lately taken and carried into Dartmouth; also, a Letter from the Committee of Correspondence of Dartmouth, * dated October 1st, relative to the same Brigantine, and to six Prisoners, taken at Martha’s Vineyard, and brought to this Town.

In Council, October 6, 1775. Read and concurred; and Walter Spooner and Moses Gill, Esquires, are joined.

A Petition of Joseph Patrick, praying an allowance for the expense of himself and a number of other persons, in taking and securing two Vessels at the eastward, was read, and committed to Mr. Hopkins, Captain Batchelder, and Mr. Whitney.

The Committee on the Petition of Ivory Hovey, entered October 5th, reported. The Report was ordered to lie on the table till the Committee appointed to consider the expediency of fitting out a number of Armed Vessels should report, who were enjoined to sit; and Mr. Gerry and Captain Foster were appointed on said Committee, in the room of Colonel Grout and Mr. Jewett, absent.

The Committee appointed to consider what should be done with the Fire-Arms purchased for the use of this Government reported. Read and accepted.

Whereas a number of Fire-Arms have been purchased by this Colony, and no person appointed whose proper business it is to receive and take charge of the same; therefore,

Resolved, That Deacon Samuel Fisk, of Watertown, be, and he hereby is authorized and directed to receive into his possession such Fire-Arms and Accoutrements as have been or may be purchased for the use of this Colony, and give his receipt for the same; which receipt shall be lodged with the Clerk of this House, before any further allowance be made for the payment for said Arms; and said Samuel Fisk shall deliver said Fire-Arms to the order of the major part of the Council only, and shall be accountable to this or some General Court for his conduct in said office.

Ordered, That the Committee appointed to examine and receive Fire-Arms be directed to see that each Fire-Arm, purchased by this Colony, be marked with the letters C. M. B., and numbered, and that such number and mark be stamped on the barrel; and, when so marked and numbered, to be by said Committee deposited with Deacon Samuel Fisk, of Watertown.

Ordered, That Mr. Partridge inform the said Deacon Fisk that this House have appointed him to take such Fire-Arms into his custody.

Aftenoon.

Jabez Fisher, Esq., brought down the Report of the Committee of both Houses, on the Petition of Jeremiah Pote and Thomas Wyer; and the Representation of the Committee of Inspection of the Town of Falmouth, relative to the said Pote and Wyer’s shipping dry Fish, contrary to the Resolve of the Congress of this Colony, passed on the 12th of June last.

“In Council, October 6, 1775.

“The Committee of both Houses upon the Petition of Jeremiah Pote and Thomas Wyer, and the Representation of the Committee of Inspection of the Town of Falmouth, relating to the said Pote and Wyer’s shipping dry Fish, contrary to the Resolve of the Congress of this Colony, passed on the 12th day of June last: The Committee have attended that service, and agree to report the following facts:

“We find the said Wyer arrived at Portsmouth, in New-Hampshire, in the schooner called the Favourite, about the 20th day of July last, and was restrained from proceeding from that port to the port of Falmouth, (where the vessel belonged, ) by the Captain of the man-of-war then in that harbour. The owners of said vessel (the said Pote being one) were obliged to purchase the cargo in that river, and landed and sailed out of that harbour; and they gave the master of said vessel one hundred and thirty-six dollars, to lay out in dry fish, in the Isle of Shoals, if the wind would permit of his calling there after he went out of the harbour. The said Pote, in excuse for his so doing, said he never had seen said resolve of Congress, but had heard of it; but as they were in another Colony, thought that resolve could not be binding upon him; but soon after was convinced of his error, and is heartily sorry for the offence he has given in that transaction, and has since and will observe, religiously, the resolves of this Colony and the Continental Congress.

