him kept for that purpose, to be produced when there shall be an adjustment of the Treasurer's Accounts. And all Committees who shall be hereafter trusted with sums of publick moneys, shall not be considered as discharged of such balance in their hands, until they shall lodge the Treasurer's receipts in the Secretary's hands, for the purpose aforesaid.

Read, and concurred.

Moses Gill, Esq., brought down a Resolve for encouraging the building of Powder-Mills.

Read, and non-concurred.

Ordered, That Major Hawley, Mr. Cushing, and Mr. Brown, of Boston, be a Committee to bring in a Resolve to encourage the building of Powder-Mills.

Whereas, it appears to this Court that it will be greatly conducive to the safety and welfare of this and the other Colonies, at a time of common danger, that a Committee be chosen in each town, and one only, for the special business of attending to the political and general interests of the Colonies, while the attention of the other Officers are employed about the particular concerns of their respective towns; in order to this, and to prevent the confusion and mischiefs which may arise by the multiplying of Committees diversely denominated, for purposes nearly the same:

Resolved, That the several Towns in this Colony be, and hereby are directed and empowered at their Annual Town-Meetings in March, to choose by written votes of such as are qualified by law to vote for Representatives, or in town affairs, such a number of the Freeholders, inhabitants of said towns, respectively, as they shall think proper, whose principles are known to be friendly to the rights and liberties of America, to serve as a Committee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety, for the year then next ensiling; and any or either of them for unfaithfulness in their office to remove, and others choose in their room, at any other Town-Meeting legally assembled for that purpose; whose business shall be to communicate with despatch any matters of importance to the publick, that may come to their knowledge, to the Committees of the same denomination of any other Town, County, or Colony, which it may particularly concern, or to the General Assembly of this Colony, or, in their recess, to the Council; and also to inspect whether there are any inhabitants of, or residents in their respective towns, who violate the Association of the Continental Congress, or any other the resolves, directions, or recommendations of said Congress, or Acts or Resolves of the General Court and preceding Congresses of this Colony, respecting the present struggle with Great Britain; and if any such be found, that they proceed with them in such manner as the Resolves of the Continental Congress, or the Laws or Resolves of this Colony do or shall direct: That they make known to the General Court, or to the Council, all gross breaches of trust in any Officers, or Servants of this Colony, that may come under their observation, that they use their utmost influence to promote peace and harmony in their respective towns; as, also, faithfully to execute any Orders or Resolves of this Court which may be to them directed, from time to time, during their continuance in office.

And in order to enable said Committee to proceed in a uniform and judicious discharge of the duty assigned them:

It is further Resolved, That said Committee be duly furnished with all the Resolves of the Continental Congress, which have been or may hereafter be published, that has any relation to their office; and that Captain Brown, of Watertown, be a Committee during the recess of this Court, to procure and cause the same to be printed and sent to the Town-Clerks of the several towns in this Colony, for the use and inspection of said Committees, &c, and also this Resolve in handbills, immediately, and sent to the several towns in this Colony.

Mr. Speaker communicated to the House a Letter from St. Eustatia, signed Yankoo, dated December 14th, enclosing a number of Newspapers. Read, and sent up.

Afternoon.

Resolved, That the Receiver-General of this Colony be, and hereby is empowered and directed to make use of the Continental Money now in the Treasury, transmitted to this Colony by the honourable Continental Congress, as well as the Bills emitted by this Colony, for discharging all Warrants drawn upon by the Council of this Colony.

The Commissary-General having informed the House that it was the opinion of Mr. Burbeck, Engineer, that It would be best that the Field-Pieces which the said Commissary was directed to procure for the use of this Colony be all three-pounders,

Ordered, That this matter be committed to Mr. Devans and Colonel Orne, with such as the honourable Board may join, to consider thereon, and report.

The Committee on the Petition of Samuel Jackson, of Plymouth, reported. Read, and the Petitioner had leave to withdraw it and his Petition.

Benjamin White, Esq., brought down a Letter from Colonel Otis, of Barnstable, in the County of Barnstable, relative to raising men in that County and the County of Plymouth. Read, and concurred to lie.

The House proceeded to the choice of Committees to purchase Fire-Arms in the recess of the Court, agreeable to a Resolve of yesterday, viz:

For the County of Suffolk: Captain Ellis, Mr. Witherton, Colonel Thayer, and Mr. Metcalf.

For the County of Essex: Mr. Jewett, Captain Epes, Mr. Ingalls, and Mr. Johnson, of Lynn.

For the County of Middlesex: Colonel Barret, Mr. Stickney, Colonel Perry, Mr. Bryant.

For the County of Hampshire: Captain Goodman, Mr. Cranson, Colonel Field, Major Ely, and Major Bliss.

For the County of Worcester: Mr. Singlelary, Captain Parker, Captain Moore, Mr. Stone, and Colonel Grout.

For the County of Plymouth: Colonel Mitchell, Major Cushing, Major While, and Mr. Partridge.

For the County of Bristol: Colonel Williams, Mr. Hathaway, Captain Tobey, and Mr. Starkweather.

For the County of York: Mr. Hovey, Captain Bragdon, and Major Goodwin.

A Petition of Abijah Moore, of Putney, in the Province of New-York, praying the Court to take under consideration a Roll exhibited with said Petition, of a number of men who marched to Cambridge soon after the 19th day of April last. Read, and referred to the next session. Reconsidered, and committed to the Committee on the Muster-Rolls of the Minute-Men and Militia.

Ordered, That a message be sent to the honourable Board, to desire them to send down the Resolve of Congress for numbering the Inhabitants.

Moses Gill, Esq., brought the same down accordingly.

On the Account of Lydia Webb, for sundries lost by her late husband on the 19lh of April last:

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury, to the Heirs of Jotham Webb, the sum of three Pounds fourteen Shillings and four Pence, in full of said Account.

The Bill, intituled, "An Act to carry into execution a Resolve of the American Congress for ascertaining the number of Inhabitants in the Colony." Read a second time, and committed to Major Hawley, Captain Stone, and Doctor Rice.

The House gave Mr. Speaker leave of absence after to-morrow noon.

Ordered, That a message go to the honourable Board, to know if they have passed on the choice of a Brigadier for the County of Worcester.

Accordingly, Moses Gill, Esq., came down, and informed the House that the honourable Board had concurred the same.

The Committee appointed to bring in a Resolve to encourage the building of Powder-Mills, reported. Read, and accepted.

Whereas, the invention and industry of the inhabitants of this Colony have been excited by the barbarous policy of Britain, and by the encouragement given by the General Court to seek internal resources of warlike stores, and have been so far succeeded that much greater quantities of that capital article, Saltpetre, has, and probably will be made here, than the Powder-Mills now erecting at Stoughton and Andover will be able to manufacture into Gunpowder: And whereas, experience, and the present appa