Committee reported that they had collected together all the Field-Officers who had inlisting orders, and could be found by said Committee, and that the said officers promised to acquiesce in the final determination of Congress relative to this matter, which established the said Colonels at twelve Pounds, and other Field-Officers in proportion: And whereas, this Court consents to the payment of the Field and other officers, according to the last mentioned establishment, notwithstanding few, if any, of said Regiments contained five hundred and ninety-eight men, agreeable to the terms thereof; but had no expectation that any of the Field-Officers would claim the first establishment, because it so happened that the general confusion of the Colony, and hurry of business, did not admit of the said establishments being recalled by the Congress, or Committee of Safety, and thus the Colonels were permitted to hold them; and such claim appears to this Court very unjustifiable:

Resolved, That the Committee on the Muster-Roils aforesaid be, and they are hereby directed to cause the same to be made up, agreeable to the establishment made on the 29th April aforesaid, and to direct such Field-Officers (if any there be) who require wages agreeable to the establishment of the 23d April, to prefer to the Court a Petition for the wages which they may suppose to be due, in addition to what they will receive upon the last establishment, that they may be heard, and proper order be taken thereon, and that the said Committee show a copy of this Resolve to each of the Field-Officers who shall apply to them on this matter as aforesaid.

The Committee appointed to bring in a Resolve for disposing of the Estates of the Refugees, reported. Read and accepted.

Whereas, several persons belonging to this Colony have joined the Ministerial troops, and others, who are in an hostile manner endeavouring to further the measures of the British Administration for enslaving the uniting American Colonies, and several others belonging to this Colony have absconded and removed themselves out of this Colony, with intent either to promote and further the said measures of Administration, or to escape the trouble and expense of a necessary opposition to such wicked and arbitrary measures, and divers of both sorts have left estate, either real or personal, within this Colony; and whereas, much estate so left has been already wasted, and more thereof is liable to be wasted and perish; and whereas, some of the said absconding persons have, by various arts, procured the rents of their deserted real estates, and their personal estate itself, or the proceeds thereof, to be remitted to them:

Therefore, Resolved, That the Selectmen and the Committee of Correspondence of any town in this Colony, where the estate, either real or personal, or both, belonging to any such person, or persons, above described, shall be found, be, and hereby are empowered and directed, according to their best discretion and judgment, so to manage, order, and lease such real estate, as that waste may be prevented as much as possible for the future, and, also, to take possession of, order, and dispose of such personal estate as (A) above described, in such manner as that the same may not be embezzled or suffered to perish, and also in such manner as neither the rents of such real estate, nor the personal estate itself, nor the proceeds thereof, should get to the hands or use of any of (B) the above described persons, or any of them, in no case wherein such Selectmen and Committee shall judge it inexpedient and against the publick good of the Colony, any former orders or Resolves of Congress or General Court to the contrary notwithstanding.

And that such Selectmen and Committee of Correspondence keep such fair and full accounts of all their proceedings and doings in the premises, as that they may be able to inform the General Court thereof (C) whenever they shall be thereto required.

The House then adjourned to ten o'clock, to-morrow morning.

Tuesday, January 9, 1776.

A Petition of Captain Caleb Hyde, setting forth, that on the 10th day of May last, by order, he marched part of a Company of Militia at the alarm at Ticonderoga, one hundred and forty miles, at his own expense, and praying consideration and allowance. Read, and committed with the Roll accompanying, to Colonel Williams, Captain Parker, and Mr. Hale.

A Pay-Roll of a Company which marched from Stock-bridge and West-Stockbridge the 10th May last, under the command of Captain Abraham Brown, for the reduction of Ticonderoga, at the request of Colonel Benedict Arnold, &c., Read, and committed to the same Committee.

The House put off the choice of a Committee to repair to Falmouth, to three o'clock, to-morrow afternoon.

And the consideration of the Report relative to the Poor of Boston and Charlestown, to ten o'clock, to-morrow forenoon.

The Committee on the Petition of Captain John Bunker, read January 5th, reported. Read, and accepted.

Whereas, Mr. John Bunker and others, did on the 24th day of November last, at Mount-Desert, take a Schooner called the Falmouth-Packet, Isaac Danks, master, laden with live-stock, butter, cheese, sauce, &c., and in our enemy's service, bound to Boston; and said Bunker, not knowing any provision made in such cases, delivered said Schooner and cargo into the hands of the Committee of Goldsborough, till he should have the order of this Court thereon:

Therefore, Resolved, That the Committee of Goldsborough be, and they hereby are directed to deliver said Schooner with her cargo, or the proceeds thereof, if the same or any part thereof hath been disposed of by said Committee, as also the papers and appurtenances to her belonging, unto the said John Bunker, that said vessel may be brought to trial at some Court of (A) Admiralty, erected by the General Court of this Colony, (B.)

Ordered, That the Committee appointed to consider the Petitions and Accounts of wounded men, be also a Committee to consider the Petitions and Accounts of Soldiers that have been sick.

The Committee appointed to consider sundry Accounts from Machias, reported. Read, and ordered to lie till the House received further information with respect to the vessels taken by the people there.

Afternoon,

Jedediah Foster, Esquire, brought down the Resolve of this House on the Petition of Captain John Bunker, with the following Vote of Council thereon, viz:

In Council, January 9, 1776: Read, and concurred, with the amendments at A and B, viz: At A, dele "Admiralty," and insert "Justice;" and at B insert, "to try the capture of Vessels."Read, and concurred.

Benjamin Chadbourn, Esquire, brought down the Report of the Committee appointed, the 2d current, to inquire into the conduct of the Officers of the companies stationed at Falmouth, viz:

That, upon the best inquiry, they cannot find that the officers stationed at said Falmouth have been guilty of breaking their orders at the time of the late fire in that town; and, as there is no evidence against them in that respect, the Committee are of opinion their Muster-Rolls pass for payment according to the establishment.

In Council, January 9, 1776: Read, and accepted; and thereupon,

Resolved, That the Committee of Muster-Rolls be directed to pass on the Rolls of the Officers stationed at Falmouth, in common with others, without preference or distinction.

Ordered, That Major Smith and Mr. Guild, with such as the honourable Board shall join, be a Committee to consider a Resolve of this Court, which passed both Houses on the 9th ultimo, recommending to the inhabitants of this and the other Colonies to withhold further supplies of Provisions from the Islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, and report what they think is necessary to be done for the relief of the inhabitants of Martha's Vineyard.

Resolved, That the choice of the Committee to present the slate of Disbursements, &c., to the Continental Congress, also for a Committee for certain purposes expressed in a Resolve brought in by Mr. Gerry, be put off to four o'clock, to-morrow afternoon.