In the House of Representatives: Resolved, That there he a Committee appointed to wait on his Excellency General Washington, and recommend it to him to pay the donation, received from Virginia for the Poor of Boston, to the Committee appointed by the Town of Boston to receive the same, who are now out.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

The Committee appointed by both Houses to consider of what is further necessary to be done, before the Minute, Militia and Sea-Coast Rolls are paid off, beg leave to report the following Resolve:

Whereas, no direction is given to the Commanding Officers of the several companies of Minute, Militia, and, also, the Sea-Coast men, for lodging their respective Rolls in the Treasurer's Office, great damage may arise to this Colony thereby; and whereas, some Companies are stationed at a very considerable distance, which will occasion much charge and difficulty, for want of a duplicate of said Roll, therefore,

Resolved, That some person be immediately employed, to take Copies of such Rolls as have been or may be examined and passed upon, and no duplicate left; said Copies to be examined and certified by the Committee on said Rolls, and lodged in the Secretary's Office.

In Council: Read, and accepted.

In the House of Representatives: Read, and concurred.

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

Thursday, January 4, 1776.

Present in Council: Honourables Waller Spooner, Caleb Cushing, Benjamin Chadbourn, Joseph Gerrish, John Whetcomb, John Adams, James Prescott, Eldad Taylor, Benjamin Lincoln, Charles Chauncy, Michael Farley, Joseph Palmer, Samuel Holten, Jabez Fisher, John Taylor, Benjamin White, Esquires.

In Council: Whereas, a Committee of both Houses have been appointed for signing and numbering the Bills of Credit for the seventy-five thousand Pounds emission; and as the publick affairs of the Colony press hard upon the Board, they cannot, (without injuring the publick,) spare any of their Members in the hours they usually sit upon business, therefore,

Resolved, That Colonel Cushing, with such as the honourable House shall join, be a Committee to take into consideration the matter of signing and numbering said Bills, and report some effectual mode of raising a Committee for that purpose, so that the Treasury may be seasonably supplied.

In the House of Representatives: Read, and concurred, and Colonel Thompson and Mr. Crane are joined.

Petition of William Brown, and others, setting forth, "that your petitioners did, early after the engagement at Concord, enter into the service of the Army from no other motive but that of being instrumental of serving the glorious cause of liberty, expecting only such a reward as their services merited, calculated only for the time of their employment. The certificate given by the late Commissary, Mr. Pigeon, on each of their accounts, which accounts your petitioners now present with this Petition, will fully testify that no service was thought too hard, no time tedious, when the cause of the country required extraordinary services. Your petitioners beg leave, also, to observe, that it has been their constant endeavour to serve the interest of the Colony. The provisions allowed to the Army, while in the pay of the Colony, were so ample, that oftentimes the men, with little persuasion, were prevailed upon to take less than the quantity stipulated; and your petitioners, knowing the Colony would be served and the men not injured, repeatedly (with their consent) served out to them their allowance with a little deduction, which deduction, though small from each individual, amounted, in the whole, to very large quantities, saved entirely for the benefit of the Colony. For the truth of the above representation your petitioners would only refer you to the Commissary's books, where the amount of provisions received in and delivered out is recorded, and to the attestation of a number of the gentlemen Quartermasters, which accompanies this Petition. For these services your petitioners have charged the Colony four shillings per diem, which, they trust, will be found reasonable, and granted them, when all circumstances are duly weighed and considered by the honourable Court.

"Your petitioners would not have troubled your Honours with their small concernments, had not your Committee informed them that they were not at liberty to allow more than two shillings and four pence per diem, which sum your petitioners think so inadequate to their exertions for the publick good, that they choose rather to rely on the generosity of your Honours, not doubting of receiving an ample reward."

The Committee, upon the Petition of William Brown and others, Clerks and Assistants to Mr. Pigeon, late Commissary-General, praying for an allowance for services, &c, having heard the petitioners and evidences they had to produce in support of their Petition, beg leave to report as their opinion: that the petitioners have acted, whilst in the said service, with integrity and honesty, and have shown a proper regard to the publick interest, and have been instrumental of considerable savings to the Colony, as represented in their Petition, and are of opinion that they be allowed the sum of three shillings and two pence each, per day, for their services.

In the House of Representatives: Read, and accepted.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

The Secretary went down with the following Message to the House, from the major part of the Council, viz:

Gentlemen of the House of Representatives:

The danger that a correspondence would be carried on between a few disaffected inhabitants of this Colony, and the enemies of America, through the town of Hull, to the men-of-war, lying in and near Nantasket Road, and that our enemies might be supplied in that channel, induced the General, in July last, to cause the inhabitants of said town to be removed, and to place and constantly keep up a guard at the entrance of the beach leading into that town. The guards continued until the 1st of December past, at which time their inlistments expired, and they returned to their several homes in Connecticut; upon this, and Colonel Lincoln being told that several persons had been seen to go to Hull, but none being observed to return, he directed a small guard from the Militia, in the vicinity, to be placed at the entrance of said town, and to continue there until they should receive further orders; he immediately laid the whole matter before the Council; they sent a message to his Excellency General Washington, requesting that he would place a guard there, and relieve the Militia. He gave encouragement to our messenger that he would give orders for that purpose; but it hath been delayed, and now the Council are acquainted that the lines at Cambridge and Roxbury are so thin, that no men can be spared for the purpose aforesaid; the Council, therefore, thought it their duty to make this representation to the honourable House, and recommend to them that provision be immediately made, not only for guarding the passage into said town, but, also, that suitable guards be placed in the towns of Braintree, Weymouth, and Hingham.

(Signed by fifteen of the Council.)

Mr. Gerry came up with a verbal message from the House, to desire the major part of the Council to hold Doctor Samuel Gelston under arrest, till an order of both Houses be taken thereon.

In Council: Ordered, That John Adams and Joseph Palmer, Esquires, with such as the honourable House shall join, be a Committee to examine into the character and conduct of Doctor Samuel Gelston, lately apprehended by the order of the General Court, and now before them ready for examination, and report.

In the House of Representatives: Read, and concurred, and Colonel Freeman, Mr. Brown, of Boston, and Colonel Grout, are joined.

In Council: Ordered, That Walter Spooner, John Adams, Joseph Palmer, James Prescott, Benjamin Lincoln, John Taylor, and Jabez Fisher, Esquires, be a Committee of the Board, with such Committee of the honourable House, as shall be thought proper for that purpose, upon the subject-matter of the Militia Bill, and the manner in which the officers shall be appointed.

In the House of Representatives: Read, and concurred, and . . . . . . are joined.

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