Colony to said Truckmaster, to enable him to procure such Ammunition, and other articles of goods, as may be necessary to supply the said Indians with, and that he set the article he shall supply them with at a moderate advance, and take in return there for their furs and other things they may procure in hunting, he, the said Truckmaster to be accountable to this Court for the said money, and his conduct in this affair.

And it is further Resolved, That John Steel be desired to repair to Machias, as soon as may be, and there act as Armourer in repairing the said Indians' guns, and such others as may he sent him by order of this Court, and that for his service and the use of his tools, there be allowed and paid to him after the rate of four Pounds per month, to commence from the time of his setting off from Newburyport, till the further order of this Court.

And that the said Truckmaster furnish the said Armourer with stock to proceed in his business, and receive from the Indians, and others, such pay on account of this Colony as shall be reasonable for the stock and work done. The House made choice of Jonathan Warner, Esquire, as a Brigadier for the County of Worcester, in the room of Brigadier Whetcomb, who declines accepting that appointment.

Afternoon.

The Petition of Doctor James Pecker, read, and committed to the Committee on Accounts.

The Committee on the Petition of Hannah Goldthwait reported, that they found the fact set forth in said Petition true, and that the sum taken into custody by order of this Court was sixty Pounds.

Whereupon, Resolved, That the said sum of sixty Pounds be granted and paid out of the publick Treasury, to her, or her order, for the purpose mentioned in said Petition.

Colonel Orne, agreeable to order, reported. Read, and accepted.

Whereas, Mr. Joseph Henderson is, by this Court, appointed to carry, exhibit, and adjust the Accounts of this Colony with the honourable Continental Congress at Philadelphia:

Therefore, Resolved, That there shall be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to the said Joseph Henderson, for his time and expenses on said journey to and from Philadelphia, for the above purposes, the sum of thirty-five Pounds; and should the said Joseph Henderson be detained longer at Philadelphia than fourteen days on said service, he shall in that case receive a further compensation for his services.

Samuel Holten, Esq., brought down the Report of the Committee of both Houses on the Letter of his Excellency General Washington, this day received. Read, and accepted.

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed in the several Counties of Suffolk, Essex, Middlesex, Hampshire, Worcester, Plymouth, Bristol, and York, to purchase, as early as possible, in the recess of this Court, all the good and effective Fire-Arms which are to be obtained in the several towns in the Counties aforesaid, on the best terms they may be had, and forward them without delay to his Excellency General Washington, or his order.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency to deliver to the Chairman of each Committee for the several Counties aforesaid, such sum, or sums, of money as may be sufficient to enable them to execute their commission with ease and dispatch; they to be accountable to his Excellency for the same.

The House assigned eleven o'clock, to-morrow, A. M., for the choice of a Committee for the purposes expressed in the foregoing Resolves.

The Committee appointed to consider the Account of Captain Jeremiah Obrien, reported:

That by examining said Obrien's Account, they find the whole of the provision, &c, for billeting the men under his command, amounts to no more than five Shillings and six Pence per week each, and as said Captain Obrien has no other vouchers, the Committee are of opinion that his Account is just; said Account being three hundred and seventy-one Pounds, and the Account for cordage, tallow, iron, &c, belonging to the vessels, by said Obrien's account., is the further sum of one hundred and twenty-fiver Pounds five Shillings, which sums amount to four hundred and ninety-six Pounds five Shillings, out'of which sum he, the said Obrien, has received the sum of one hundred and sixty Pounds, which leaves the sum of three Hundred and thirty-six Pounds five Shillings. The said Committee therefore, report the following Resolve, viz. Read, and accepted.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to the said Captain Jeremiah Obrien, the sum of three hundred and thirty-six Pounds five Shillings, in full discharge of said Accounts.

Further Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to Captain Jeremiah Obrien, his Officers and Seamen, under his command, since the 21st day of August, 1775, on board the Sloop Machias-Liberty, and the Schooner Diligent, the sum of eight hundred and four Pounds four Shillings and two Pence, in full discharge for their services on board said Vessels, until the first day of February, 1776.

The Committee on the Memorial of Benjamin Foster, and James Noble Shannon, reported. Read, and not accepted, and they had leave to withdraw their Memorial.

Benjamin White, Esq., brought down the Resolve of the House of the 8th current, limiting the time for receiving Accounts for losses on Bunker-Hill, &c, with the following Vote of Council thereon, viz:

In Council, February 12, 1776: Read, and concurred, as taken into a new draft, viz:

Whereas, by a Resolve of the General Court, passed the 19th of December last, all Officers and Soldiers who were, on the 19th of April and 17th of June last past, engaged in battle with the Ministerial troops, and suffered loss of Clothing, Arms, and Accoutrements, should, upon application made to the General Court, with sufficient evidence of their having sustained such loss, be compensated: And whereas, (A) by delaying to exhibit said Accounts, (B) the persons who suffered those losses may be deprived of the evidence necessary for them to produce in order to their being compensated: (C.)

Resolved, That all Officers and Soldiers who sustained any loss of Clothing, Fire-Arms, Ammunition, &c., by being engaged in battle with the Ministerial troops on the 19th April and 17th of June last, are hereby notified, that unless they shall exhibit a particular account of their losses to this Court, on or before the second Tuesday of the next sitting of the same, they will be deprived of the benefit of compensation; and that this Resolve be priuted in the Watertown and Cambridge Newspapers, three weeks successively.

Read, and concurred, with the amendment at A, B, and C, viz: At A, dele "by" and insert "the," and dele from B to C, and insert "may give occasion to fraud and impositions."

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

Tuesday, February 13, 1776.

Ordered, That Mr. Story procure and forward to the Members of the Continental Congress, who represented this Colony, the Journals of this House, and Acts of the Court.

Jedediah Foster, Esq., brought down a Bill entitled "An Act to carry into execution a Resolve of the American Congress, for ascertaining the number of Inhabitants in this Colony."

Read a first time, and ordered to be read again at four o'clock, in the afternoon.

Also the following Resolve, viz:

In Council, February 12, 1776: Whereas, it has been found necessary to deposit in the hands of Committees large sums of money, for defraying the charges incurred in the present unhappy contest, and a balance is often left in the hands of such Committees, which sums, though they may be paid into the Treasury of this Colony, and a receipt given by the Treasurer for the same, yet, unless the Treasurer should credit the Colony for such sums, a loss may happen by such receipts being mislaid or forgotten:

Therefore, Resolved, That all such receipts be lodged with the Secretary, who, upon his receiving the same, shall immediately enter all such sums in a book, to be by