Ordered, That Commissions issue to those gentlemen, immediately. And they were issued accordingly.

A Return of Michael Hays, Elijah Miller, and Andrew Sniffen, three of the Committee for North-Castle, in Westchester County, bearing date the 25th January, was read and filed. They thereby certify that they superintended an election for Officers in the Third Company of North-Castle; that upon such election Joseph Green was chosen Captain, and Henry Peers, First Lieutenant; and they thereby requested that two blank commissions might be sent for the Second Lieutenant and Ensign, as the Second Lieutenant, since the choice, declines serving.

Ordered, That the said two Commissions be issued, and that two blank Commissions be given to the said Committee of North-Castle for the Second Lieutenant and Ensign of the Third Company of North-Castle.

A Letter from Lord Stirling, dated this day, was read and filed. He therein mentions "that it serves to cover a letter from Samuel Tucker, Esquire, President of the Provincial Congress of New-Jersey, relating to the trade of that Colony."The said letter, from Samuel Tucker, Esquire, was also read and filed.

A copy of sundry Resolutions of the Provincial Congress of New-Jersey, therein enclosed, regulating the trade of the Colony of New-Jersey agreeable to the Resolutions of the Continental Congress, were also read and filed.

Die Sabbati, 10 ho. A. M., February 10, 1776.

The Committee met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Pierre Van Cortlandt, Esquire, Chairman, Mr. Scott, Mr. Tredwell, Mr. Sands, Mr. Oothoudt, Mr. M. Graham, Colonel Brasher. Colonel McDougall a part of the morning.

Present, also, several Members of Congress, viz: General Woodhull, Colonel G. Drake, Colonel Rensselaer, Gilbert Livingston, Captain Rutgers.

A Letter from Colonel Robert Livingston, of Manor of Livingston, dated the 5th instant, was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

"Manor Livingston, February 5, 1776.

"SIR: Your letter, of the 25th ultimo, did not come to hand before this morning, and I am now sot down to answer it.

"I intend, please God, my furnace shall begin her blast early in April, (sooner it will be inconvenient for want of pasture, as I have but a month's stock now on the spot to work upon,) and cannot cart ore or coal before the middle of May, for want of grass, so that, should I begin sooner, it would be almost impossible to continue the blast, consequently very detrimental to my interest. We have cast great quantities of shot for the Army, last war, but no great guns; this we can do. But whether we can cast great guns, I dare not take upon myself to determine. The hearth of my furnace lies low; fear there is not sufficient depth of earth between the surface and the bottom of the creek, if the guns are to be cast on one end. As I am entirely a stranger to the casting of ordnance, and desirous of assisting my country in any thing in my power, wish the gentlemen of the Committee of Safety, if they think it the interest of the community, to send up proper and skilful men, who are acquainted and had experience in casting and moulding of guns, for I have none such to examine my conveniences. If approved of, my furnace and stock shall be at their service on reasonable terms, for I know not how to fix a price. My metal is good, perhaps the best in America.

"I cannot be more particular at present, and am, re-respectfully, sir, your and the Committee's most humble servent,

"ROBERT LIVINGSTON.

"To Mr. Joseph Hallett."

A Letter from Egbert Benson, Esquire, Chairman of the Committee of Dutchess County, was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

"Rhinebeck Precinct, Dutchess County,

"January 29, 1776.

"SIR: The Committee of this Precinct having been informed that Timothy Doughty, notwithstanding his promise lo the Congress, upon his dismission, on the 20th October last, that he would demean himself in a peaceable and orderly manner, has since declared his intentions to join the Ministerial troops, in the Spring, and in other respects testified a disposition still inimical to the cause of liberty, have ordered him to be apprehended and confined till the plea-sure of the Congress shall be known.

"Not only from the disaffection of the County, but as there will be an election at Poughkeepsie, on Tuesday next, and a vast number of people necessarily assemble, we thought it prudent to commit him to the jail in Kingston.

"I am directed lo inform you of this matter, with a re-quest that you will please to lay it before the Congress, and acquaint them that we can furnish them with the most ample proofs against Mr. Doughty.

"I remain, by order of the Committee, your most obedient servant,

EGBERT BENSON, Chairman."

Benjamin Walker informed the Committee that Mr. Yates was informed that his ship was below; that he, Mr. Walker, went down in a pilot-boat, expecting it was Mr. Yates's ship; that when the pilot-boat came within a mile of the ship, they sent out a boat, and pressed John Carleton to pilot the ship up; that he, Benjamin' Walker, was present, and knows that they did press him as a pilot; that an officer on board informed him that they had two hundred men on board, and were part of seven thousand men from England, and had been nine weeks at sea.

John Carleton examined: Says he frequently told the Captain that there was not any person on board of his boat who could pilot the ship up, but that they insisted on it, and obliged him to go on board. That Captain Kennedy told him he was under the necessity to press him, and did press him to carry up the ship, and charged him, on pain of death, not to run her aground; that between the banks they saw a wood boat; that a jolly-boat put off from her, and rowed towards the ship, and came within twenty yards; that they then ordered men into the main-tops arid on deck; that thereupon a pilot on board of the jolly-boat, who said he had served his time with Fundrau, was taken on board; that near Staten-Island he got on board of his own boat; that the ship Kitty is from Boston; that, they said there were two hundred men on board; that he saw between forty and fifty men, as he thinks; that there were eight or nine officers on board; that he told them General Lee was in New-York, and that he supposed there were six thousand forces there; that he understood that ships, in the whole, had sailed with them; that Captain Kennedy told him that the night before he got down, they had forty men on deck, and some men in the main-tops.

Carleton had a Certificate in the words following, to wit:

"I, Captain Kennedy, of the Forty-Fourth Regiment, commanding His Majesty's troops on board of the Kitty, transport, do certify, that I pressed by force, and obliged the bearer, John Carleton, to pilot the above-mentioned ship from Sandy-Hook to New-York.

"Given under my hand, on board the Kitty, February 9 1776,

"KENNEDY, Captain 44th Reg."

"We certify the above,

Thereupon, a Certificate was given to the said John Carleton, in the words following, to wit:

In Committee of Safety, New-York, February 10, 1776.

The case of John Carleton, as to his having piloted up the transport-ship, Kitty, has, at his own request, been heard by this Committee; and Benjamin Walker, of the city of New-York, merchant, who went down with him in his boat, was examined as a witness.

The Committee of Safety are of opinion that the said John Carleton was innocently brought into such a situation as to be necessarily obliged to pilot the transport-ship Kitty, with troops, and from any evidence that has appeared to us, the said John Carleton ought not to be injured, or considered in a worse light or esteem by the publick on that account.

Colonel Heard attended the Committee of Safety, and produced the several obligations of Samuel Clowes and George Weeks, with their securities, and of Charles Mc-