Ordered, That the Secretary lay upon the table the Reserve for stationing Capt. Lane’s Company at Gloucester.

The Secretary laid it upon the table accordingly.

Mr. Gerry, agreeable to order, reported the following Resolve, which was accepted, viz:

Resolved, That the Speaker, Mr. Gerry, and Major Hawley, be, and they hereby are appointed a Committee to apply to his Excellency George Washington, Esq., with a desire of this House that he will, as soon as may be, cause a return to be made of the names of the Officers and Men to each Regiment established by this Colony, and now in the American Army respectively belonging, including such of each Regiment as are deceased since its establishment, or as have been draughted for the detachment ordered to Quebeck, and specifying the names of the Towns and other places from which they were respectively entered, in order to enable the Court to rectify and prevent any errors in Accounts, which have been or may be rendered for payment of Blankets and other articles supplied the Soldiers, according to the terms of their enlistment.

Resolved, That Tuesday next, ten o’clock, A. M., be assigned to take into consideration the state of the Militia in this Colony.

The Committee on the Petition of Captain John Lane reported. The Report was recommitted, and the Committee were instructed to report a state of facts.

Monday, September 25, 1775.

A Memorial of Elisha Cobb, relative to a Schooner brought into Wellfleet-Bay, was read, and committed to Colonel Godfrey and Colonel Orne, with such as the honourable Board may join.

In Council, September 25, 1775: Read and concurred, and Walter Spooner, Esq., is joined.

Ordered, That Major Brooks, Colonel Grout, Major Hawley, Captain Batchelder, Deacon Rawson, Colonel Orne, and Mr. Cheever, be a Committee to consider the services of all the Officers and Private Soldiers (excepting the men raised for the defence of the sea-coasts) who have served the Colony either in the character of Minute-Men, Militia-Men, or Officers and Soldiers retained in the Army raised for the defence of this and the other American Colonies, until the last of December next, from the 19th of April last to the 1st of August last, and at what rate the said Minute-Men and Militia-Men should be paid for their respective services; also, at what rate or in what manner all the said Officers and Soldiers should be paid for their subsistence, on their march from their respective homes to Head-Quarters; also, in what manner and by whom it is proper the Rolls and Accounts of such services and subsistence should be made up and authenticated.

The Committee appointed to consider the expediency of paying off the Forces of this Colony, to the first of August last, reported. The Report was committed to the Committee last chosen, to consider the services of all the Officers, &c.

Afternoon.

An Examination of Catharine Cook and Nancy Sullivan, two suspected women, who were examined by the Committee of Correspondence of Lexington, and sent to this place, was read, and sent up.

A Petition of Joseph Palmer, Esq., relative to the Estate of the late John Borland, Esq., of Braintree, was read, and committed to Mr. Story, Major Ely, and Colonel Grout.

The Committee on the Petition of Captain John Lane* reported. Read and accepted.

The Committee appointed to take into consideration the Petition of Captain John Lane have attended that service, and beg leave to report the following state of facts, viz:

The 22d May, the said Lane received orders to confer with the Penobscot Tribe of Indians; at the same time he received orders to enlist fifty-six Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers. He left his Lieutenant with directions to enlist as many men as he could, and proceeded to Penobscot, treated with the Indians, and conducted four of them to the Congress. After the Congress had finished a treaty with the said Indians, in which said Lane was accepted as their Agent, he conducted them back as far as Falmouth, where he found his orders were not sufficient to procure goods for said Indians. He then sent forward the said Indians, gave Lieutenant Gilman orders to enlist men at Penobscot, and returned to the Congress, where he received orders to Mr. Pribble to furnish the said goods; which said Pribble did. Said Lane then proceeded to Penobscot, and delivered them to the Truckmaster there. He found the Indians, and acquainted them with what he had done. He then returned to the Truck-House, and took on board forty-nine men, which Lieutenant Gilman had enlisted, and proceeded to Falmouth, and from thence to Head-Quarters, by land. In the mean time he had, according to his orders, wrote his Lieutenant, who was raising men at Falmouth, to proceed to Head-Quarters with what men he had; which he did. And then said Lieutenant received orders to proceed to Gloucester, where that Company were to be stationed. That Captain Lane met his Lieutenant in Salem with twenty-eight men that he had enlisted, which, together with said forty-nine men with him,

in a great measure ceased; and as they were entitled to a considerable bounty upon their marching out of Town, he thought it best they should be dismissed, and they were accordingly. And afterwards he opposed the Town’s agreeing to pay three Shillings a day to Minute-Men, for exercising, in case a Company could be raised.

