thing, which will prevent my sending till I find the necessity greater, or men to be hired cheaper.

PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS TO LORD STIRLING.

Philadelphia, January 3, 1776.

Your several letters of the 3d, 5th, 6th, 14th, 17th, and 19th of December, with the enclosures, being duly received, were laid before Congress, The multiplicity of important business which engaged their attention, prevented them from paying an earlier attention to the matters therein contained.

The enclosed resolutions, which I have the honour of transmitting you, will serve to show the sense of Congress in answer to your letters; to which, from your zeal and attachment to the cause of your country, the Congress have the firmest confidence you will pay all due regard.

I am, &c.,

JOHN HANCOCK, President.

To the Right Honourable Lord Stirling.

LANCASTER (PENNSYLVANIA) COMMITTEE TO PRESIDENT HANCOCK.

Lancaster, January 3, 1776.

SIR: Captain Livingston, of the Twenty-Sixth Regiment, and Lieutenant Anstruther, of the Seventh Regiment, having come to this town on the evening of the 1st inst., under the conduct of Mr. Michael Connolly, the Committee of Correspondence of this County appointed three gentlemen of their body to take their parole, according to the directions received from the honourable Continental Congress, and your letter of the 18th December last. We now enclose the same to you.

The Committee are extremely desirous of receiving the orders of Congress, respecting the matters referred to their decision in our letter by Captain Motte. It has been found absolutely impossible to preserve the peace and good order of this Borough, unless some regulations were made for the soldiers who are prisoners here. We have accordingly directed some, a copy of which we now transmit to you, Since that time, we have been under the necessity of appointing a Sergeant and twelve Privates, to mount guard at our publick magazine every evening. They patrole the street every two hours in the night, to prevent disorder, and to carry the Committee regulations into execution. We hope, in this instance, our conduct will meet with the approbation of the Congress.

I am, sir, your very obedient and most humble servant.

By order of the Committee:

J. YEATES, Chairman.

To the Honourable John Hancock, Esq.

RECOMMENDATION OF COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

In Committee of Safety, Philadelphia, January 3, 1776.

Pursuant to a Resolution of Congress, and this Board, this Committee proceeded to the choice of a number of gentlemen, to be recommended to Congress as proper persons to be appointed Field-Officers for the four Battalions now to be raised, when the following gentlemen were agreed upon, and now recommended to the honourable Congress, as suitable to fill the offices of Majors, viz: George Nagle, Joseph Wood, Henry Bicker, Nicholas Haussiger, Caleb Parry, John Beatty, John Macpherson, James Ross.

Extract from the Minutes:

WILLIAM GOVETT, Secretary.

JOSEPH HALLETT TO JOHN McKESSON.

Newark, January 3, 1776.

DEAR SIR: I, this afternoon, received your favour of the 30th December. I should immediately comply with the request of the gentlemen of the Committee, notwithstanding the circumstances of my family makes it exceedingly difficult for me to leave them, was I well. I have kept house upwards of three weeks, and, at this time, I am not able to wear my shoes. Was I in town, I could not probably attend the Committee. It gives me pain to hear there is so much difficulty in getting a quorum, to do business, in Congress and Committee of Safety.

My account of the flour, shipped for the use of the Continental Army, is made out. I should have delivered it when I was last in town, with the account of the cargo and disbursements of the sloop Bishop of Landaff, but was not able to get in all the bills of the latter. I have ordered my clerk, Mr. John Lawrence, to deliver the account of the flour to Colonel McDougall, or to you. As soon as I am able, I intend to be with you.

I am your obedient, humble servant,

JOSEPH HALLETT.

To John McKesson, Esq.

NEW-YORK COMMITTEE OF SAFETY TO JOHN HANCOCK.

New-York, January 3, 1776.

SIR: As it is an object of great moment with jus, as well as the Continental Congress, to have the important pass, on Hudson's river, properly secured and fortified, we think it our duty to furnish them with all possible information on the subject. For this purpose, we find Mr. Romans, the Engineer, employed in that department, who is prepared to lay before the Congress his drafts, with the necessary information.

We beg leave to mention, that the place at which the works are to be erected, was fixed before Mr. Romans was employed in the service; and, from his ideas of the matter, that place cannot be rendered sufficiently secure for a lodgment of troops, and to answer the end of a fortified pass, without more expense than our Commissioners, appointed to superintend that business, think prudent; besides which, they observe that his scheme cannot be completely executed, with the despatch the service may require.

Mr. Palmer, in conjunction with the resolve of the Commitee, appointed by our Congress to remove the difficulties occasioned by a difference of opinion between the Commissioners and Engineer, has, doubtless, pointed out to Congress certain places on the river which would better answer the purpose of a temporary defence, and at much less expense than will necessarily attend the execution of Mr. Romans's scheme. We are fully of opinion, that the places in Mr. Palmer's proposal ought, by all means, to be covered with fortifications, that will cost but little, and command two considerable reaches of the river. We, at the same time, submit it to the consideration of Congress, how far the completion of the fortifications, already begun, ought to be carried on, either upon Mr. Romans's plan, or that which has, doubtless, been proposed by Mr. Palmer, as the sense of our Committee who were sent to view the work.

We hope this application, while Mr. Palmer is attending on the Congress, will not be construed to his disadvantage. Had we been possessed of Mr. Romans's plan, in its present complete state, and had he been in town at the time of Mr. Palmer's departure, we should have required his accompanying that gentleman. As there is some prospect that Mr. Romans may reach Philadelphia before the plan of fortification is finally determined by Congress, we should think ourselves inexcusable in withholding from them any means for enabling them to determine so important a matter, on the best lights in our power to furnish.

We are, sir, with the greatest respect, your most obedient, humble servants.

By order of the Committee:

PIERRE VAN CORTLANDT, Chairman.

To the Honourable the President of the Continental Congress.

PETITION OF GEORGE COFFIN.

To the Honourable the Congress of the Colony of NEW-YORK:

The Petition of GEORGE COFFIN, of the Island of NANTUCKET TUCKET, humbly showeth:

That your Petitioner, as well as his neighbours of said Island, being in great want of the common necessaries of life, did, in conjunction with Mr. Abraham H. Van Vleek, of the city of New-York, load a vessel, in said city, with provisions for the Island above-mentioned, in direct violation of a resolve of the honourable the Continental Congress. And, although the said provisions were, bona fide, intended for said Island, and there landed, agreeable to the express orders of the said Abraham H. Van Vleek, which