A Report of the Committee of both Houses appointed to consider the propriety of commissionating such Captains and Lieutenants as marched, and joined the Continental Army from the Militia in this Colony, &c., and,

A Report of the Committee of both Houses on the Petition of Joseph Deane.

Moses Gill, Esquire, brought down the Report of a Committee appointed to consider a plan for fitting out Armed Vessels, with the following Vote of Council thereon, viz:

In Council, January 23, 1776: Ordered, That Thomas Cushing, Esquire, be of the aforesaid Committee on the part of the Board, in the room of John Adams, Esquire, who is absent.

Read, and concurred.

Ordered, That Deacon Codding, Colonel Thompson, and Major Lock, be a Committee to count and sort the votes for Officers of the Six Regiments to be raised to join the Army before Boston.

On a motion, Voted, That this last Order, as also the Vote of yesterday for choosing such Officers agreeable to the method pointed out in the Militia Bill, be reconsidered, and that they be chosen by nomination.

The House then proceeded to the choice of Field and Staff-Officers for the Six Regiments to be raised from the Militia in this Colony, to serve in the American Army before Boston till the first day of April next, and the following gentlemen were accordingly chosen, viz:

For the SUFFOLK and YORK Regiment.

Lemuel Robinson, Colonel; Noah Moulton Littlefield, Lieutenant-Colonel; James Metcalf, Major; Rev. David Sandford, Chaplain; Captain Sabin Mann, Adjutant; John Grant, Quartermaster; Doctor Nathaniel Ames, Surgeon; Elisha Pond, Jun., Surgeon's Mate.

For the ESSEX Regiment.

Ipswich, Isaac Smith, Colonel.

Beverly, Henry Herrick, Lieutenant-Colonel.

Salisbury, Joseph Page, Major.

Andover, John Peabody, Jun.,

Adjutant. Haverhill, James Brickel, Surgeon.

Ipswich, Reverend John Cleveland, Chaplain.

Boxford, Benjamin Foster, Quartermaster.

Samuel Hezzletine, Surgeon's Mate.

For the PLYMOUTH and BARNSTABLE Regiment.

For the WORCESTER Regiment.

For the BRISTOL and CUMBERLAND Regiment.

Jacob French, Colonel; Thomas Kempton, Lieutenant-Colonel; Nathaniel Jordan, Major; Archibald Campbell, Chaplain; Daniel Hathaway, Surgeon; Nathaniel Cook, Surgeon's Mate; Thomas Berry, Adjutant; Jacob Fuller, Quartermaster.

For the MIDDLESEX and LINCOLN Regiment.

John Robertson, Colonel; Michael Jackson, Lieutenant-Colonel; Samuel McCobb, Major; Joseph Thaxler, Chapain; Nathaniel Slotv, Quartermaster; Jabez Brown, Adjutant; Asaph Fletcher, Surgeon; Dr. Little, of Westford, Surgeon's Mate.

Ordered, That Mr. Baldwin go out to the County of Worcester to promote the Levies in that County, in the room of Mr. Allen excused.

Afternoon.

Ordered, That a message go to the honourable Board, to know if they have passed upon the Resolve of this House for confining Doctor Gelston.

Joseph Palmer, Esquire, brought down the Resolve of the House for confining Doctor Gelston, with the following Vote of Council thereon, viz:

In Council, January 22, 1776: Read, and concurred, and the Board having reconsidered their former Vote, passed the following Resolve, viz:

That the said Samuel Gelston be sent to the Town of Groton, in the County of Middlesex, and that he give bond, with two good sureties, to the Treasurer of this Colony, in the penal sum of one thousand Pounds, the condition whereof shall be, that he, the said Samuel, will not depart out of the limits of the said Town of Groton, until the further order of this Court, and that he will not in any wise assist or correspond with any of the enemies of this country, and that he will be of good and peaceable behaviour towards all persons who are friendly to American liberty, and that he will at any time appear and answer to any complaint which may be made against him, when he shall be thereto required by order of this Court, and that he will abide their order thereon.

And on failure of the said Samuel's giving bond as aforesaid, Resolved, That he be committed to the Jail in New-buryport, until the further order of this Court.

Read, and non-concurred, and the House adhere to their own Vote.

On a motion, Ordered, That Colonel Freeman bring in a Resolve empowering the Committee appointed to promote Levies in the County of Barnstable, to take from the Elizabeth-Islands one half the men stationed there, agreeable to a late Resolve of this Court; and, also, to empower the Committee for promoting Levies in the County of Cumberland to take one Company from the four hundred men stationed at Falmouth.

Moses Gill, Esq., brought down the Letter and Resolves received from the Continental Congress, read the 15th current, with the Report of the Committee of both Houses thereon.

In Council, January 23, 1776: Read, and accepted, and Ordered, That the same be recorded accordingly, and the Committee are allowed to sit again.

Read, and concurred.

The House, according to the Order of the Day, considered the Report of the Committee appointed to consider and report some General Rules, by which the Committee on Accounts shall govern themselves, in the allowance they shall make for service of Committees sent out from this Court.

It was moved, That the last clause in the Report should be deled, viz: "And that the attendance of the Members of this Court, for their services this year, be paid by Government, as other charges are this year; this not to be a precedent for the future." And the question being put, it passed in the affirmative, viz:

For the question, sixty. The number of the House was one hundred and one.

It was moved, That the Committee on Accounts be instructed not to pass upon the Accounts of any Committeeof; the Court for their services, till further order of the Court; and the question being put, it passed in the negative.

On a motion, Ordered, That Mr. Cooper, Col. Orne, and Major Brooks, be a Committee to bring in a Resolve relative to paying Committees of the Court for their services.

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

Wednesday, January 24, 1776.

Ordered, That Mr. Brown, of Boston, Mr. Story, and Mr. Ellis, be a Committee to bring in a Resolve for advancing a sum of money to the gentleqien chosen to represent this Colony at the Continental Congress..

Ordered, That a message go to the honourable Board, to desire them to send down the Resolve appointing Field and Staff Officers for the six Regiments to be raised for re-inforcing the Army before Boston, if they have not passad; upon it.