With respect to the Courts, Colonel. Bowers granted that he had disapproved of the people’s conduct, in not permitting them to do business agreeable to the charter of the Province.

As to a paper currency, Colonel Bowers produced evidence that ho had taken it in a considerable quantity, and had given silver in exchange.

In answer to the evidences which were produced, that his conversation and conduct were calculated to dishearten the people, &c, Colonel Bowers proved, that he used all his influence to induce the Town to adopt the Suffolk Resolves, but without effect; that ho urged the Town to choose a Committee for the County Convention, and it was accordingly done; that, upon the news of the Lexington battle, he was sent for by a number of the inhabitants, to consult what was best to be done; he told them “he was very much against fighting,” but, since it was begun, he “was for going a thorough-stitch with it,” and advised to the calling a Town meeting immediately; that he moved, at one of their meetings, for doubling the Town stock, which would make better than five hundred weight of powder, above seven hundred weight of lead, &c., and likewise that forty fire-arms should be procured, all which were voted; ho also moved, that the Town of Swanzey should join with Freetown, and erect a battery on each side of the river, and afterwards said, in private conversation, that he himself would be at the expense of the cannon, if he knew where to get them; that he was for the Town’s stock being divided, and placed in different parts of the Town, for the conveniency of the inhabitants in case of an emergency; or that every man should fill his powder-horn, and give it to the Sergeants to keep; but objected to their having it in their own possession, as they might waste it, in shooting at birds, &c.; that he solicited the people to enlist into the Army, telling them that they had good encouragement so to do; that he would by all means have their full quota engage in the service; that he had been heard to say, that Great Britain could never drive this Country by any force they could send; that at the time of the Weymouth alarm, he declared, he “would go in person as far as any man;” that he had been heard to Bay, within a few months back, that he “would expend as much of his estate in defence of his Country as any person whatever: that he would spend his life and fortune in the cause.”

Moreover, Captain Robert Gibbs deposed, that Colonel Bowers never advised him not to act in our difficult affairs, as mentioned in the testimony of David Pierce; but that he informed said Pierce that Colonel Bowers came to him on account of his keeping a pedlar, and giving a sword to one of Colonel Gilbert’s Company, and told him that he had better turn away the pedlar, recall the sword, lie still, and not make the people uneasy; which story said Pierce misapprehended.

Silas Clark, the person referred to in the depositions of Philip Slead and David Pierce, as being present at the time when Colonel Bowers expressed his apprehensions about the Army, testified, that Philip Slead expressed some concern about paying the Army, but he observed to him, that he need not trouble himself about that, for as the Army had the sword in their hands, they would pay themselves; which seemed to affect said Slead, who said, “I never thought of it before, and am a good deal troubled at it;” and then asked Colonel Bowers what he thought of Clark’s opinion, who asked what it was; and upon being told, ho answered, in a careless way, “there’s no knowing which way it would turn.”

As in some of the depositions published to the world, Colonel Bowers is said to call the meeting illegal, the: meaning of which may be mistaken, we think proper to observe, that, from the deponents themselves, it appears that Colonel Bowers mentioned the absence of the Town Clerk as the cause of its illegality.

Your Committee, after a thorough examination of the several evidences and the most careful inquiry, cannot find that Colonel Bowers has acted a part unfriendly to his Country, but quite the reverse; and are unanimous in the opinion, that he, so far from wishing his countrymen to be deprived of their liberty, or a single privilege, would exert himself to the utmost in support of them.

By order of the Committee:

WILLIAM BAYLIES, Chairman,

* Petition of Joint Lane, of Buxton, in the County of York, and Colony of Massachusetts-Bay, humbly sheweth: That your petitioner commands a Company of seventy-nine men, now stationed at Cape-Ann, by order of the honourable Council, and said men are now on duty, by order of the honourable Council, and suffering for want of money, and their coats and blankets; and the greatest part of them have neither received money nor blankets since they enlisted, which they very much want, and makes them uneasy, Pray your Honours would consider their condition, and relieve them in such manner as your Honours shall see fit. And your petitioner, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.