Resolution of the Continental Congress, do resolve that warrants be issued to proper persons for immediately raising the said two Battalions, consisting of eight Companies each, and each Company of sixty-eight Privates, and officered with one Captain, one Lieutenant, one Ensign, four Sergeants and four Corporals, on the terms aforesaid; which Sergeants, Corporals, and Privates, to be enlisted, shall be able-bodied freemen: And it is further directed, that when any Company shall be enlisted, the persons having warrants for raising the same shall cause a muster to be had thereof, in the presence of either Elias Daton, Azariah Dunham, Joseph Ellis, or John Mehelm, Esquires, who are hereby appointed Muster-Masters to review the said Companies; and if, upon such review, such Muster-Master, who shall attend for that purpose, shall find the said Company complete, agreeable to the above directions, shall thereupon certify the same on the back of the Muster-Roll of such Company, to this Congress, or, in their recess, to the Committee of Safety, in order that Commissions may be made out to the Officers of such Company; which Commissions the Committee of Safety of this Colony, during the recess of this Congress, upon receiving certificates as above, are required to make out and issue.

And it is hereby recommended to the inhabitants of this Colony, to be aiding and assisting, as far as their influence extends, in raising the aforesaid levies.

And it is further Resolved, That each Muster-Master shall have for his trouble, for reviewing each Company, such reward as this Congress or Committee of Safety shall judge proper for his service, which the Treasurer of this Colony for the time being, appointed by Congress, shall pay out of the Bills of Credit to be issued by direction of this Congress, upon an order or orders to him produced from this Congress or Committee of Safety.

By order of the Congress:

SAMUEL TUCKER, President.

Attested: JOHN CAREY, Secretary.

The Congress adjourned till nine o’clock, to-morrow morning.

Friday, October 27, 1775.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

The Petition from the Committee of Sussex, respecting Mr. Scott’s Commission, &c., was read a second time.

Resolved, unanimously, By all the Counties, except Sussex, which was excused from voting on this occasion, that Mr. Scott’s Commission be confirmed.

On motion made, Ordered, That Commissions do issue to the Field-Officers, and the Officers of the eleven Companies of the North-West Regiment of Militia in the County of Morris, when it shall be made appear to this Congress that a Colonel hath been elected in the room of Mr. Winds, promoted to the rank of Colonel of the Battalion of Minute-Men in that County.

On motion made, Ordered, That Commissions do issue to Matthias Williamson, Esq., Colonel Samuel Tuthill, Esq., Lieutenant-Colonel, and Jacobus Post, Esq., Major of the Regiment of Light-Horse, in the Eastern Division of this Colony.

The Committee to whom the Militia Ordinance was referred, reported a draught of the same, with amendments; which was read, paragraph by paragraph, and debated.

Ordered, That the same be engrossed.

The Congress adjourned to three o’clock, P. M.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

The following Letter from the honourable the Continental Congress was presented and read:

“Philadelphia, October 25, 1775.

“GENTLEMEN: The Congress have taken into consideration your letters of the 13th and 14th instant, and, in answer thereto, I am directed to inform you that the Congress are of opinion the publick service makes it necessary that the Jersey Battalions be levied with all possible expedition; but as the Congress are waiting the return of their Committee from camp, in order to establish permanent regulations for all Continental Forces, they, for the present, incline to suspend a determination on the question about the appointment of regimental field-officers.

“The publick exigencies will not admit of loans from the Continental Treasury to any Colonies. The Congress, however, hope that this will not disable you from supplying yourselves with arms and ammunition; in doing which, it is not doubted you will fall upon such means as will be most for the ease and safety of the Colony, without hazarding the emission of paper currency.

“From some expressions in your letter of the 14th inst., the Congress apprehend it is the intention of your Convention to take into constant pay four thousand Minute-Men; but as this will be a very heavy expense, and more, we think, than any one Colony can afford, we hope you will well weigh and consider such a measure before you adopt it. With respect to provision for Minute-Men, the Congress have made none; conceiving that the several Colonies will make proper provision for them, where such provision is necessary, or where they are called into actual service, except where they are taken into Continental service, in which case they will be entitled to the same pay as the other Continental troops.

“I am, Gentlemen, your most obedient humble servant,

“JOHN HANCOCK, President.

“To the Members of the Provincial Congress of New-Jersey.”

A copy of a Petition from Mr. Thomas Lowrey, to the Continental Congress, praying that he may be appointed Commissary to the two Battalions recommended to be raised in this Colony, was presented and read; and Mr. Lowrey having requested that this Congress would be pleased to recommend him to the Continental Congress, as a fit person for such appointment; and the question being put, whether this Congress will comply with the prayer of Mr. Lowrey’s request, or not, it passed in the affirmative.

Ordered, That Mr. President do sign an attested copy of this minute, and transmit the same to Mr. Lowrey.

The Ordinance for striking the sum of Thirty Thousand Pounds, in Bills of Credit, for the use of this Colony, and to make a provision to sink the same, &c., was read a second time, and debated.

Ordered, That the same be engrossed.

The Congress adjourned till nine o’clock, to-morrow morning.

Saturday, October 28, 1775.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

The following engrossed Ordinance, for the further regulation of the Militia Forces of this Colony, was read, compared, and approved:

Whereas the Ordinances of the late Provincial Congress, for regulating the Militia of this Colony, have been found insufficient to answer the good purposes intended; and it appearing to be essentially necessary that some further regulations be adopted at this time of imminent danger:

1. It is therefore Resolved and Directed, That each and every Captain in this Colony, within ten days after the publication hereof, shall make out a list of all persons residing in his District capable of bearing arms, between the ages of sixteen and fifty years, who, by the first military Ordinance of a former Congress, were advised or requested to enroll themselves by signing a Muster-Roll therein mentioned, such persons only excepted whose religious principles will not suffer them to bear arms, who are hereby particularly exempted therefrom; a copy of which list each Captain, respectively, within ten days after completing the same, shall deliver to the Colonel of the Regiment to which he shall belong, and such Colonel shall make return thereof to the Brigadier-General of the Division to which he shall belong; and also transmit a duplicate thereof to the Provincial Congress at their next sitting. And the respective Captains shall also make out exact lists of all such persons residing in their several Districts, capable of bearing arms, between the ages of sixteen and fifty years, whose religious principles will not suffer them to bear arms; which lists the said Captains shall lay before the Committee of the County to which they belong.

2. And it is farther Resolved, That every person above directed to enroll himself by signing the Muster-Roll,