“In Council, November 7, 1775.

“Whereas by an Act of this Colony, made in the sixteenth year of the reign of George III, entitled An Act empowering the Courts of General Sessions of the Peace within this Colony to grant Licenses to Innholders and Retailers, in certain cases; it is, among other things, therein enacted, That the several Courts of General Sessions of the Peace in each and every County in this Colony, who have in any measure been interrupted in their proceedings, (as mentioned in said Act,) or have omitted granting Licenses as usual, are thereby authorized and empowered, at their first sessions thereafter to be held, respectively, to grant Licenses to Innholders and Retailers of spiritous liquors, or common Victuallers, to exercise their respective callings for and during the remainder of the year, or until the term at which, by law, they are authorized to grant such Licenses, observing the rules and directions of the law in such cases made and provided. And no direction is given in the said Act, what preliminary steps are necessary to be taken by Innholders, Retailers, or common Victuallers, in order to qualify them for the said employments:

“It is therefore Resolved, That before any such Licenses be granted to Innholders, Retailers, or common Victuallers, every person applying to the several Sessions as aforesaid, before they are licensed, shall produce a Certificate from the major part of the Selectmen of the Town where they dwell, recommending them to be persons of sober conversation, suitably qualified and provided for the exercise of such an employment, and, particularly, that they be firmly attached to the rights and interests of their Country; and that this Resolve be published in handbills, and sent into each Town in this Colony.”

Read and concurred.

The Secretary came down with the following Message from the major part of the honourable Council:

“Council Chamber, November 7, 1775.

“Gentlemen of the House of Representatives:

“We have taken into consideration the two letters herewith sent, dated at Falmouth, the 2d of November, current; one from the Honourable Colonel Freeman, and the other from the Committee of that Town, purporting the distressed state of the inhabitants thereof, and the relief they need. For the special defence and safety of the Town of Falmouth, and that vicinity, we have appointed Gen. Joseph Frye to take the command of the men stationed in the County of Cumberland who were raised for the defence of the Sea-Coasts, until our further orders; and have empowered him, upon any emergency, to alarm and call together the Militia of the said County, or such part thereof as their safety may require, and them to discharge as soon as the service will admit; and to lead and conduct them and the other forces, and with them to resist, encounter, and repel, by force of arms, all and every person or persons who shall attempt the enterprise, destruction, invasion, or annoyance of the said Town and County; and to cause such fortifications to be erected at Falmouth aforesaid, and elsewhere, as he shall judge necessary for their defence.

“We earnestly recommend to you, gentlemen, to take into consideration, immediately, the very peculiar and distressing circumstances of the Town of Falmouth and the County aforesaid, and grant them such further relief as their necessities so evidently demand.”

Read; and, upon a motion, Ordered, That Col. Porter go to the honourable Board, and inquire whether they have passed on a Resolve of this House, of the 4th of this instant, for appointing General Joseph Frye to take the command of the Soldiers stationed in the County of Cumberland, &c. Who reported, that he had delivered the message.

Joseph Palmer, Esquire, came down from the Council Board, and said that the Board had unanimously non-concurred the Resolve of the House of the 4th of this instant, appointing General Joseph Frye to take the command of the whole of the men stationed in the County of Cumberland.

Colonel Prescott brought down from the honourable Board a Letter from the Committee of the Continental Congress, for collecting an account of the hostilities committed by the Ministerial Troops and Navy in America, since March last, the number and value of the Buildings destroyed and Vessels seized.

“In Council, November 7, 1775.

“Read, and Ordered, That Joseph Palmer, Esq., with such as the honourable House shall join, be a Committee to collect a true account of all the hostilities committed by the Ministerial Troops and Navy within this Colony, and the evidences of the truth of such account, agreeable to the above Resolve of the General Congress; and that the Committee sit in the recess of the Court for the above purpose.

Colonel Prescott brought down from the honourable Board a Letter from a Gentleman at the Continental Congress to Joseph Palmer, Esq. Read, and ordered to lie.

The Committee for considering a Resolve for the payment of the Militia and Minute-Men who mustered on and about the 19th of April, reported. Read and accepted.

Resolved, That each person, whether in the American Army or not, who, on or after the 19th of April last, being then a Captain or other Officer of this Colony, did, in consequence of the alarm made on that day, march from home, with the command of any Company or party of Minute-Men, or others, for the defence of this Colony, against the Ministerial Troops, be, and he hereby is directed to make up a Roll of the travel and service of himself and the said men under his command who did not enlist into the Colony Army, and therein exhibit the number of miles which each man travelled from and to his home, at one penny per mile for the expense of travelling; and also the time which each man was in service, computing from the time he left home to the time he left the place of rendezvous, and also allowing one day for each twenty miles from said place of rendezvous to his home. And with regard to such men as marched as aforesaid and enlisted into the Army, each Captain or other Officer, as aforesaid, is respectively directed to exhibit in his Roll the time of such men’s service, computing from the time they left their respective homes to the time they enlisted into said Army, without exhibiting their travel, as that is already ordered to be inserted in the Rolls which the Officers under whom such men enlisted are directed to make up and return.

And it is further Ordered, That the sums of the Pay which shall be inserted in such Rolls, for the service of the Officers and Privates, shall be such as the time of their respective service will amount to, at the rates following, that is to say: Captains at six Pounds per month; First Lieutenants at four Pounds; Second Lieutenants at three Pounds, ten Shillings; Sergeants at two Pounds, eight Shillings; Corporals, Fifers, and Drummers, at two Pounds, four Shillings; and Privates at two Pounds each per month, counting twenty-eight days for a month; and that the said Rolls shall be authenticated by the oaths of the Officers who shall make them up, and a column left therein to insert proper deductions for entertainment received from Innholders and others, as hereafter provided.

Also Resolved, That the Captains and other Officers aforesaid be, and they hereby are respectively directed to make up said Rolls, as soon as may be, and lodge them in the Secretary’s Office, for the consideration of this Court; and the payment of the contents of all the said Rolls shall be stayed, until the Accounts of the Innholders and others, who afforded entertainment or money, to bear their expenses, to the men borne on said Rolls, in their march to and from the place or places of rendezvous, shall be preferred and considered by this Court; and all persons having such demands are directed to exhibit their Accounts to this Court, on or before the 20th day of December next, and such sums as by this Court shall be allowed on such Accounts, for the entertainment of such men, respectively, shall be stopped on such Rolls, and deducted out of the sums which shall appear to be due to the men borne on such Rolls for the discharging such Accounts; and all the Accounts of Innholders or others who afforded entertainment to the said Soldiers, on their march or on their return home, shall be vouched by the receipts of such Soldiers, or of the Officers under whom they marched.

And it is further Ordered, That all such persons as marched upon the aforesaid occasion, and continued any time in the service of this Colony, in the character of Field-Officers, whether of the Militia or Minute-Men, and who did not enlist into the Army, be allowed and directed to make up the Accounts or Rolls of their service, from the time they severally marched from home to the time