of their people, and rendering themselves so strong as to be able to dispute the possession, whatever may be determined respecting the merits of the controversy. And that, on the whole, a temporary line, being involved in such difficulty, affecting not only the rights and estate of the honourable proprietaries of this Province, but of multitudes within it, and which, however determined, must ruin and give dissatisfaction to many, your memorialists could not but think it a matter in which it would be wrong even to wish the interposition of Congress, all whose recommendations should be received with reverence, and without murmuring; and that, therefore, some other mode should be agreed upon, in order to be strengthened by the recommendation of Congress: Either, First, That those intruders who have so justly alarmed their neighbours should withdraw, as originally proposed to the Committee of Congress by your memorialists; or, Secondly, That a plan should be devised for preventing their further extension of settlements, the introducing any more of their people, or any way molesting the inhabitants of this Province in their persons of property, till a determination of the controversy by the King in Council, with some proper security that they will abide by that determination, and in the mean time submit to the laws of Pennsylvania. But, on a matter of so great weight and concern to the Province in general, we declare, further, that we wished to take the advice of your honourable House.

“Being therefore convinced that any accommodation by means of a temporary line is an idea never entertained by the late or present House, we pray you would take the premises under your wise consideration, and advise us whether the peace of this Province can be best preserved by the first or second of the above propositions, or whether any other plan might be more agreeable to you; and as the settlement as well execution of any plan of this kind may be attended with difficulties and delays, of which these intruders may wish to take advantage as usual, we further pray that the inhabitants of the said two Counties of Northumberland and Northampton may in the mean time be duly strengthened and supported, for the defence of their properly against all such invasions and insidious attempts as that lately made upon them; and your memorialists shall pray, &c.

“October 25, 1775.”

The House adjourned to ten o’clock, to-morrow morning.

Thursday, October 26, 1775.

The House met pursuant to adjournment; and, upon motion, resumed the consideration of the Memorial from the Committee chosen by the Counties of Northumberland and Northampton, to solicit assistance, and devise means for keeping the peace of the said Counties, and defending them against the Connecticut intruders; and, after some time spent therein,

Ordered, That Mr. Dickinson, Mr. Morris, Mr. Rodman, Mr. Bartholomew, Mr. Ross, Mr. Ewing, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Chreist, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Dougherty, be a Committee to consider the contents of the said Memorial, and report thereon to the House.

A Memorial and Remonstrance from the Committee of Chester County was presented to the House and read, setting forth, that the Memorialists, animated with a fervent desire of conveying to their posterity, unsullied and inviolate, those inestimable privileges which their ancestors hardly earned with much loss of blood and treasure, and being fully sensible that a regular system has long since been formed by an infatuated Ministry, and now carrying into execution, to deprive us of those privileges, and subjugate this devoted Country, beg leave to represent to the honourable House the present weak and defenceless situation of this Country; that the House are too well acquainted with the inconveniences under which the Memorialists labour, to require a minute detail of them; let it suffice, the County of Chester is, in the present unnatural contest, the frontier County in this Province on the River Delaware, and consequently subject to the attacks of armed vessels, parties of Marines, &c., who may easily carry off our live stock to support the Ministerial Troops, effect the destruction of the Borough of Chester, (and thereby the destruction of all our publick records) Marcus Hook, and every other building or improvement on the river below the chevaux-de-frise; that, pursuant to a resolve of the honourable House, of the 30th of June, five hundred stand of arms, and the other necessary accoutrements, are at this time nearly completed for the use of the Minute-men, who hold themselves in readiness to enter upon their necessary service as soon as the House will grant them that encouragement which they are naturally led to expect, and without which it is conceived they can never be obtained; that the Memorialists beg leave to acquaint the House that there are five Battalions in the said County, each of which has agreed to furnish one hundred men, which will complete the number of Minute-men required, who, having their all within the said County, and surrounded by the tenderest connexions, will naturally exert their utmost vigour in its defence, which in effect will be a protection to the City of Philadelphia, and the other parts of the Province; that the Memorialists further beg leave to represent, that, notwithstanding the honourable Continental Congress recommended a General Association of all able-bodied men, from sixteen to fifty years of age, yet great numbers have neglected or refused to associate, many of whom are men of considerable property and influence; which neglect or refusal hath an evident tendency to discourage the present Associators, by inducing them to believe that the burden will chiefly fall on them; that as the cause is of general concern, the necessary waste of time attending their preparation for defence, or an equivalent thereto, should likewise be general; that there are many persons zealous in the cause of liberty, who would cheerfully associate, but are destitute of arms and ammunition, and totally unable to procure them; that, under the present circumstances of the Association, the Memorialists apprehend no proper subordination can take place, nor effectual service be rendered to the publick; that the Memorialists having thus stated a few of the inconveniences to which this County and the present Association are subject, they confide in the wisdom and integrity of the honourable House for such relief as the premises may require.

Ordered to lie on the table.

The House proceeded in the choice and nomination of Officers for the new Battalion to be raised in this Province, when Benjamin Davis, Samuel Watson, Jacob Ashmead, Peter Hughes, Adam Hubley, John Reece, Frederick Blankenburg, and Richard Standley, were appointed Lieutenants in the said Battalion, and recommended to the Continental Congress to be commissioned accordingly.

Upon motion, the Order of the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on this day, was again read, and further postponed till ten o’clock, to-morrow morning.

The House then adjourned to three o’clock, P. M.

The House took into consideration the several applications produced at the table for Ensigns’ Commissions in the new Battalion, and having examined the respective vouchers of the candidates,

Resolved, That Roger Steiner, Philip Clumburg, Jun., Jacob Zeigler, George Jenkins, Christian Staddle, Thomas Ryerson, William Moore, and Amos Wilkinson, be, and they are hereby appointed Ensigns in the said Battalion, and recommended to the honourable Continental Congress to be commissioned accordingly.

A Memorial and Petition from the Officers of the four Battalions associated in the County of Philadelphia for defence of American liberty, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth, that the Memorialists, purely with a view to serve their Country’s cause, have freely given much time to perfect themselves, and the men they have been chosen to command in military exercises, and have incurred an expense for drums and colours, and the payment of Adjutants, Fuglemen, Sergeants, Drummers, Filers, &c.; that some of the Petitioners have exerted their utmost endeavours to procure sufficient Arms and Accoutrements, which were put into the hands of such able-bodied men under their command, whose circumstances did not permit to pay