“It does not appear to your Committee that the said Wyer ever heard of said resolve of that time. Wherefore, although your Committee think the care and vigilance of the Committee of Inspection of the Town of Falmouth to be very commendable, yet inasmuch as the fish above referred to was purchased without the limits of this Colony, if purchased at all on their account, and therefore as they apprehended no violations of the resolves of Congress, and as they profess an entire disposition religiously to observe and conform to all the resolves and regulations of the Congress of the Continent, and also of the Colony, they are of opinion that the said Pote and Wyer be dismissed from any further attendance on this Court.

“Read and accepted; and thereupon

“Resolved, That the said Pote and Wyer be dismissed from any further attendance on this Court.”

Read and concurred.

Ordered, That a Message go to the honourable Board, to desire them to inquire of the Committee appointed to bring in a Militia Bill, if they were ready to report.

Ordered, That Captain Cutter be on the Committee to consider the expediency of fitting out Armed Vessels, in the room of Mr. Sullivan.

The Secretary laid upon the table two Letters from his Excellency General Washington, one dated August 30, relative to a demand for Wood, the other of this date, relative to the same article; and also to some irregularities at Winnisimit Ferry, and the necessity of appropriating the houses in and about Cambridge as Barracks for the Troops; and informed the House that it was the desire of the honourable Council that they might be immediately taken into consideration. They were accordingly read, and committed to Major Learned, Colonel Sayer, Colonel Thayer, and Major Fuller, with such as the honourable Board may join.

In Council, October 7, 1775: Read and concurred; and Benjamin Greenleaf, Walter Spooner, and Joseph Gerrish, Esquires, are joined.

Ordered, That the Memorial and Address of Isaac Backus, in behalf of the Baptist Churches, be committed to Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Wood, Captain Morton, Mr. Hendrick, Mr. Mills, and Doctor Fletcher.

Report of the Committee appointed to repair to Windsor, to obtain what knowledge they could in the manufactory of Saltpetre, * was read, and Tuesday next, at

* A letter from the Committee of Correspondence of Dartmouth, acquainting the honourable Board, that, on the 30th ultimo, the militia of Martha’s Vineyard made six men prisoners, belonging to the Nautilus, ship-of-war, Captain Collins commander, which men were sent to us this day, by the Committee of Correspondence at Holmes’s Hole, and, upon examination, find they were actually engaged in the service of the enemies of America. Also inform you, that on the same day, a brigantine from Jamaica, laden with rum, sugar, and cotton, the property, of Mr. Henry Bowers, was retaken and sent in here, &c.

* The Committee who were appointed by this honourable Assembly to carry on the manufacture of saltpetre, for three months from the first day of September, 1775, having been ordered by this honourable House, on the 30th day of September ultimo, to repair to Windsor, in Connecticut, in order to acquire further knowledge in that important manufacture, the subscriber, as Chairman of that Committee, begs leave to report the following state of facts, viz: That as Captain Bowman, one of said Committee, was at Newburyport, did not think it expedient to wait until he could be sent for from so great a distance, but immediately set out for Windsor, by the way of Bolton, in order to consult Deacon Baker, another of said Committee, who refused to accompany me, alleging that one could do the business effectually, and that his going would only put the Colony to unnecessary charge. From thence I proceeded on my way with all expedition for Windsor; but, luckily, in passing through Enfield, a Town adjoining to Windsor, I lit on a saltpetre work, where the business had been carried, on with success by Messrs. Blakerlige and Wilson. They had erected a house for that purpose, about thirty by twenty feet square. They had three vats, containing about forty-five bushels each. They had also two potash kettles, conveniently set in brick, for boiling. They had just finished a very successful process, and showed me a vessel of very fine saltpetre crystals, containing twenty-seven pounds weight, which, they had obtained at one boiling. They appeared like gentlemen truly patriotick; and their late success inspired them with such generosity that they immediately told me they would freely communicate to me all the knowledge they had acquired in this art; which they did, as follows, viz: They told me that they had been endeavouring to make saltpetre, by different processes, for more than a month, with very ordinary success, not having been able, from a great number of processes, to obtain but about twenty weight in the whole; and after entirely failing