this perilous day. When you have fixed on proper men, let no time be lost in taking every necessary care and pains to secure their election.

Ordered, That five several copies thereof be engrossed, and signed by the Chairman, and that one be directed to Dirck Wynkoop, Esq., at Kingston, another to Abraham Yates, Jun., Esq., at Albany, another to the Chairman of the Committee of Tryon County, another to Jonathan G. Tompkins, Chairman of the Committee of Westchester County, and another to Colonel Joseph Drake, al New-Rochelle; which was done accordingly.

Mr. Thomas McFarran, attending, was called in; the Committee conversed with him on the subject of shipping Flaxseed to Ireland to obtain Gunpowder.

Thereupon a draft of a Letter to the Continental Congress, was read and approved of, and is in the words fallowing, to wit:

In Committee of Safety for the Colony of New-York, during

the recess of Congress, January 4, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: We have engaged two vessels to despatch with produce to Europe, for the purpose of procuring arms and ammunition, but the season of the year has prevented wheat from coming to market to expedite them so early as we could wish, to have a return in proper time. In these difficulties, we are unable to get bills of exchange, or gold and silver, to despatch those vessels, which we fear will totally defeat our design. We have, therefore, been led to cast our attention on flaxseed, as the only commodity in our power which will rid us of our difficulties, but find that the resolution of Congress, permitting the exportation of produce for ammunition, is confined to the foreign Islands. As our safety depends upon the country being well supplied with powder, we submit it to you whether the sense of Congress should not be taken, without delay, on our exporting two cargoes of flax-seed, to purchase powder. The measure recommends itself by several considerations. There is the highest probability of procuring powder in Ireland at a moderate rate. If this should not be the case, the flaxseed will sell at an advance price there, and be a fund upon which we can draw from any quarter of the world; and if the enemy should take the vessels, the supply will not be so prejudicial to us, or beneficial to them, as the loss of provision vessels. We request you to get a speedy answer on this point, and transmit it to us, by express, for our government.

We are, with great truth and regard, gentlemen, your very humble servants.

By order of the Committee of Safety.

To the President of the Continental Congress, Philadelphia.

Ordered, That a copy thereof be engrossed, and signed by the Chairman, and transmitted.

A Letter from Mr. Joseph Hallett to John McKesson, one of the Secretaries, (in answer to a Letter by order of the Members,) excusing his non-attendance, by reason of indisposition, and accompanying his Accounts with the Provincial Congress, was read and filed.

A stitched Book, containing Mr. Hallett's said Accounts with the Provincial Congress, was also delivered to the Secretary.

Die Jovis, 3 ho. P. M., January 4, 1776.

The Committee of Safely met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Pierre Van Cortlandt, President, Mr. Scott, Colonel McDougall, Mr. Sands, Mr. Brewster, Mr. Clarke, Dr. Spooner.

The Petition of Thomas Place, of Queen's County, was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

"To the Honourable Committee of Safety of the Colony of NEW-YORK.

"The Petition of THOMAS PLACE, of QUEEN's County, LONG-ISLAND, most humbly showth:

"That your petitioner, by the persuasion of those whom he looked upon to be his friends, voted against Provincial Delegates in the last election held in Queen's County, for which he is extremely sorry, and sincerely repents of his conduct.

"That your petitioner, without giving himself time to reflect upon the ill consequences of opposing the choice of Provincial Delegates, (the choosing of which, he is now well convinced, was highly necessary for the preservation of the liberties and properties of the inhabitants of America,) was, by the artful insinuations of designing men, led to oppose the election.

"That your petitioner is a sincere friend to the liberties of America, and would go as far as any man in the defence of those liberties.

"Your petitioner, therefore, most humbly prays that this honourable Committee would be pleased to take his case into consideration, and restore him to the good opinion of those who are friends to the liberties of this Continent, by declaring to the world that your petitioner is extremely contrite for his late conduct, in opposing the choice of Provincial Delegates, which your petitioner candidly acknowledges was occasioned by the artful persuasion of others, and not from a principle of opposition in your petitioner; or do such other things in the premises as to this honourable Committee shall seem meet for the restoration of your petitioner to the favour of his countrymen.

"THOMAS PLACE.

"New-York, January 3, 1776."

A like Petition of Gabriel Van Cott, of Queen's County, was also read and filed.

Upon due consideration of the submission tendered by the said Petitioners, and well knowing that the late Resolves of the Congress against the delinquents of Queen's County were intended to convince them of their demerits, and bring them to a just sense of their duty to the publick, it is hereby

Ordered, That the said Petitioners be restored to the state and condition in which they were before the passing of those Resolves, during their respective future good behaviour.

The nomination of the Field-Officers recommended for Cumberland County, by the Committee of the said County, being read and taken into consideration, as also the several Petitions of sundry of the Inhabitants of the Towns of Fulham, Westminster, and Putney, the Inhabitants of which Towns belong to the Lower Regiment of the Militia of the said County, and it appearing that no objections have been offered by the Inhabitants of the said County, who belong to the Upper Regiment of the Militia of the said County, to the nomination m which they are interested,

Ordered, That Commissions be immediately made out, and signed by the Chairman of this Committee, to the respective persons following, to wit: To Captain Joseph Marsh, as Colonel, John Barrett, Lieutenant-Colonel, Lieutenant Hilkiah Grout, First Major, Captain Joel Matthews, Second Major, Mr. Timothy Spencer, Adjutant, and Mr. Amos Robinson, Quartermaster.

Ordered, That Commissions be made out, and signed by the Chairman of this Committee, for the following persons, as Field-Officers of the Minute-Men of the said County, to wit: For Joab Hoisington, as Colonel, Mr. Seth Smith, Lieutenant-Colonel, Mr. Joseph Tyler, First. Major, Mr. Joel Marsh, Second Major, Mr. Timothy Phelps, Adjutant, and Mr. Elisha Howly, Quartermaster.

Ordered, further, That it be recommended to the Committee of the three Counties of Cumberland, Charlotte, and Gloucester, to join in the nomination of a Brigadier-General of the Brigade of Militia of the said three Counties, and report the same, with all convenient speed, to this Committee, or to the Provincial Congress, to the end, that if they are approved of, their Commissions may be issued.

Ordered, further, That the Committee of the County of Cumberland do return, with all convenient speed, to this Committee, or to the Congress, a list of the Officers of the Militia of the said County, under the rank of Field-Officers, who have been, or shall be, elected pursuant to the Resolves of Congress, to the end that Commissions may be issued to them, respectively.

And, with intent to remove all ground of disquiet in the minds of those Inhabitants of the said County of Cumberland: who belong to the Lower Regiment of the said County,

Ordered, That a full meeting be had of the Committee of the said County, after publick and sufficient notification of these several orders, and that, at the said meeting, such a nomination of Field-Officers for the Lower Regiment be