payments, the first to be made on or before the last day of November, 1783; the second on or before the last day of November, 1784; the third on or before the last day of November, 1785; and the fourth, or last, on or before the last day of November, 1786. And that for this the several Assemblies or Conventions provide for laying and levying taxes in their respective Colonies towards sinking the Continental bills; that the said bills be received by the collectors in payment of such taxes, and he by the collectors, paid into the hands of the Provincial Treasurers, with all such other moneys as they may receive in lieu of Continental bills which other moneys the Provincial Treasurers shall endeavour to get exchanged for Continental bills, and where that cannot be done, shall send to the Continental Treasurers the deficiency in silver and gold, with the bills making up the quota to be sunk that year, taking care to cut by a circular punch of an inch diameter a hole in such bills, and to cross the same, thereby to render them impassable, though the sum, or value, is to remain fairly legible; and the Continental Treasurers, as fast as they receive the said quotas, shall, with the assistance of a Committee of five persons to be appointed by the Congress if sitting, or by the Assembly, or Convention of the Province of Pennsylvania, examine and count the Continental bills, and in the presence of the said Committee burn and destroy them; and the silver and gold sent them to make up the deficiencies of quotas they shall retain in their hands until demanded in redemption of Continental bills that may be brought to them for that purpose, which bills so redeemed they shall also burn and destroy in the presence of the said Committee; and the Treasurers whenever they have silver and gold in their hands for the redemption of Continental bills shall advertise the same, signifying that they are ready to give gold or silver for such bills to all persons requiring it in exchange.

"Resolved, That it be recommended to the several Legislatures in these Colonies, whether Assemblies or Conventions, to pass acts or ordinances prohibiting the arrest of Continental soldiers for small debts; and in order that the same rule may pervade all the Colonies, that no such soldier be arrested at the suit of any of his creditors unless the said creditor make oath that the said soldier is justly indebted to him in the sum of thirty-five dollars, over and above all discounts; and that the estate of no such soldier be liable to attachment at the suit, or for the benefit of all his creditors, unless their debts in the whole on being ascertained by their oaths shall amount to more than one hundred and fifty dollars.

"Whereas, this Congress by a resolution passed the 15th day of July last, did direct that every vessel importing into these Colonies, Gunpowder, Saltpetre, Sulphur, and other Military Stores therein specified, within nine months from the date thereof, should be permitted to load and export the produce of these Colonies Jo the value of such Powder and Stores aforesaid, the Non-Exportation Agreement notwithstanding, by permits from the Committees of the several Colonies; to the end, therefore, that this Congress may be the better informed of the quantity of military stores, which are or shall be so imported, and of the produce exported in consequence of the resolution aforesaid:

"Resolved, That it be recommended to all Committees by whom any permits under the said resolution have been or may be granted, to transmit to this Congress from time to time, a true account of the Military Stores, &c., imported, and of the produce exported, with the price and value of both."

"December 29, 1775.—Resolved, That as the importation of any universally necessary commodity, and the exportation of our produce to purchase the same, must give a proportionably greater opportunity to our enemies of making depredations on the property of the inhabitants of these Colonies, and of occasionally distressing them by intercepting such commodities, it is earnestly recommended to the several Assemblies or Conventions, immediately to promote by sufficient publick encouragements the making of Salt in their respective Colonies."

"January 2, 1776.—Resolved, That the Assemblies, Conventions, or Committees or Councils of Safety, be requested forthwith to transmit to this Congress, copies of all the Petitions, Memorials, and Remonstrances, which have been, by the respective Colonies, presented to the Throne or either House of Parliament, since the year 1762, and that they, also, inform the Congress whether any, and what answers were given to them.

"Extracts from the Minutes:

"CHARLESTHOMSON, Secretary."

The Committee then spent a considerable time in examining a draft of the soundings of the most likely place to obstruct the navigation to this City, which had, on their first meeting, this morning, been produced to them by Colonel McDougall, and considering of means to carry that matter into execution.

Die Lunae, 4 h.o. P. M., January 5, 1776.

The Committee met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: P. Van Cortlandt, Esquire, Chairman, Colonel McDougall, Mr. Scott, Colonel Brasher, Mr. Sands, Mr. Brewster, Mr. Tredwell, Mr. Clarke.

It being represented by Colonel McDougall to this Committee, that he has information from undoubted authority, which he also named, that Alexander Lesslie, of this city, peruke-maker, has been carrying on a correspondence, dangerous to the liberties of America, with some person, or persons, in Philadelphia,

It is Ordered, That Colonel McDougall do, without delay, cause the said. Alexander Lesslie, and all other persons to be found in his house, to be apprehended and kept in safe custody till further order of this Committee; and, also, at the same time to cause diligent search for and to be secured, all papers that may be found in the said house, in any wise relating to such correspondence, and that Colonel McDougall make report in the premises with all convenient speed.

This Committee being informed that a number of the late Continental Soldiers, who were inlisted in Captain Denton's Company, are returned to Orange County with their muskets, bayonets, and cartouch-boxes, and accoutrements, which belong to the Colony,

Resolved and Ordered, That each Committee in the County of Orange be requested immediately to secure the Arms and Accoutrements of each of the said Soldiers, and from time to lime, secure the publick Arms and Accoutrements of every discharged Soldier who shall come within their respective Districts, and place the same in the hands of the respective Chairmen of the said Committees, or such other prudent and trusty persons as by the said Commit' tees, respectively, shall be appointed.

The Committee then heard the Letter from the Delegates of this Colony, now at Continental Congress, and the several Resolves of Congress lately received, read, and spent some time in consideration thereof.

Die Martis, 10 ho. A. M., January 16, 1775.

The Committee met pursuant to adjournment.

Present; Pierre Van Cortlandt, Esquire, Chairman, Mr. Scott, Colonel McDougall, Mr. Sands, Colonel Brasher, Mr. Brewster, Mr. Tredwell, Mr. Clarke.

The Petition of Captain Jacob Mott, Jackson Mott, and Jacob Weeks, of Queen's County, acknowledging the imprudence of their past conduct, engaging their future attachment to their country, and giving a certificate of their having signed the Association, thereupon the Committee gave them a certificate in the words following, to wit:

The Petition of Captain Jacob Mott, Jackson Mott, and Seaman Weeks, of Queen's County, was read, setting forth that they, by the persuasion of persons conceived by them to be their friends, voted against the election of Provincial Delegates, in the late election in that County, for which they declare their extreme sorrow and sincere repentance; that they, without reflecting on the ill-consequences of opposing such election, (which they now are convinced was highly necessary to the preservation of American liberty,) were led to such opposition by the artful insinuations of designing men. They, therefore, pray this Committee to consider their case, and restore them to the good opinion of the friends to liberty on this Continent, by declaring to the world that the Petitioners are extremely contrite for their late conduct in opposing the aforesaid election, and to do such other things for restoring them to