Willard, in the Ministerial Fleet, informed him that they should come again, and would bring a sufficient force to take the stock from Long-Island.

“We are, Gentlemen, your most obedient humble servants. By order:

WM. SMITH, Chairman.

“To Peter V. B. Livingston, Esq., President of the Provincial Congress at New-York.”

Ordered, That the said Letter be delivered to the Committee appointed to take into consideration the state of the Stock on Gardiner’s Island and Montauk.

A draught of a Letter to the honourable the House of Representatives of Massachusetts-Bay, to cover the Petition of the Executors of David Gardiner, Esq., and the Papers which attend the same, was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New-York, August 24, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: You will readily perceive the propriety of our referring to your honourable House a petition from the executors of David Gardiner, Esq., deceased, which we send you enclosed, together with the evidences which we are possessed of, facts therein stated, and an account of the things taken, and damages. If you should approve of the mode pointed out by the pettioners for obtaining the desired satisfaction, we doubt not but you will be ready to grant them all the assistance and relief in your power.

We are, Gentlemen, with the greatest respect, your most humble servants.

To the Honourable the House of Representatives of the Colony of Massachusetts-Bay.

Ordered, That a copy thereof be engrossed and signed by the President, and transmitted, together with the Petition, Affidavits, and Papers therein mentioned.

4to ho. P.M., August 24, 1775.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

Mr. Van Zandt, Mr. Marleti, Mr. Thomas Smith, and Mr. J. Van Cortlandt, severally took the General Oath of Secrecy. Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Walton respectively took the Particular Oath of Secrecy, with respect to the examination of Me-lancton Lawrence, and the Letters found in his custody.

The Committee appointed to examine Captain Melancton Lawrence delivered in the Examination of said Lawrence; which was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

The Examination of Captain MELANCTON LAWRENCE, before a Committee of the Congress, on the 24 th day of AUGUST, 1775.

That he was appointed, on the 24th of April last, commander of the Schooner Neptune, and believes she belongs to the Government; that he left Boston on the 23d of July last, with despatches from General Gage to Captain Vandeput; that he had orders from the General to put himself under the command of one Lieutenant Evans, agent of the transports; that when he went on board of Evans’s transports he received from him two letters directed to one Wallace, Captain of the Rose, man-of-war, at Newport; that if Captain Wallace gave him no particular orders to the contrary, he was to cruise south, off Block-Island, until he heard from the said Evans. That he arrived at Newport in three days, and not finding Wallace, he stood out and fell in with the Kingfisher, the Captain whereof took him under his command, and conveyed him into Rhode-Island, where he found Captain Wallace, to whom he delivered his letters. That he then ordered him to follow him, and proceed to Block-Island, where they fell in with a fleet of transports, and proceeded with the fleet to Fisher’s Island. That he was told by one Colonel Willard that he had planned the expedition to take the cattle from the islands; that cattle and sheep were taken off from Gardiner’s and Fisher’s Islands, to wit: thirty-six head of horned cattle and eleven hundred sheep from Fisher’s Island, as he was informed; from Gardiner’s Island, between forty and fifty horned cattle, and between eighteen hundred and two thousand sheep, as the examinant was informed. That the examinant did not assist in taking the cattle and sheep from either of the islands, nor received any of them, except four sheep, which were sent aboard for the use of the men, which were sent on board of this examinant by Colonel Willard. That the examinant understood from Willard that the man on Gardiner’s Island was very sulky at first, and refused to sell, but that afterwards he insisted that whatever they took away they were to give an account of; that he also understood from Willard, and from other circumstances he has reason to believe, that the man on Fisher’s Island was willing to sell cattle. That Evans, the agent, gave this examinant orders to take all vessels he might fall in with, and particularly those loaded with salt; that this examinant met several vessels, particularly a brig loaded with salt, bound to Rhode-Island, but did not take or molest them in their voyage. That he could not discover that there were any intentions of the Army, or any part of it, to remove from Boston, but, on the contrary, there was all the appearance of their intentions to stay, as they were strengthening their fortifications; that no Troops had been sent from Boston to Quebeck, but that he has understood that one Gamble, an officer, was gone to recruit there. That when this examinant, in May or June last, was on his return from here to Boston, near the Hook, a sloop from Staten-Island came down, with sheep, hogs, and hay; that Captain McDonald was on board the sloop, who insisted on their being taken on board the schooner; but upon this examinant’s refusing to take them on board, they were sent back, though the said McDonald proceeded with him to Boston; and that the said McDonald, at Boston, informed him he was going to Quebeck, and that he was in full pay. That Allen McLean also went passenger with this examinant to Boston, and returned to New-York with the examinant, when he brought General Haldimand to New-York; that the said McLean brought with him a bag of money, which he took ashore with him; that from papers which he left on board, the examinant first learned he intended to enlist men; this he discovered from the contents of one which was subscribed by General Gage, authorizing him to enlist a Regiment of (he thinks) Highlanders in the Provinces, for His Majesty’s service. That at Tarpaulin Cove he