rent designs of Administration, strongly dictate the necessity of guarding against the want of that important article, which we presume may be done by encouraging individuals to erect Powder-Mills:

Therefore, Resolved, That a bounty, or premium, of fifty Pounds, shall be paid out of the Treasury of this Colony, to the person, or persons, who shall, at his or their own expense, erect the first Powder-Mil! in this Colony, other than the aforementioned, capable of manufacturing at least fifty pounds weight of Powder per day, and shall make and manufacture therein ten hundred pounds weight of good and merchantable Gunpowder, to be judged and approved of by a Committee to be appointed by tills Court. Also, that a bounty, or premium, of thirty Pounds, shall be paid out of the Treasury of this Colony, to the person, or persons, who shall, in like manner, erect a second Powder-Mill, (other than those mentioned in the Preamble,) and make and manufacture therein ten hundred pounds weight of good, merchantable Gunpowder, to be judged of and approved as aforesaid: Provided, always, That the said Mills shall be erected, and the Powder manufactured therein within six months from the 15th day of February, current; and that the said Mills shall be erected within such Towns or Plantations as the General Court of this Colony shall license, or, in the recess of the same, as shall be licensed by the Council, and in such part or parts of such licensed town, as shall be approved by the major part of the Selectmen thereof.

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

Wednesday, February 14, 1776.

Resolved, That Richard Devans, Esq., Commissary-General of this Colony, be, and hereby is added to the Committee to examine, receive, purchase, and pay for Saltpetre.

An engrossed Bill, for encouraging the fixing out of Armed Vessels to defend the Sea-Coasts of America, and for erecting a Court to try and condemn all Vessels that shall be found infesting the same.

Read, and Resolved, That it pass to be enacted.

On one of the Petitions of Colonel Cargill, read February 9th:

Resolved, That he be allowed to detain the Schooner therein mentioned till further orders of this Court, and be accountable for her earnings when required.

A Petition of a number of Inhabitants of the Eastern part of the County of Lincoln, earnestly praying the Court to consider the situation of that part of the Colony, and to grant them some protection. Read, and committed (together with the last part of the Report of the Committee of both Houses on the conduct of Colonel Cargill) to Mr. Davis, Colonel Thompson, and Colonel Thurston.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to the Committee of this Court appointed to procure Wood for the Continental Army, the sum of one thousand Pounds, to enable them to perform that service, they to be accountable to this Court for the same.

Resolved, That there be allowed and paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to Thomas Crafts, Esq., Captain Edward Procter, and Messrs. Daniel Sigourney and Winthrop Gray, (or any two of them,) a Committee of this Court to receive the Inhabitants of Boston at Chelsea, and prevent the spreading of them Sail-Pox, the sum of three hundred Pounds, further to enable them to defray the expense which has arisen, or may arise by supporting said inhabitants, until they can be removed to other towns with safety to the country, they to be accountable to this Court for the same.

Ordered, That a message go to the honourable Board, to know if they have passed upon the Resolve of the House for appointing a Truckmaster at Machias.

John Taylor, Esq., came down, and informed the House that the honourable Board had concurred the same.

Ordered, That a message go to the honourable Board, to inform them that the House propose, at twelve o'clock, this day, to come to the choice of a Truckmaster, to reside at Machias, by joint ballot with the Board.

Walter Spooner, Esquire, came down and informed the House that the honourable Board agreed to come to the choice of a Truckmaster, to reside at Machias, agreeable to the proposal of the House.

Ordered, That a message go to the honourable Board, to inform them that this House is ready lo proceed to the choice of a Truckmaster for Machias. Then,

Ordered, That Deacon Stickney, Captain Vose, and Colonel Spaulding, be a Committee to count and sort the votes.

Thomas Cushing, Esquire, came down and informed the House that the Board were ready to proceed to the choice of a Truckmaster for Machias.

The Committee, having carried up the voles, reported that Mr. Stephen Smith was unanimously chosen.

The Committee on the Resolve of Congress reported a Resolve for collecting Silver and Gold. Read, and Committees being appointed for that purpose, agreeable thereto, the Report was recommitted to Mr. Story, to be drawn into a Resolve.

Ordered, That Colonel Orne bring in a Form of an Inlistment, to be signed by the Company of Matrasses to be raised for Marblehead.

The House made choice of Field-Officers for the First Regiment of Militia for the County of Essex.

Afternoon.

A Pay-Roll of the Company which marched thirty-six miles from Stockbridge and West-Stockbridge, May 10, 1775, 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 Committee on the Rolls of the Militia and Minute-Men.

Resolved, That Colonel Orne be, and he hereby is appointed to raise, as soon as may be, and muster, a Company of Matrosses, to be stationed in the Town of Marblehead, agreeable to a Resolve of this Court, passed the House of Representatives the 10th instant; and that the following be a Form of Inlistment for the said Company of Matrosses:

"We, the subscribers, do hereby engage and inlist our selves, as Matrosses, in the service of the Massachusetts Colony, for the defence and protection of the Sea-Coasts in said Colony, from the day of our inlistment to the last day of December, 1776, on the establishment for that purpose made, unless the said service shall admit of a discharge of a part, or the whole, sooner, which is to be determined by the General Court of said Colony; and we do hereby oblige ourselves to submit to all the orders and regulations of the Army, and faithfully to observe and obey all such orders as we shall, from time to time, receive from our superior officers."

Ordered, That a message go to the honourable Board, to desire them to send down Captain Obrien's Muster-Roll, if they have not passed upon it.

Jedediah Foster, Esquire, brought it down accordingly, and it was recommitted to Captain Epes, Captain Hathaway, and Captain Partridge.

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

Whereas, the honourable the Continental Congress have desired this Court to make application to the several towns in this Colony, to know what quantity of Silver and Gold can be procured in exchange for the Continental Bills, as that sort of money is greatly wanted, to support that part of the Army gone against Quebeck:

Therefore, Resolved, That the persons hereafter named, in each County of this Colony, be a Committee to make inquiry, what money, in Silver and Gold, can be procured in exchange for Continental Bills; and the same Committee are required to obtain subscription, in their several Counties, of all persons that are willing, in this time of danger and distress, to exchange hard money for said Bills, and that each person set down, against his name, the amount of such sum as he is ready to exchange; and that the said Committee make report of their doings therein on the second day of the next sitting of this Court; and that Mr. Perry, Colonel Lovell, and Colonel Davis, for the County of Suffolk; Colonel Orne, Major Cross, Mr. Hopkins, and Mr. Phillips, for the County of Essex; Mr.