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PROVINCIAL CONGRESS OF NEW-JERSEY

A List of the Deputies returned to serve in Congress.

BERGEN: John Demurest, Jacobus Post, Abraham Van Boskirk

ESSEX: Abraham Clark, Lewis Ogden, Samuel Potter, Caleb Camp, Robert Drummond.

MIDDLESEX: John Wetherill, John Dennis, Azariah Dunham.

MORRIS: * William Winds, * William De Hart, Jacob Drake, Silas Condict, Ellis Cook.

SOMERSET: Hendrirk Fisher, * Cornelius Van Muliner, Ruloffe Van Dyke.

SUSSEX: * William Maxwell, Ephraim Martin, * Thomas Potts, Abijah Brown, Mark Thompson.

HUNTEHDON: Samuel Tucker, John Mehelm, John Hart, Charles Stetwart, *Angustine Stevenson.

MONMOUTH: Edward Taylor, John Covenhoven, Joseph Holmes.

BURLINGTON: Isaac Pierson, John Pope, Samuel Howe, *John Wood, Joseph Newbold.

GLOUCESTER: *John Cooper; Joseph Ellis, * Thomas Clark, *Elijah Clark, *Richard Somers.

SALEM: *Grant Gibbon, Benjamin Holme, John Holme, Edward Keasby, John Carey.

CUMBERLAND: Theophilus Elmer, Jonathan Eyers.

CAPE-MAY: * Jesse Hand, Elijah Hughes.

Note. —Those marked with a * did not attend the sitting of Congress, at Brunswick.

Wednesday, January 31, 1776.

The Congress of New-Jersey being summoned to meet this day, at New-Brunswick, a number of the Members met accordingly; but not being a sufficient number to proceed upon business, they adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine o'clock.

Thursday, February 1, 1776.

The Congress met; and the Members of several Counties being absent, adjourned till two o'clock, P.M.

Met according to adjournment.

The Minutes of the last sitting of Congress, and a number of the printed Military Ordinances, being come to hand, Ordered, That the said Minutes and Military Ordinances be distributed in the several Counties, as follows:

An Address and Petition, from the Committee of the County of Somerset, were presented to this Congress, desiring that householders, and others, not freeholders, who pay part of the taxes in this Colony, may be admitted to vote for Delegates in the Provincial Congress at future elections, and that said elections may be proceeded in by ballot; which were read, and ordered a second reading.

Several Petitions from the freeholders and inhabitants of the County of Essex were presented to the Congress, desiring that all persons subject to taxation in this Colony may be admitted to vote, at future elections, for Delegates in the Provincial Congress; and, also, praying that money at interest, and other effects, may bear an equal proportion of the taxes; which were read, and ordered second readings.

Two Petitions were presented to the House from a number of the inhabitants of the County of Moms, praying that in the appointment of officers to fill up the Battalion now to be raised, due attention be had to the abilities and qualifications of the officers, and that none be commissioned under the age of twenty-one years; which were read, and ordered second readings.

Mr. President laid before the Congress a Letter he had received from Jacob Ford, Esquire, a Collector of the County of Morris, setting forth, that a complaint had been made to the Committee of that County against the subscriber, that he had written a letter to one of the Precinct Collectors, requesting him not to receive any Continental or Connecticut money, as the Treasurer had refused taking the same; certifying, in said letter, that the reason of his making such a request to the Precinct Collector was occasioned by John Smith, Esquire, the Eastern Treasurer, refusing such money from the subscriber in payment of the taxes; which letter was read, and ordered a second reading.

Lieutenant-Colonel Winds informed this Congress that he was stationed at Perth- Amboy, with a part of the Eastern Battalion of the Continental Forces raised in this Colony, and that he was destitute of ammunition, and thought it not improbable he might soon have occasion for a supply. And this Congress being informed that the County of Somerset had a quantity of powder in store, and the County of Middlesex a quantity of lead, in consideration whereof,

Ordered, That Mr. President request the Chairman of the Committee of Somerset to furnish Colonel Winds with four quarter-casks of Powder; and that he also request the Chairman of the Committee of the County of Middlesex to furnish Colonel Winds with one hundred and fifty pounds of Lead; and that the said Powder and Lead shall be replaced in some convenient time.

Adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine o'clock.

Friday, February 2, 1776.

Congress met according to adjournment.

John Cary, Esquire, Secretary to this Congress, not having attended this sitting, and it being uncertain when he will attend, and, also, whether he will incline to continue his service, if present, as he accepted his appointment, last sitting, with great reluctance; and as Messrs. Clark and Stewart declined officiating in Mr. Cary's room, as they found such service interfered with the duty of their stations as Delegates of the Congress, and as these reasons equally operated against Mr. Cary's being taken from the more immediate service of the Congress, while his time and attention were taken up in the execution of his office:

Therefore, Resolved, unanimously, That William Patterson, Esq., be appointed Secretary to this Congress.

William Maxfield, Esquire, Colonel of the Western Battalion of this Colony, laid before this Congress certain Resolutions of the Continental Congress, recommending the immediate arming Colonel Maxwell's Battalion, under orders to march to Canada; which were read, and filed.

Whereas, the Continental Congress have ordered Colonel Maxwell's Battalion to march to Canada, as soon as the men can be furnished with Arms, and other articles absolutely essential: And whereas, Arms are extremely scarce, and, indeed, impossible to be procured in time for the equipment of said Battalion, without making application to the several Counties in this Province:

Resolved, That the Committees, or other publick bodies, in whose hands any of the New-Jersey Provincial Arms and Accoutrements are deposited, do deliver the same to the Commanding Officer of said Battalion, or his order, of whom they are required to take vouchers, with the valuation of said Arms, &c., there underwritten; and that this Congress will either immediately pay for said Arms, agreeable to appointment, or replace them as soon as possible, which ever the said Committees, or publick bodies, shall think most proper.

This Congress do, in the most strong and explicit manner, recommend to every private person, who has Arms fit for immediate use, to dispose of the same for the purpose above-mentioned.

Ordered, That copies of the above Resolve be immediately made, and certified by the Secretary.

Ordered, That copies of the following Letter, signed by the President, be sent to the Commanding Officers, and Chairmen of the several County Committees In the Province:

GENTLEMEN: The late repulse at Quebeck requires every exertion of the friends of American freedom; in