throughout this Colony, and to report the form of a Proclamation therefor and the manner in which the same shall issue.”

Read and concurred.

Ordered, That Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Mills, and Mr. Nichols, be joined.

The Committee on the Memorial of the Rev. Isaac Backus, agent for the Baptists, reported. Read and accepted, with amendment.

Ordered, That Dr. Fletcher have liberty to bring in a Bill for the redress of such grievances as he apprehends the Baptists labour under.

Eldad Taylor, Esq. brought down an Order, passed in Council, viz:

“In Council, October 30, 1775.

“Ordered, That Mr. Moses Gill, Esq., be of the Committee appointed to confer with a Committee of the honourable House, with regard to the method of appointing Military Officers and the regulation of the Militia; and, also, to be of the Committee appointed to confer with a Committee of the honourable House, in regard to the manner in which the Attorney-General may and ought to be appointed.”

Mr. Speaker communicated to the House two Letters from General Washington—one with respect to affording some necessaries of defence to Cape-Ann, another on the difficulty of obtaining Hay and Fire-Wood.

Upon a motion, Ordered, That Major Hawley and Major Bliss be of the Committee for considering what further measures are necessary to be taken to encourage the manufactory of Saltpetre, in the room of Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Wood.

On the Memorial and Letter from Jeremiah Powell and Isaac Parsons, brought down the 28th instant,

Ordered, That Mr. Story, Col. Thompson, Mr. Cross, and Mr. Pitts, with such as the honourable Board shall appoint, be a Committee to consider said Memorial and Letter, and report.

Afternoon.

Jedediah Foster, Esq., brought down from the Board two Letters from General Washington—one on the subject of affording assistance to Cape-Ann, with the subsequent Order of Council, viz:

“In Council, October 30, 1775.

“Ordered, That Benjamin Chadbourn and John Whit-comb, Esquires, with such as the honourable House shall join, be a Committee to take the subject-matter of the within Letter under consideration, and report.”

Read and concurred.

Ordered, That Mr. Cross, Mr. Fessenden, and Colonel Sayer, be joined.

The other Letter brought down was on the subject of the scarcity of Hay and Wood. Read, and Ordered, That Captain Thatcher, Mr. Stickney, and Mr. Ingalls, consider thereon immediately, and report.

The Committee for collecting the several Resolves of the Congresses and General Court, respecting the providing for the Poor of the Town of Boston, reported. Read and recommitted.

Ordered, That the Committee collect the sense of said Resolves, in order to be printed.

Tuesday, October 31, 1775.

The Committee for considering the best method of obtaining Muster-Rolls of the Forces raised by this Colony, for their services to the first day of August, reported as follows:

That they conceive the most expeditious way to obtain the Muster-Rolls of the several Regiments raised by this Colony, will be to apply to his Excellency General Washington, to request him to give out his orders to the several Colonies, that the several Captains in each Regiment make out a Muster-Roll of his Company, from the day each Soldier was enlisted, to the first day of August last, and that the Rolls be made up agreeable to the form herewith presented; three hundred printed copies of which to be lodged with the Adjutant-General for that purpose. And that the Rolls, so made up and sworn to by the several Captains, be lodged by the respective Colonels, as soon as may be, in the Secretary’s office of this Colony, vouched by the original enlistment of each man.

That such of the Soldiers as have received Arms from the Colony, or the Town to which he belongs, be paid only such sums as shall appear to be due to him to the first day of August last, after deducting the value of the Arms received by him, at the rates charged by the Committee of Safety, or the Committee of Supplies, or the Town of whom he received the same, as also the amount of Clothing he has been supplied with; and that if, after the last day of December next, such Soldier shall deliver such of his Arms as he has received of the Commissary or Selectmen of any Town, in behalf of the Colony, to the Commissary-General of this Colony, at Watertoun, such Soldier shall receive out of the publick Treasury the amount of the stoppage that shall be made for said Arms, deducting six Shillings for the use of the same, he producing a certificate that such Arms are so delivered; and also for such Arms as shall have been borrowed and received from any Selectmen of any Town, in consequence of any Resolves of the late Provincial Congress, upon a receipt of such Selectmen being produced, that the same have been returned; the sum so stopped in the Roll shall be paid by the Receiver-General, the said deduction of six Shillings being first made, unless they shall produce a certificate that the owners have been satisfied for the use of the same Arms.

WILLIAM STORY, per order.

Read and accepted; and thereupon,

Ordered, That Mr. Gerry procure the three hundred of the forms for a Muster-Roll printed and delivered to the Adjutant-General.

Ordered, That Mr. Story, Colonel Otis, and Mr. Pitts, wait on his Excellency, for the purpose mentioned in the foregoing Report.

Michael Farley, Esq., brought down a Report on the Memorial from the Committee of Safety from North-Yarmouth and New-Gloucester.

Read and accepted, as taken into a new draught, and is as follows:

That it is necessary some assistance should be granted to the Town of Falmouth at this distressing time. And in order thereto, they apprehend that some suitable person should be appointed by this Court to take the command of the whole of the men stationed on the sea-coasts in the County of Cumberland, and that he should order such intrenchments or fortifications to be erected, for their defence and protection, as he shall think proper; and that he retain two Companies at Falmouth constantly; and, in case of any emergency, that he cause the Militia thereabouts to be alarmed and mustered, and, when mustered, to be under his command and direction, and to be discharged, as soon as the service will admit.

That three barrels of Powder, lately arrived at the eastward, in Captain Johnson, of Newburyport, and one hundred of the effective Arms brought by him, be transported to Falmouth, and delivered to such person as shall as aforesaid be appointed, to be by him used in defending and protecting the said Town, and in annoying the enemy; he to be accountable to this Court for the same.

Benjamin White, Esq., brought down a Report on Gen. Washington’s Letter, concerning the necessity of making some assistance to Gloucester.

Read, and ordered to be recommitted.

Upon a motion, Resolved, That the last paragraph in a Report respecting the Clothing of the Army, passed this House the 21st of this instant, be reconsidered, and that the Committee of Clothing be directed to give publick notice, that they will not be permitted to receive any Coats after the 1st of December, and are directed to pay no money in the room of Coats to the Soldiers, till the twentieth of December.

In Council, November 3, 1775: Read and concurred.

An engrossed Bill for apportioning and assessing a Tax of Forty-Six Thousand Pounds upon the several Towns and other places in this Colony, for the defraying the publick charges, and the support of civil Government.

Read, and Resolved, That this Bill pass to be enacted.