Court's Committee have ordered that depositions respecting the matter may be taken, and a Committee appointed to hear your petitioner's defence, to which report the honourable House have non-concurred; and prayed that your petitioner may be secured for further trial. Your petitioner prays, that the honourable Court would appoint a Committee to hear your petitioner's defence, to do with him as in their great wisdom may see fit, on whose clemency and mercy he desires wholly to rely, and make all the satisfaction in his power, they shall require for every offence lie may be guilty of. And as your petitioner is sensible, not-withstanding any imprudence he hath been guilty of, through inadvertency or peculiar circumstances, yet, your petitioner hath the good and interest of his country, and the cause of liberty, truly at heart, and wishes he may make it manifest to his country, by his future conduct. Your petitioner further declares, he will not leave or depart the place without orders from the honourable Court, and prays no further orders may issue until he hath an opportunity to make his defence.

In Council: Read, and ordered to be committed to the Committee of both Houses, appointed to consider anew the Petition of the Committee of Inspection for the East part of the Town of Pownalborough.

In the House of Representatives: Read, and concurred.

In the House of Representatives: Resolved, That that part of the Resolution of this Court of the 2d December, instant, providing that a General Officer be appointed to take the command of the Forces stationed at Gloucester, who shall be empowered to call in the neighboring Militia upon any emergency, as he shall judge necessary, and discharge them again as soon as the service will admit of the same, be and it hereby is rendered null and void.

Resolved, That a Field-Officer, of the rank of Colonel, be appointed to take the command of the Forces stationed at Gloucester, and of the Militia that shall at any time be raised for defence of the same, unless some General Officer of this Colony shall be present; and he is hereby empowered to order the commanding officer of the neighbouring Regiment of Militia, upon any emergency, to repair with his regiment to the Town of Gloucester aforesaid, and cooperate with him in defending the same, so long as he, the said commanding officer of the Sea-Coast Forces, shall judge it necessary; and, the Militia officers and soldiers, who shall be raised as aforesaid, are hereby directed to obey the said commanding officer of the Sea-Coast Forces, accordingly.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

The Committee appointed to take into consideration the expediency of making compensation to the several Officers and Soldiers who were sufferers by loss of arms, accoutrements, or clothing, in the engagements on the 19th of April and 17th of June last, and what shall be sufficient evidence to certify the same.

In the House of Representatives: Resolved, That full compensation be made to such Captains, Subalterns, non-Commissioned Officers, and Privates, who sustained loss of Arms, Accoutrements, or Clothing, on the 19th of April and 17th June last, and that each Captain and Subaltern produce a certificate from the Colonel, or commanding officer of such Regiment, and that each non-commissioned officer and private produce a certificate from the Captain, or commanding officer of the company to which such commissioned officer, or private, did, or doth respectively belong; and that such certificate, with other circumstances concurring therewith, shall be admitted as plenary evidence; and, it is further provided, that any other legal, or satisfactory evidence may be admitted, as time, place, or circumstances may require, to the satisfaction of the Committee appointed by this Court, to consider such losses, and compensation shall be made accordingly. This Resolve to be printed in the Watertown Newspaper.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

Adjourned to ten o'clock, to-morrow morning.

Thursday, December 21, 1775.

Present in Council: IIonourables William Sever, Benjamin Greenleaf, Caleb Cushing, John Winthrop, Joseph Gerrish, John Whetcomb, Jedediah Foster, James Prescott, Eldad Taylor, Benjamin Limoln, Charles Chauncy, Michael Farley, Joseph Palmer, Samuel Holten, Jabez Fisher, Moses Gill, John Taylor, Benjamin White, Esquires,

Memorial of Jacob Bardman, of Newburyport, setting forth, that he, with several others, are fitting out a vessel to some part of Europe, for the purpose of procuring gunpowder, and other military stores; and they have so far prepared for a voyage of this sort, as to have raised upwards of two thousand pounds, lawful money, to be laid out for articles of that sort, besides a sum sufficient to purchase a vessel to bring it in. If your Honours think fit to, give them suitable encouragement, they will proceed with alacrity to accomplish their proposed plan.

In the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the Vessel mentioned in the Memorial of Jacob Boardman,. belonging to Newburyport, be permitted to proceed on a voyage to any part of Europe, the Dominions of Great Britain excepted, for the purpose of procuring Gunpowder, and other Military Stores, for the service of this Colony, provided the owners of the Vessel enter into bonds, with sufficient sureties, in the sum of two thousand pounds, to be taken by the Committee of Safety of Newburyport, in the name of the Treasury of this Colony, that the said. Vessel shall proceed upon said voyage, with all possible despatch, and bring nothing back, except Gunpowder and other Military Stores, and to land the same in some port of this Colony, Boston and Nantuckct excepted; and that the said Vessel shall proceed in ballast, without any other loading; and this Colony engages to take all the Powder brought in said Vessel, giving for the same at the rate of five shillings per pound, the same being delivered to the Commissary of this Colony.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

In Council: Whereas, it hath been represented to this Court, that his Excellency General Washington does not consider himself at liberty to furnish Guards for any of the sea-coasts in this Colony, saving what relates to the general defence; and it appearing to this Court necessary, that certain posts should be guarded, for the security of the inhabitants,

Therefore, Resolved, That Benjamin Lincoln, Esquire, with such as the honourable House shall join, be a Committee to wait on his Excellency, and desire him that he would inform this Court to what limits he will extend his Guards.

In the House of Representatives: Read, and concurred, and Mr. Cushing and Mr. Speaker are joined to the Committee of the honourable Board.

Petition of Samuel Brewer, setting forth,"that on the 5th day of May last, he was appointed by the Honourable John Thomas, Esquire, Commander-in-chief, then at Roxbury, the Adjutant-General of the Army, under his command, and afterwards commissioned by the honourable Assembly of Congress as an Adjutant-General of said Army, and did continue to do duty till the 1st of August last; your memorialize, therefore, prays this honourable Court, to take his case into consideration, and make an establishment for him."

In the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the Treasurer of this Colony pay to Samuel Brewer, the sum of twenty-four Pounds seventeen Shillings one-and-a-half Pence, in full, for his services mentioned in his Petition.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

In the House of Representatives: Ordered, That the Petition of the Delegates of the County of Cumberland, be committed to the Committee appointed to consider a Letter from General Frye on the same subject.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

Friday, December 22, 1775.

Present in Council: Honourables William Sever, Benjamin Greenleaf, Caleb Cushing, John Winthrop, Joseph Gerrish, John Whetcomb, Jedediah Foster, James Prescott, Eldad Taylor, Benjamin Lincoln, Michael Farley, Joseph Palmer, Samuel Holten, Jabez Fisher, Moses Gill, John Taylor, Benjamin Whit;, Esquires.

Memorial of Hannah Sewall, of Brookline, setting forth, "that a very considerable landed estate hath accrued to her, and her brother Samuel Sewall, heirs-at-law to their late brother Henry Sewall, deceased, intestate, which estate remains wholly unsettled and undivided; and whereas, by virtue of a vote of this honourable Court, liberty hath been granted to cut wood from off the estates of such persons as have fled into Boston for refuge, and thereby rendered themselves obnoxious to their country, and a Committee