cannon; that he is uncertain whether he, or Joshua Gidney, first concerted the design of disarming the cannon; that he does not know the other persons who went with him; that they were in Mamaroneck, on the road; that they were at John Gidney's about ten o'clock that night, and at daylight, as they returned; that he and Joshua Gidney had spoken and conferred on the subject; that Joshua Gidney spoke to the other persons of the party; that two of those persons were Josiah Burrell and William Hains; that he is not certain, but that he believes the two others were the sons of James Hains; that they had caps on; he had the cape of his coal about his head; that the light was at Valentine's kitchen, and about one or two o'clock in the morning; that he was not put on this scheme by any person; that he and his party had two sledges with them; that they got one sledge out of Flandereau's shop, and the other out of Guion's shop, at New-Rochelle; that some of the company went and got die sledges; that Flandereau's was taken without the consent of the owner; that he dropped the design of spiking the guns, because he found it would be troublesome, and thought the other would do as well; that he spoke to Isaac Gidney to work the files, and make the spikes, but he said it would be a great deal of trouble, and declined it; that there were five or six persons who went off from the guns; that this was on last Wednesday Wight was a week, a very cold night, so cold that men could not stand longer than half, or three-quarters of an hour in his opinion; that he intended to disarm the guns, that the communication between the country and city might be kept open.

Joshua Gidney, called in again to be examined, and asked how many sledges his party had? At first did not answer, and then said he did not do the fact. After some time, Confessed that he went from John Gidney's with a party, towards the cannon near Valentine's, with a party who designed to render them useless. Came there and found men at work at them; that there were two or three of his party went up towards the cannon, and the party went off to the westward from the cannon; that then he and his party came to the cannon, and found them spiked; that he heard of the scheme of disarming the cannon of Josiah Burrell, who came down to the man-of-war; that the first person he ever heard speak of rendering the cannon useless, was William Lownsberry, and, afterwards, Josiah Burrell spoke to him about it, and other people also. That Josiah Burrell lives at Rye-Neck. That Josiah Burrell went on board of a ship to the Governour, and said he spoke to the Governour, who said it must be done, to render those cannon useless; that Lownsberry, afterwards, told him the same, and, he believed, spoke to the Governour, also; that Isaac Gidney also spoke to him about having the cannon destroyed; that Lownsberry and William Sutton, Esq., spoke about disarming the cannon; that Esquire Sutton seemed to be fond of it; that this is since Sutton went home to appear before the Committee. That William Lownsberry was the first person he ever heard propose the disabling them with sledges; that this was soon after Godfrey Hains came home from on board of the man-of-war; that Burrell told him he had had conversation with the Governour, and that he advised disabling the cannon; that he heard Lownsberry had been on board of the Governour's ship about a week before this affair happened; that Isaac Gidney informed him of this; and that the Governour advised him to destroy the cannon, and said it would save the city and prevent its being burned down; that Burrell and Lownsberry told him, if it was done, they would be well paid for it. That there were six persons in his party lo the cannon, to wit: William Lownsberry, himself, Josiah Burrell, William Hains, James, Hains, Jun., and Thomas Hains. That one sledge was taken out of a shop at Flandereau's, and John Gidney borrowed the other sledge of Guion, a blacksmith; that they found the cannon near Valentine's spiked up; that he carried spikes a part of the way, which he received of Lownsberry to carry; that it is his opinion that Isaac Gidney made them; that Isaac Gidney and Joseph Purdy had been at work at night, and they gave him a bag with iron, and said, here is something for William Lownsberry; that he gave it to Lownsberry, and he assisted Lownsberry to carry them; that when they came to a parcel of guns on the hill near Valentine's, they found five or six men at work there, and the guns spiked up. That they returned and spiked those at William's; that William Hains, and James Hains, Jun., spiked them; that there were upwards of fifty spiked there; that he believes William Lownsberry had the management and direction of their party, and that he was called their General. That when they came to a little house near Valentine's, they heard people at work; that when he and his party came near Valentine's, there was light; that the party at work at the guns left them, and came towards King's Bridge, and passed by him, walking very fast and close together; that he did not before know that any party but his own were engaged to spike up the cannon; that he supposes they live in that neighbourhood. That he believes the bag of spikes he received were made in Isaac Gidney's shop; that Isaac Gidney and Joseph Purdy went in there to work one evening, and the next evening they were brought out of the shop and delivered to him, near Isaac Gidney's shop, a little time before he and his party set off to go to the cannon. That the party who left the cannon near Valentine's, were in dark coloured clothes; that he thinks they were countrymen of their County; and that William Lownsberry said he believed he knew one of them. That he believes it was, and took it to be, the same bag which he received of Isaac Gidney and Joseph Purdy, which they brought with them to the cannon; that he received it a little before they set off to the cannon; that it was a violent, cold night; that Burrell assisted to turn over the cannon; that Lownsberry had a hand-spike; that he assisted to turn over some of them; that they concluded it would make too much noise if they struck on the arms, to disarm them and break off the trunnious, and, therefore, spiked them.

William Lownsberry, being again called in and examined, says, the last time he saw Governour Tryon, was after new-year; that the first time he saw Governour Tryon, was on board of Sutton's sloop; that he went to see Sutton, and the Governour came there; that in January, when he came down with cattle, he went on board of the Governour's ship; went to see how things were; saw the Attorney-General there; that he had not any conversation about spiking up the cannon; that he does not remember that he told any person that he had had a conversation with the Governour about the cannon; that he was not concerned in spiking up any cannon. Being asked how many cannon his party spiked up, he was silent. At length, said, the guns at Williams's were spiked up; that Joshua Gidney and Josiah Burrell went down to spike up the cannon, and, as he understood, they found so many cannon they had not spikes enough; that Joshua Gidney told him so; that he had no hand in getting the spikes made, and does not know who made them; that he does not know who brought the spikes; that on the day before the spiking the cannon, Burrell spoke to him about, and said he had mind to have it done, and that he, the examinant, told him, that he did not think any smith in the County would make the spikes; that when he received the spikes, he did not know who made them; that he understood then, that all the guns at Williams's were spiked; that Gidney and the Hains's spiked the cannon at Williams's, and that he assisted in turning them. That he had not any business on board of the Governour's ship; did not go to sell beef, and went alone.

Ordered, That the said Prisoners be recommitted to the Barracks. That the order as to the confinement of Joshua Gidney, be mitigated as to his being manacled and fettered in the day.

The Committee are of opinion, unanimously, that Josiah Burrell, William Hains, James Hains, Jun., and Thomas Hains, the persons who assisted to spike the Cannon at Williams's, and Isaac Gidney and Joseph Purdy, the smiths who made the Spikes, ought to be apprehended and brought before the Committee. And that Valentine, and all the men in his family, should be examined, in order, if possible, to discover the persons concerned in spiking the Cannon at Valentine's.

Thereupon a draft of a Letter to Colonel Joseph Drake, requesting him to apprehend the first party above-named, and a draft of a Letter to the Officer of the Guard, at the Bridge, were respectively read and approved, and are, respectively, in the words following, to wit: