praying the consideration of the Court with respect to the Estate of Ichabod Jones, at said Machias. Read, and committed to Captain Carpenter, Mr. Hovey, and Colonel Woodbridge.

John Taylor, Esquire, brought down a Letter from the Committee of Correspondence from Hatfield, enclosing an intercepted Letter, wrote by Elisha Allis, Jun., of that town, to Major Gray, of Stockbridge, and praying directions concerning him. Read, and committed to Mr. Cooper and Colonel Thompson, with such as the honourable Board may join.

Caleb Cushing, Esq., brought down a Petition of John Underwood, setting forth, that on the first of December last, he presented a Memorial to this Court relative to the conduct of one Nehemiah Eastman, which, not having been acted upon, be now prays the consideration of the Court; with the following Vote of Council thereon, viz:

In Council, January 29, 1776: Read, and committed to Charles Chauncy, Esq., with such as the honourable House shall join.

Read, and concurred, and Doctor Gunn and Colonel Norton are joined.

A Petition of Jacob Bacon, who was wounded on the 19th of April, praying consideration and allowance. Read, and committee to the Committee on the Petitions and Accounts of sick and wounded men.

Afternoon.

John Whetcomb, Esq., brought down a Muster-Roll and Petition of Jeremiah Obrien, representing that on the 21st of August last, he was commissioned by the honourable Council as commander of two armed vessels, with authority to navigate them with thirty men each. And as no establishment has been made for cruisers, he prays a meet allowance for their service. Read, and committed to Mr. Gates, Major Currier, and Mr. Allen.

A Petition of the Indian inhabitants of the Town of Stockbridge, praying for reasons therein mentioned, that a law may be passed to prevent their being sued for debts for the term of two years, and that tavern-keepers may be restrained from selling them spirituous liquors. Read, and committed to Dr. Fletcher, Deacon Curtis, and Mr. Allen.

The House enjoined all its Committees to sit, and then adjourned till to-morrow morning, ten o'clock.

Tuesday, January 30, 1776,

The Committee on the Petition from the Committees and other inhabitants of Machias, Goldsborough, Number-Four, and other townships in the County of Lincoln, were instructed to report that the Committees and other inhabitants of those places, now in Watertown, give security for repayment of the money that may be put into their hands for the use of said inhabitants, and that they have the use of the same one year without interest.

A Petition of William Hodgkins and Thomas Hill, Committee of Safety of Frenchman's Bay, representing, that their lumber trade being stopped, the inhabitants have no way of procuring the means of subsistence; and, therefore, pray the Court to supply them with a quanlity of provisions, or lend them money that they may supply themselves. Read, and committed to the Committee on the Petition from Machias, &c, above-mentioned.

Order of the Day moved for.

Ordered, That Mr. Wheeler, Colonel Freeman, and Doctor Rice, be a Committee to collect and sort the votes for Militia Officers, agreeable to the Militia Act.

The House then proceeded, according to the Order of the Day, to the choice of three Major-Generals, agreeable to the late Act for regulating the Militia of this Colony, and the Committee appointed to collect the votes, having counted the same, it appeared that the following gentlemen were chosen, viz:

Honourable John Hancock', Esq., First Major-General:

Honourable James Warren, Esq., Second Major-General;

Honourable Azor Orne, Esq., Third Major-General.

The same Committee having collected and sorted the votes for Brigadiers, for the Counties hereafter mentioned, it appeared that the following gentlemen were chosen, viz:

For the County of Suffolk, Honourable Benjamin Lincoln, Esq.

For the County of Essex, Honourable Michael Farley, Esq.

For the County of Middlesex, John Cummings, Esq.

For the County of Hampshire, Timothy Danielson, Esq.

For the County of Barnstable, Joseph Otis, Esq.

For the County of Bristol, George Godfrey, Esq.

Ordered, That it be an instruction to the Committee appointed to bring in a Bill to prevent the bodies of soldiers to be arrested for debt, or their goods attached in certain cases, in the same Bill to make provision to prevent desertion from the Army, and any person from harbouring deserters.

Afternoon.

On a motion, Ordered, That Mr. Speaker, Mr. Gardner, and Mr. Hyde, be a Committee to wait upon his Excellency General Washington, on the subject of a Regiment raising in the County of Berkshire, by Colonel Fellows.

The House proceeded to the further choice of Brigadiers, agreeable !o the Militia Act. And the Committee for collecting the votes, having collected and sorted the same, for the Counties hereafter mentioned, it appeared that the following gentlemen were chosen, viz:

For the County of York, Jotham Moulton, Esq.

or the County of Worcester, John Whetcomb, Esq.

For the County of Cumberland, Samuel Thompson, Esq.

For the County of Lincoln, Arthur Noble, Esq.

For the County of Berkshire, John Fellows, Esq.

The same Committee having received and counted the votes for Field-Officers for the First and Second Regiments, in the County of Berkshire, it appeared that the following gentlemen were chosen, viz:

For the First Regiment: Mark Hopkins, Colonel; Aaron Root, Lieutenant-Colonel; Giles Jackson, First Major; Jacob Brown, Second Major.

For the Second Regiment: Benjamin Symonds, Colonel; Jonathan Smith, Lieutenant-Colonel; David Rosseter, First Major; Caleb Hyde, Second Major.

Resolved, That Captain Benjamin Hawes be, and hereby is appointed Major of the Regiment of Militia to be raised in the County of Suffolk and York, in the room of Major James Metcalf, who declines serving.

Ordered, That the further choice of Military Officers be, put off to ten o'clock, to-morrow morning.

Mr. Story, agreeable to order, reported. Read, and accepted.

Resolved, That there be allowed and paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to Messrs. Thomas Crafts, Jun., Edward Procter, Winthrop Gray, and Daniel Sigourney, or any two of them, a Committee of this Court to receive the inhabitants of Boston at Chelsea, and prevent the spreading the Small-Pox, the sum of two hundred Pounds, further to enable them to pay the expenses of supporting said inhabitants whilst they remain there, and prevent the spreading said distemper, they to be accountable to this Court for the same.

Mr. Brown, agreeable to order, reported. Read and accepted.

Whereas, it appears to this Court that the sum of sixty Pounds, now in the hands of Thomas Crafts, Jun., Edward Procter, Winthrop Gray, and Daniel Sigourney, was the property of Joseph Goldthwait, a noted enemy to the rights of America, and now actually employed in the Ministerial Army in Boston:

Resolved, That the above-mentioned Thomas Crafts, Jun., Edward Procter, Winthrop Gray, and Daniel Sigourney, be, and they are hereby directed to pay the above-mentioned sum of sixty Pounds into the hands of Henry Gardner, Esq., Treasurer and Receiver-General for this Colony, there to remain for the further order of the General Court.

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

Wednesday, January 31, 1776.

A Petition of Benjamin Crocker, of Falmouth, setting forth, that he and others of that town, have about seven