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Wisner, Matthew Rea, Dirk Wynkoop, Jun., Matthew Cantine, Andreas Dewitt, and Andreas Lefever, Esqrs., Messrs. Thomas Palmer and Samuel Brewster, were elected Deputies to represent the said County; and by a resolution of the said Committee, that they, or any three of them, be entitled to act and give their votes for the said County.
The Deputies of the County of Westchester produced a Certificate from the Committee of the said County, dated 7th November 1775, and signed by Gilbert Drake, Chairman,* whereby it appears that Colonel Lewis Graham, Stephen Ward, Esq., Colonel Joseph Drake, Robert Graham, Esq., John Thomas, Jun., Esq., Mr. William Paulding, Major Ebenezer Lockwood, Colonel Pierre Van Cortlandt, and Colonel Gilbert Drake, were duly elected Delegates to represent the said County in Provincial Congress, with power to any three of them to act for the said County.
The Deputies for the County of Suffolk, produced a Certificate from the Committee of the said County, dated November 7, 1775, and signed by William Smith, Chairman,† whereby it appears that John Sloss Hobart, Thomas Tredwell, Selah Strong, Nathaniel Woodhull, Ezra L'Hommedieu, David Gelston, Thomas Wickham, and Daniel Brown, Esquires, were unanimously elected Deputies to represent the said County in Provincial Congress, with power for any three of them to be a quorum, and give the vote of the said County.
Peter Clowes, Esq., a Deputy for Orange County, produced a Certificate of Benjamin Tusteen, Benjamin Gale, and Daniel Everett, Esquires,‡ three of the Committee of Goshen Precinct, who inspected the election, and also a Certificate from the said Committee of Goshen Precinct, signed by Daniel Everett, Chairman,§ each dated 27th November last, whereby it appeared, that a meeting of the freeholders and tenants in Goshen Precinct, entitled to vote for Deputies, Peter Clowes and William Allison, Esquires, were unanimously elected Deputies for the said Precinct, as their proportion of the representation of the said County, and to complete the number of Deputies allotted to the said County of Orange; and that at the same meeting it was unanimously agreed, that any two of the Deputies for said County, represent them in said Congress, viz: one on the south, and one on the north side of the mountains.
The same, two Certificates were approved, and ordered to be filed with the Secretaries;
But it is agreed and understood, That Mr. Clowes cannot have a vote for Orange County, until one or more Deputies arrive from Orange County.
Agreed and Ordered, That the sense of this Congress upon every Question be taken and determined by a majority of the Counties then having Deputies in Congress. And that for the present the City and County of New-York be considered as four, the City and County of Albany as three, and that of each of the other Counties respectively as two; but that this arrangement shall continue only till some other arrangement shall be made and agreed on by this Congress.
The following Rules are agreed to, and resolved to be the Rules of this Congress, viz:
1st. That the President, and in his absence, a President to be appointed pro tem., shall preside at every meeting, and keep order and decorum, and that it shall be his duty to sign all letters from this Congress.
2d. That all motions and addresses, be made to the Chair, and standing.
3d. That if more than one shall rise to speak at the same time, the President shall determine who shall first, be heard.
4th. That the substance of every motion made and seconded, shall be entered on the minutes.
5th. That no interruption shall be suffered while a Member is delivering his sentiments.
6th. That every question shall be determined by a majority of voices; and after the determination of any matter or thing, the same question shall not be reassumed, but with the consent of a majority of this Congress, at a subsequent meeting, and that upon notice having been given of the motion for reassuming such matter, at least one day before such motion be made, and notice thereof given to the Members representing each County, who shall then be in the City of New-York.
7th. That when any question shall be determined upon a division, the names of the respective Counties shall be entered as they shall vote on each side; but any Member for any County may be at liberty to have his name and dissent from the vote of his County entered on the Minutes.
8th. That this Congress shall from time to time, meet on their own adjournments for the present.
9th. That for the despatch of business, and to prevent interruptions, the doors at our meetings shall be shut, and that none but Members be permitted to take copies of the proceedings of this Congress.
10th. That no Question shall be determined on the day that it is agitated, if three Counties shall request that it be deferred to the next day.
11th. That no Member shall be at liberty to speak more than twice to the same point, without leave of the President for the time then being.
12th. That no Member shall absent himself from the Congress; that no Member shall depart from the Chamber until the Congress be adjourned; and that no Member shall depart from the City of New-York during; an adjournment of this Congress, without leave first obtained.
13th. That every Member of this Congress shall keep secret all such matters, proceedings, and things in this Congress, as shall be enjoined from the Chair to be kept secret.
14th. That whenever the proceedings of this Congress shall be published at the close of this session, all the Minutes shall be published, and no part concealed, unless such as the unanimous voice of the Counties shall declare to be of a secret or unimportant nature; but that extracts of the proceedings may nevertheless be published from time to time as the Congress shall think fit.
Resolved, That this Congress will meet every morning
Dated the 7th day of November, 1775.
A true copy from the Minutes, taken by Micah Townsend, Clerk of the Committee.
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