this Colony, any nine of whom to be a quorum, to examine into the reason and justness of the capture of any Vessel or Vessels that have been or may be taken into custody by any Committee of Inspection, Safety, or Correspondence, of any Town, place, or District, or other person, between Penobscot and Machias, and may order any Vessel or Vessels so taken to be discharged or held, according to the nature of the charge and evidence against them; and in such cases where the said Committee shall order the detention of any Vessel taken into custody as above expressed, they are required, as soon as may be, to transmit an account of their doings to this Court, setting forth the nature of the case, with the circumstances attending it: Provided, always, That when any Committee of Inspection, Safety, or Correspondence, of any Town, District, or place, within the limits aforesaid, or any Owner or Master of any Vessel so taken and detained, shall be aggrieved at the determination of said Committee by this Court appointed, such Committee of any Town, place, or District, or Owner or Master of any such Vessel or Vessels, may bring their cause, at their expense, before the General Court of this Colony, where they shall be heard, and have the order or determination of said Committee appointed by this Court reversed, if the same shall appear to said Court to be unreasonable and unjust; to which end, the said Committee are required to furnish any Committees, or other person or persons aggrieved by their determination, in any instance, with copies of their Proceedings, the same being demanded.

Afternoon.

A Message by the Secretary, from a majority of the honourable Council, viz:

“Gentlemen of the House of Representatives:

“There is of necessity some expense incurred by the bringing of persons before the Council, who are taken in Vessels, and otherwise; and no provision is made for discharging the same. To delay the persons concerned until application can be made to the whole General Court for the paying such accounts would increase the publick expense, and injure the persons so detained. We recommend to your consideration, the making some provisions, by an application of such a sum of money as you shall judge necessary, to be applied for that purpose, without an application to the whole Court.

“Council Chamber, October 4, 1775.”

Read, and committed to Colonel Sayer, Captain Walker, Captain Batchelder, Captain Adams, and Mr. Sewall.

Ordered, That Captain Partridge, Colonel Sayer, and Colonel Thayer, be a Committee to consider how the Fire-Arms procured by this Colony shall be disposed of

Ordered, That Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Story be added to the Committee appointed to prepare Accounts to be transmitted to the Continental Congress.

Moses Gill, Esq., brought down the Report of the Committee appointed to wait on General Washington, on the representation from the Committee of Safety of Newburyport, viz:

“In Council, October 4, 1775.

“That they are informed by his Excellency, that it is his purpose to have some Armed Vessels fitted out immediately, on the pay of the Continent, for the purpose of cruising along the Sea-Coast. That he intends to furnish men for this business from the Army, as he has a sufficient number qualified therefor. He therefore declines taking the Vessel, referred to in the aforementioned representation, into the Continental service.

“B. GREENLEAF, per order.”

Jedediah Foster, Esq., brought down the Report of the Committee of both Houses appointed to consider the request of Captain Jacob Rogers.

Resolved, That Mr. John Kneeland be directed to apply to the Officers of the Massachusetts Forces, for a Return of the said Forces, agreeable to the Orders of General Washington, which were issued pursuant to the desire of this House.

Thursday, October 5, 1775

The Report of the Committee of both Houses on the request of Captain Jacob Rogers was read and considered; and the question was put, whether the House will accept the same? It passed in the negative; and the Petition was dismissed.

On a motion, Resolved, That there be a further assignment for the consideration of the Petition of Isaac Backus, agent for the Baptist Churches; and three o’clock, next Friday, was assigned for that purpose accordingly.

Afternoon.

A Petition of Ivory Hovey, praying that the Committee for the Eastern Districts may be empowered to fit out certain Vessels therein mentioned, as Privateers, &c., read, and committed to Mr. Hopkins, Captain Morton, and Colonel Thompson.

The Committee appointed to consider what is proper to be done relative to the communication between the Town of Boston and the country reported. Read and accepted.

Whereas this Court has reason to apprehend that the Small-Pox prevails in the Town of Boston, whereby great danger is apprehended of spreading that distemper through the country, by the Ferry at Chelsea, being open for the transportation of the Poor and other inhabitants of the Town of Boston into the country; and whereas General Gage does not comply with the just expectations of this Court, that the said inhabitants, with their effects, should come out indiscriminately, but perverts the communication to purposes that may prove dangerous to the community:

Therefore, Resolved, That the Committee appointed to attend at Chelsea be ordered to retire, and give no further attendance, and that no boats pass and repass that ferry, from and to Boston; and whenever it shall appear to this Court that General Gage is disposed to comply with his engagement for a general liberation of the inhabitants of Boston and their effects, this Court will be ready to receive and make suitable provision for said inhabitants.

In Council, October 5, 1775: Read and concurred.

On the Memorial from the Field-Officers of the County of Barnstable,

Resolved, That the Selectmen and other persons who have billeted the Soldiers raised in the County of Barnstable, and stationed in the Counties of Barnstable and Plymouth, be allowed the Billeting Money that shall be due to them the 8th of October instant; and, also, that the sum of one hundred Pounds be allowed and paid, out of the publick Treasury, to Colonel Joseph Otis, Colonel Nathaniel Freeman, Major Enoch Hallet, and Joseph Demick, or to either of them, for the purpose of purchasing four pieces of Cannon, from four to nine pounders, and Ammunition for the same, agreeable to the within Petition; the said Colonel Joseph Otis, and the other Field-Officers, to be accountable to this Court for said sum.

Friday, October 6, 1775.

The Report on the Account and Petition of the Selectmen of Springfield was read, and not accepted; and the Petitioners had leave to withdraw their Petition.

Ordered, That Mr. Pitts, Colonel Sayer, and Deacon Cheever, with such as the honourable Board may join, be a Committee to consider a Letter from Messieurs Thomas Crandon and Nathaniel Hammond, *relative to a Brigantine

* A letter from Thomas Crandon and Nathaniel Hammond, of Dartmouth, acquainting the honourable Board of an alarm upon Naushan-Island, and several Companies repaired there, to their assistance; and at the time they were there, Captain Collins, in a sloop-of-war, came down the Sound, with four brigantines and a tender. In the night, on the 29th of September, one of said brigantines got on shore upon Nonnemesset-Island. After a trial, found they could not get her off. The owner of said brigantine, Mr. Bowers, with the men belonging to the sloop-of-war, took to their boat, and set out for Holmes’s Hole, in order to get assistance from aboard a man-of-war. In the interim, our soldiery, having notice of her being on shore, went and took possession of her, and have brought her to Dartmouth, where they have her safe, under a strong guard.