Hall, Colonel Barret, and Mr. Hobart, for the County of Middlesex; Major Hawley, Major Ely, Colonel Bliss, and Captain Goodman, (A,) for the County of Hampshire; Mr. Cushing, Mr. Turner, and Major White, for the County of Plymouth; Colonel Otis and Colonel Doan, for the County of Barnstahle; Mr. Durfee, Colonel Bowers, Colonel Godfrey, and Colonel Carpenter, for the County of Bristol; Captain Parker, Esquire Caldwell, Deacon Rawon, Mr. Singletary, Mr. Bancroft, and Mr. Wheeler, for the County of Worcester; Deacon Curtis, Doctor Whiting, and Mr. Dickenson, for the County of Berkshire; Captain Bragdon, Deacon Hovey, and Colonel Sayer, for the County of York; Mr. Freeman, Brigadier Thompson, and Mr. Fabyan, for the County of Cumberland; Mr. Rice, Captain Howard, Major Sewall, and Captain Jones, for the County of Lincoln; Colonel Norton, for the County of Dukes-County; and Mr. Stephen Hussey, for the Coun-ty of Nantucket, be a Committee for the purposes above said; and that Esquire Davis give notice to Mr. Hussey of his being appointed for the purpose aforesaid.

The Committee to whom was committed the Report of a Committee of both Houses, relative to the defence of Dartmouth Harbour, reported. Read, and recommitted; and the Committee were directed to make an estimate, &c.

John Taylor, Esquire, brought down the Report of a Committee of both Houses, appointed to inquire after virgin Lead.

The Committee appointed to appraise a number of Fire-Arms, the property of this Colony, in the possession of Colonel Parsons, reported, that they have appraised the same at forty-eight Shillings each, amounting, in the whole, to one hundred and eighty-nine Pounds twelve Shillings, and delivered them to General Washington; that they have received the money for the same, and paid it into the hands of the Treasurer of this Colony, and taken his receipt therefor, which they have Jodged in the Secretary's Office.

Whereas, the Honourable Joseph Frye, Esquire, who has been appointed by this Court to the command of the forces stationed at Falmouth, in the County of Cumberland, is appointed Brigadier-General in the Continental Army, and as it may be necessary, in case of his accepting the said trust, to have some other person appointed to the command at Falmouth, before the next sitting of this Court:

Therefore, Resolved, That the Council be, and hereby are empowered to appoint some person to such command at Falmouth, on their being certified, in the recess of the Court, that the said Joseph Frye, Esquire, has accepted the appointment of the office of Brigadier-General, as aforesaid.

A new draft of a Bill, entitled "An Act for the carrying into execution a Resolve of the American Congress for ascertaining the number of Inhabitants in this Colony." Read a first and second time, and ordered to be read again to-morrow, nine o'clock, A. M.

Ordered, That Mr. Perry procure a transcript of the Resolve of Congress recommending the several Provincial Assemblies to assist the General in procuring Fire-Arms, printed, one for each of the Committees who are appointed to procure them.

Whereas, sundry persons of this Colony have joined our unnatural enemies, who are, in a hostile manner, endeavouring to enslave the United Colonies, and others have absconded, and removed themselves out of this Colony, with intent either to aid the despotick measures of our ene-mies, or to escape the trouble and expense of a manly opposition to our wicked adversaries; and divers of both sorts have left estates, either real or personal, much of which has been already wasted, and more is liable to waste; and as some of said persons have, by various arts, obtained the rents of such deserted estates, and such personal estates, also, or the proceeds thereof:

Therefore, Resolved, That the Selectmen and the Committee, of Correspondence (if any such) of any town in this Colony, where, in their opinion, there is any such real or personal estate as aforesaid, shall, and they hereby are empowered and directed, until the further order of this Court, according to their best discretion and judgment, to take possession of, and so to order and lease such real estate, as that waste may be prevented, as much as possible, for the future; and, also, to take possession of, and so to order and dispose of such personal estate, as that the same may not be embezzled or wasted; and, also, in such manner as that no part of such estates, or of the profits arising therefrom, should get into the hands, or any way benefit such persons, who have (or shall have) joined our enemies, or absconded as aforesaid; any former Order or Resolve of the Congress of this Colony, or of our General Court to the contrary notwithstanding. And such Selectmen and Committees of Correspondence (if any such) shall keep fair and full accounts of all their proceedings and doings in the premises, and shall render such accounts to this Court, when thereunto required, and unto whom they shall be accountable: Provided, always, That nothing in the foregoing Resolve shall be construed to extend to such estates as aforesaid, whether real or personal, as are now held and possessed by any person friendly to this Colony, by virtue of any written conveyance, or agreement, bearing date, and actually executed, on or before the 22d day of May, 1775.

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

Thursday, February 15, 1776.

On the Muster-Roll of Captain Jeremiah Obrien,

Resolved, That there be allowed, and paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to Captain Jeremiah Obrien Officers and Seamen, under his command, or their order, the several sums set against their respective names in the first Muster-Roll, amounting, in the whole, to the sum of seven hundred and sixty-three Pounds six Shillings and a Penny, in full discharge for services on board said vessels to the 1st day of February current.

John Whetcomb, Esquire, brought down the Report of a Committee appointed to consider whether the Field-Pieces which the Commissary-General of this Colony was to procure, should all be three-pounders, or not, with the following Vote of Council thereon, viz:

In Council, February 15, 1776: Read, and accepted.

Read, and concurred, as taken into a new draft, viz:

Resolved, That the Commissary-General of this Colony be, and hereby is directed to procure, for the use of the Colony, twenty Field-Pieces, of three-pounders each, instead of the twenty of several sizes, which, by a former Resolve of this Court, he was directed to procure, any thing in said Resolve to the contrary notwithstanding; and, also, that said Commissary do advise with Colonel Burbeck, the Engineer, respecting said Pieces.

Jedediah Foster, Esq., brought down the Resolve of this House appointing Committees to collect Silver and Gold, with the following Vote of Council thereon, viz:

In Council, February 15, 1776: Read, nnd concurred, with the amendment at A, viz: At A add "Colonel Field."

Read, and concurred.

Ordered, That Mr. Perry get the Resolve of this Court for collecting hard Money printed; and, also, the Resolve of Congress in that respect. The number printed to be one hundred.

Ordered, That the Committee, who prepared the Bill for numbering the people, be a Committee to prepare a blank form of a List for each Committee-man appointed to this service, and report to the House; and that Colonel Orne be on said Committee, in the room of Captain Stone, absent.

The new draft of a Bill, entitled, "An Act for the carrying into execution a Resolve of the American Congress for ascertaining the number of Inhabitants in this Colony," read a third time, and passed, to be engrossed.

It was Moved, That a Committee be appointed to bring in a Resolve for empowering the Council to appoint Militia Officers in the recess of the Court, in the room of any already appointed, who may refuse to accept; and the question being put, it passed in the negative.

Resolved, That there be stationed at Quoshnet Harbour, in Dartmouth, seventy-five Men, including Officers, to consist of one Captain and two Lieutenants, and that a proper proportion of said men as shall be judged necessary by the commanding officer, be of the train, and that ten pieces of Iron Ordnance be purchased for that purpose, to consist of four nine-pounders, and six six-pounders, with a