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Ordered, That Commissions be issued to those gentlemen accordingly.
Colonel McDougall informed the Congress that one Speight, a druggist, who formerly lived in this city, and returned here last evening from London, and had in many instances shown himself inimical to the interest and liberties of the American Colonies, was last evening apprehended by some of the militia officers; that he had thought it his duty to have him confined at the Guard-house, until he should have the orders of this Congress; that a number of letters which had been taken in custody of the said Speight, had been sealed up in a wrapper in presence of the said Speight, and were now delivered into the Congress for their order.
Thereupon, Ordered, That Mr. Scott, Mr. Roosevelt, and Mr. Gilbert Livingston, be a Committee to open, examine, and inspect all the said Letters, and report such of them to this Congress as they shall find relating to publick matters, or necessary to be read by this Congress.
A Petition of the General Committee of the City and County of New-York, was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:
"To the Honourable the Provincial Congress for the Province of NEW- YORK.
" The Petition of the General Committee for the City and County of NEW- YORK humbly showeth:
" That your Petitioners having been informed that a body of troops, from a neighbouring Colony, did lately make their publick entry into this city at noon-day, and did seize and carry off the types belonging to one of the publick printers* of this Colony, without any authority from the Continental or this Congress, your Petitioners, or any other body having power to grant such authority; and being apprehensive that such incursions, should they be repeated, will be productive of many great and evil consequences to the inhabitants of such place into which they may be hereafter made, do therefore conceive it highly necessary, in the present situation of publick affairs, as well for the sake of the internal peace and harmony of each Colony, as for the maintenance of the general union of the Continent, now happily subsisting and so essential at this juncture, that each of the associated Colonies on the Continent should have the sole management and regulation of its publick matters by its Congress or Committee, unless otherwise directed by the honourable the Continental Congress.
" Your Petitioners therefore do most humbly pray that this honourable House of Delegates would be pleased to take the premises into their consideration, and devise some expedient to prevent, for the future, the inhabitants of any of the neighbouring Colonies coming into this, to direct the publick affairs of it, or to destroy the property or invade the liberty of its inhabitants, without the direction of the Continental or this Congress, or the Committee of Safety, or the Committee of the County into which such inhabitants may come, or of the Continental Generals, unless there should be an invasion made into this Colony.
" And your Petitioners shall forever pray, &c.
" By order of the Committee:
" JOHN BROOME, Chairman pro tem."
The said Petition was taken into consideration, and debates arose thereon; and after some time spent thereon,
Ordered, That Mr. Scott, Mr. Hobart, Mr. Thomas Smith, Mr. Gansevoort, and Mr. Brasher, be a Committee to take the said Petition into consideration, and report thereon with all convenient speed.
It being represented to the Congress that Mr. John Berrien, Commissary for the Commissioners for erecting the Fortifications in the Highlands, and one of the said Commissioners, is entirely disinterested in any controversies or difficulties that have arisen or subsisted between the other Commissioners and the Engineer, and at the same time well acquainted therewith; that the said John Berrien has also some influence with the other Commissioners, and with the Engineer, and is properly qualified to assist the Committee appointed to go up to the said Fortifications, to take examinations, and reduce them to writing if necessary. Therefore,
Ordered, That Mr. John Berrien be requested to proceed with the Committee of this Congress, appointed for that purpose, to the said Fortifications in the Highlands, to assist the said Committee in taking examinations, and in every other matter relating to the said Fortifications, in which they may need his aid and assistance, or find it useful.
Colonel McDougall informed the Congress, that Mr. Bernard Romans is in want of cash, and requests an order for a month's pay.
Ordered, That Peter V. B. Livingston, Esq., as Treasurer of this Congress, advance to Bernard Romans, the sum of fifty dollars, on account of his pay, and take his receipt for the same.
The Congress then adjourned to three o'clock, this afternoon.
Die Veneris, 3 ho. P. M., December 8, 1775.
The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.
Present: Nathaniel Woodhull, Esq., President.
For New-York.—Col. McDougall, Mr. Thomas Smith, Colonel Brasher, Mr. Beekman, Mr. Scott, Mr. John Van Cortlandt, Mr. Van Zandt, Mr. Ray, Captain Rutgers, Mr. Sands.
Albany.—Colonel Van Rensselaer, Colonel Nicoll, Capt. Cuyler, Mr. Gansevoort, Mr. Bleecker.
Dutchess County.—Mr. Livingston, Mr. Humphreys, Mr. Schenck.
Ulster.—Mr. Cantine.
Goshen Precinct, in Orange County.—Mr. Clowes.
Suffolk County.—Mr. L'Hommedieu, Mr. Strong, Mr. Hobart.
Westchester.—Colonel L. Graham, Colonel Joseph Drake, Colonel Gilbert Drake.
King's County.—Mr. Lefferlse, Mr. Vanderbilt.
Ordered, That Doctor John Jones and Doctor Treat be requested to make out with all convenient speed, a list or estimate of Instruments and Medicines necessary for the Colony in its present alarming slate, and report the same to this Congress.
Mr. Hobart, from the Committee to examine the Treasurer's Accounts, and to state the sums paid to the Continental Troops by this Congress, that the Account may be sent to General Schuyler, proceeded to report the sums paid by this Congress to the Continental Troops. After having proceeded through a considerable part of the said Accounts,
Ordered, That they be recommitted to the same Committee to state, and finish the same, and prepare a draft of a Letter to General Schuyler to attend the said Accounts.
Mr. Thomas Smith moved, and was seconded by Mr. James Beekman, that this Congress immediately take into consideration his Excellency Governour Tryon's Letter of the 4th instant, addressed to the inhabitants of this Colony, and express the sense of their constituents by the following Resolves, viz:
Resolved, first, That the disturbed state of this Colony owes its origin to the misconduct of the Commander-in-chief of His Majesty's Forces in America, in proceeding to acts of open hostility against the inhabitants of the Massachusetts-Bay, at a time when he and all the other Governours on the Continent were possessed of the Parliamentary Resolution of the 20th February last, and before the same had been tendered for the consideration of the Colonies; that as that resolution was designed "to compose the present ferments in the Provinces, and intended for the basis of an accomodation," it was but reasonable to expect that all hostilities would cease, till the result of their determinations were known; that the news of the attack at Lexington immediately threw this Colony into convulsions, inflamed the minds of the inhabitants, led them to distrust the justice and candour of Government, and filled them with alarming apprehensions, that it was the design of Administration to force their assent to a requisition of the last importance to them and their posterity, with the point of the bayonet; that the inhabitants of this Colony considered General Gage's conduct in this instance as not only reflecting the highest dishonour on Government, and injurious to the character of the British nation, but highly insulting and disgraceful to a free people, and, therefore,
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