On the Petition of the Hon. Joseph Hawley, Esq., in behalf of the Selectmen and Committee of Correspondence of Northampton, *

Resolved, That the Selectmen of the Town of Northampton be, and they hereby are empowered and directed to procure, at the expense of this Colony, such clothing as they shall find to be of absolute necessity for the Midshipmen, Officers, and Privates, mentioned in the above Petition, and lay their Accounts of such disbursements before the Court, for allowance and payment.

In Council, November 10, 1775: Read and concurred.

On the Petition of Noah Lee,† Resolved, That there be allowed and paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, unto the said Noah Lee, the sum of one hundred and sixty-two Pounds, fourteen Shillings, and one Penny, in full discharge of his Muster-Roil which has been sworn to by him, he having produced and filed in this Court orders from his several men to receive the same for their use, and the Treasurer is hereby ordered to pay the same accordingly.

In Council, November 10, 1775: Read and concurred.

The Committee on the Estates of Refuges reported. Read and accepted, as follows:

Whereas there are a number of persons in the several Towns in this Colony, that have left Estates, both real and personal, and have taken refuge in Boston and elsewhere, and joined themselves to our inveterate and unnatural enemies, and thereby rendered themselves justly odious to all true friends in this Colony: therefore,

Resolved, That the Selectmen and Committees of Correspondence in the several Towns where such Estates may be found, be, and they hereby are empowered to take into their care all such personal Estates, and suffer no waste to be made thereof, and to sell or dispose of all such Stock as cannot be kept on such Estates by reason of the scarcity of fodder; and to take care of all the produce, and dispose of the same to the best advantage, wherever it may be found on such Farms or Estates, except such as are improved for the immediate use of the Colony or Continent; and that the said Selectmen and Committees continue their care of all such personal Estate and produce as they shall not dispose of, and keep an account of their doings thereon, until the further order of this Court, and lay their accounts before them when required; and that Mr. Watson procure this to be printed in the several Newspapers of this Colony.

Upon a motion, Ordered, That the Committee appointed to prepare Accounts for the Continental Congress be excused from further attendance on that service.

Upon a motion, Ordered, That Mr. Gerry, Captain Partridge, Colonel Porter, Mr. Story, and Mr. Lothrop, be a Committee to prepare Accounts as soon as may be, to be laid before the Continental Congress.

The Committee on the Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of Boston reported. Read and accepted.

Whereas this Court, on the 16th and 24th days of August last, passed two Resolves, empowering Samuel Adams, Joseph Palmer, Moses Gill, Esqs., Captain Thatcher, Colonel Barrett, Mr. Durfee, and Colonel Cutt, a Committee to receive all such Donations as may be sent by the humane and charitable in this or any other Colony, for the benefit of the poor sufferers by means of the Boston Port-Bill, and to distribute the same among the sufferers, according to their best discretion, they to be accountable to this Court. And whereas the major part of the Committee of Donations, chosen by the Town of Boston, for the receiving the Donations aforesaid, and distributing them among the necessitous of that Town, are, since the passing the resolves aforesaid, come out of Boston, and the Donations aforesaid are more likely to be distributed in a just and equitable manner by those who must be better acquainted with the circumstances of the inhabitants of the Town of Boston, than strangers can be: therefore,

Resolved, That the said Samuel Adams, Joseph Palmer, Moses Gill, Esqrs., Captain Thatcher, Colonel Barrett, Mr. Durfee, and Colonel Cutt, pay and deliver into the hands of John Hancock, Samuel Adapts, Thomas Cushing, David Jeffries, William Greenleaf John Brown, Captain William Mackay, Mr. Jonathan Mason, Captain Edward Proctor, Henry Hill, John Avery, Jun., Benjamin Austin, Esquires, Gibbins Sharp, and Thomas Crafts, the major part of the Committee of Donations appointed by the Town of Boston, that are now out of the same Town, or the major part of them, the balance that remains in their hands of all Donations they have received, since their appointment aforesaid, for the benefit of the poor sufferers by means of the Boston Port-Bill, to be by them distributed among such sufferers, according to their best discretion, they to be accountable to this Court.

In Council, November 10, 1775: Read and concurred.

Friday, November 10, 1775.

The Committee on the Petition of Benjamin Ames and Nathaniel Gage, in behalf of a number of Officers who suffered loss at the battle on Bunker’s Hill, made report.

Whereupon, Resolved, That Mr Ellis, Captain Stone, and Deacon Rawson, be a Committee to make inquiry into the losses of the Petitioners, and others who are within the same predicament, procure proper vouchers, and report at the next meeting of this Court.

Ordered, That the Secretary be directed to lay on the table the Bill for encouraging the fitting out of Armed Vessels.

Upon a motion, Ordered, That Major Hawley, Mr. Mills, and Colonel Grout, be a Committee to consider of a meet establishment for those General Officers who have been in the service of this Colony, and report.

Upon a motion, Ordered, That Mr. Story, Mr. Gerry and Colonel Orne, be a Committee to consider the expediency of this Court’s taking any measures for the security of Dr. Church, if General Washington should dismiss him, and report.

Ordered, That Mr. Story go to the honourable Board, and desire that the Letter from General Washington, directed to the Speaker, and carried up yesterday, may be sent down.

Walter Spooner, Esq., brought down the same accordingly.

Upon a motion, Ordered, That Mr. Cooper, Colonel Porter, and Mr. Pitts, be a Committee to consider what precautions are proper to be taken to prevent the spreading of the Small-Pox, by means of persons coming out from the Town of Boston, and what provision is requisite to be made for transporting into the country such persons as may come out, who are unable to transport themselves.

The Secretary, agreeable to order, laid on the table the Act for encouraging the fitting out Armed Vessels.

Upon a motion, Ordered, That Mr. Gerry, Captain Batchelder, and Mr. Rawson, be a Committee lo bring in a Resolve empowering any person to make captures of all Vessels within the predicament of those made liable to be taken by an Act for encouraging the fitting out Armed Vessels.

A Petition of John Hunt and others, representing an unreasonable advantage taken of the Farmer, by those who have contracted to supply the Army with Beef. Read, and committed to Mr. Caldwell, Mr. Perry, and Colonel

*Petition of the Selectmen and Committee of Correspondence of the Town of Northampton, in the County of Hampshire, most humbly showeth: That, in August last, about eleven midshipmen and other officers, and about twenty-eight private men, were sent by order of the honourable Council to the said Town of Northampton, for safe keeping, and by the order under which they were brought to the said Town. May it please your Honours, that as the cold season is now advancing, several of the said officers and privates must suffer extremely, unless they should be provided with some articles of clothing, either at the publick expense or by the charity of individuals. The Selectmen and Committee humbly pray the order of this Court, instructing them what to do for. the supply of such clothing to the persons aforesaid, as is absolutely necessary to prevent their extreme sufferings in the approaching cold season; and, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.

†Petition of Noah Lee, humbly showeth: That he entered Into the service of this Colony, as a Captain under Colonel Arnold, in the late expedition against the garrisons of Ticonderoga and Crown Point: that he was at the taking of them, and remained there in actual service till the 5th day of August last, when, as appears by the annexed paper, which contains the general orders of that day, your memorialist, in common with others on that service, was dismissed. Your memorialist begs leave to refer your Honours to the account of Colonel Arnold, exhibited to this Court, for what is due to him, and which is there credited, He earnestly requests your Honours to pay attention to his petition, and grant him the sum credited in Colonel Arnold’s account, as he lives at so great a distance from any communication with the Court, that it would be extremely expensive to your memorialist to make another application; and as in duty bound shall ever pray.