Resolved, That the prayer of the Petition be granted, and that Walter Spooner, Esquire, be, and he hereby is empowered to make sale of the Tract of Land mentioned in said Petition, (of which John Quaniman died, seized,) for the most the same will fetch, and make and execute a good deed, or deeds, in law of the same to the purchaser, or purchasers, he observing the rules and directions in the law provided for the sale of real Estates by executors and administrators, and the money arising by said sale to be put to interest on good security for the benefit of the legal heirs of the said John Qtianiman;and the interest of the money to be paid annually, to the said heirs on making application to the said Walter Spooner, Esq., he to be accountable to the General Court of this Colony, when thereto required.

In the House of Representatives: Read, and concurred.

In the House of Representatives: Resolved, (Blank.)

Petition of Thomas Simonds and Mary Thomas, native Indians, of Middleborough, in the County of Plymouth, setting forth: "that they are legally and rightfully possessed of a piece of land, lying and being in Dartmouth, in the County of Bristol, at a place called Sconticut-Neck;they, therefore, humbly pray your Honours would grant them liberty to make sale of the same."

In Council: Read, and committed to Eldad Taylor and Benjamin Lincoln, Esquires.

The Committee on the above Petition report by way of Resolve

Resolved, That the prayer of the Petition be granted, and that Walter Spooner, Esq., be, and he hereby is empowered to make sale of the Tract of Land mentioned in said Petition for the most the same will fetch, and to make and execute a good deed, or deeds, of the same to the purchaser, or purchasers; he observing the rules and directions of the law for the sale of real Estates by executors and administrators, and the money arising by such sale, to be laid out by the said Walter Spooner, Esq., in purchasing so much Land for the benefit of the said Indians, where it will best accommodate them, as it will pay for, after deducting the necessary charges of such sales and purchase; and that the said Walter Spooner, Esq., be accountable to the General Court of this Colony, for his doings touching the premises.

In the House of Representatives: Read, and concurred.

A Bill, entitled "An Act for encouraging the fixing out Armed Vessels," having passed the House of Representatives, to be engrossed,

In Council: Read a second time, and passed a concurrence, to be engrossed.

In the House of Representatives: Ordered, That the Letter from Nathaniel Shaw, Jun., be committed to the Committee appointed to settle the Accounts of the late Committee of Supplies, and to take care of the several cargoes, &c.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

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

Thursday, February 8, 1776.

Present in Council: Honourables William Sever, Walter Spooner, Caleb Cushing, John Winthrop, Thomas Cushing, Jedediah Foster, James Prescott, Eldad Taylor, Benjamin Lincoln, Michael Farley, Joseph Palmer, Samuel Holten, Jabez Fisher, Moses Gill, John Taylor, Benjamin White, Esquires.

In the House of Representatives: The House made choice of the following Officers for the Company to be stationed at Pemaquid, in the County of Lincoln, viz: Caleb Turner, Captain; George Rogers, First Lieutenant; Thomas Thompson, Second Lieutenant; Robert Giving, Commissary.

The House, also, made choice of the following Officers for the Company to be stationed at St. George's, in said County, viz: Benjamin Plummer, Captain; Joseph Robinson, First Lieutenant; James Thompson, Second Lieutenant; James Minot, Commissary; and Thomas Rice, Esq., Mustermaster, for the three Companies to be stationed in the County aforesaid.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

In the House of Representatives: The House made choice of Richard Ward, as Commissary, for the Company to be stationed at Salem'.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

Petition of Jeremiah Obrien, setting forth: "that he has been in the Colony service, since the 1st day of August last, as Commander-in-chief of the sloop Machias-Liberty, and schooner Diligent, which two vessels now lie at Newburyport completely equipped for sea, with about fifty men on board them, ready for any service the honourable Court shall think fit to employ them in; one vessel has four carriage guns, ten swivels, the other has five carriage guns, and twenty swivels, has ports for eight carriages, has accommodations for sixty-five men each; we are all waiting the determination of the honourable Court, whether we are to be discharged, or further employed in the Colony service; your petitioner can recommend to the honourable Court, the under officers and gunner to be men well skilled in the business."

In the House of Representatives: Whereas, it is of importance that the enemies of the United Colony should, as far as possible, be deprived of necessary supplies, whereby they may be rendered the less capable of distressing this and the other Colonies aforesaid, and to effect this purpose, it is expedient and necessary armed vessels should be fitted out and employed to prevent supplies getting into the hands of our said enemies;

Therefore, Resolved, That the Committee of Correspondence, Inspection and Safety of Newburyport, with Captain Jeremiah Obrien, be a Committee to prepare, and in all respects, equip and man, with fifty men each, including officers, the Sloop Machias-Liberty and Schooner Diligent, now lying at Newburyport;and that said Committee recommend such proper persons to the honourable Council as may be necessary for Officers of said Vessels for the purposes above-mentioned, and when said Vessels are prepared as aforesaid, the officers belonging to said Vessels, be commissionated by, and follow such directions as they shall receive from time to time from the Council of this Colony.

And it is further Resolved, That the following sums set against the several officers and men engaged in the above service, shall be paid them upon their faithfully discharging the duties assigned them, viz:

	Per month.			Per month.
Captain,	£4	0	Carpenter,	£1	10
First Lieutenant,	3	0	Gunner,	1	10
Second Lieutenant,	2	10	Pilot and Q. Master,	1	10
Surgeon,	2	10	Steward,	1	10
Master,	2	0	Master-at-Arms,	1	10
Boatswain,	1	10	Foremast men,	1	4

And for the further encouragement of said Officers and Seamen,

It is Resolved, That they shall be entitled to one-third the proceeds of all captures that shall be by them made, and finally condemned, agreeable to a law of this Colony, made and passed in the present session of the General Court, entitled "An Act for fixing out Armed Vessels, and for the trial and condemnation of vessels, that have been employed in aiding and assisting our Enemies;" and in such proportions as is allowed the officers and seamen of the Armed Vessels fitted out on account of the United Colonies, by his Excellency General Washington. The above establishment to be continued until the last day of December next, unless this Court should think it expedient to discharge them sooner.

In Council: Read, and concurred. In the House of Representatives: The House made choice, by ballot, of the following gentlemen for Field-Officers of the Seventh Regiment of Militia in the County of Middlesex, viz: Simeon Spaulding, Colonel; William Thompson, Lieutenant-Colonel; William Hildreth, First Major; Ebenezer Bancroft, Second Major. In Council: Read, and concurred.

In the House of Representatives: The House made choice, by ballot, of the following gentlemen for Field-Officers of the Second Regiment of Militia, in the County of Bristol, viz: Edward Pope, Colonel; John Hathaway, Lieutenant-Colonel; Sylvester Richmond, tertius, First Major; Joshua Hathaway, Second Major.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

In the House of Representatives: The House made choice, by ballot, of the Honourable John Hancock, Esq., First Major-General of the Militia in this Colony.

In Council: Read, and concurred.