but on a Resolve being proposed for the purpose of putting a stop to this growing evil, one of the members informed us that he heard several of the Continental Delegates publickly declare, it was agreed in Congress, that no notice should be taken of the sale or use of East-India Teas in the Eastern Colonies. Here, indeed, we hesitated; and it being of great moment that every regulation of the honourable representative body of the Continent should be preserved inviolate, we must request, that you will speedily inform us, whether any, or what agreement has been made by you respecting the sale and use of East-India Teas.

Ordered, That Mr. Fisher, Mr. Stewart, and Mr. Clark, be a Committee to draw up a draft of a publication relative to raising the Battalion in this Colony, recommended by the Continental Congress.

Adjourned to three o'clock, afternoon.

Met according to adjournment.

Mr. Fisher, from the Committee appointed to draw up a draft of a publication, respecting raising a Battalion in this Colony, reported the same, which was read, and after several amendments were made, was agreed to, and ordered to be engrossed, and is in the words following:

Province of New-Jersey, in Congress, February 5, 1776.

Whereas, by a Resolution of the honourable Continental Congress, a third Battalion is recommended immediately to be raised in this Colony, for the service, and at the expense of the United Colonies, consisting of eight Companies, and each Company of seventy-eight Privates, and officered with one Captain, two Lieutenants, one Ensign, four Sergeants, and four Corporals; which recommendation, this Congress, being desirous fully to comply with, do, therefore, Resolve, That Officers of the said Battalion be immediately recommended for commissions, and that the Captains and Subalterns be appointed, and warrants issued for the inlisting the aforesaid complement of men.

Resolved, That agreeable to the recommendation of the said honourable Continenal Congress, the. Recruiting Officer inlist none but healthy, sound, and able-bodied freemen, not under sixteen years of age. The Form of the Inlistment to be in the following words:

"I, ..... have this day inlisted myself as a Soldier in the American Continental Army for one year, unless sooner discharged, and do bind myself to conform in all instances to such rules and regulations as are or shall be established for the government of the said Army."

Resolved, That no apprentice whatsoever be inlisted within this Colony, without the consent of his master or mistress first obtained in writing: And that every person under the age of twenty-one years, inlisting himself as aforesaid, may within twenty-four hours after their parents or guardians shall have notice of such inlistment, obtain his discharge, by refunding the money received from, the Recruiting Officer, and returning such necessaries as may have been supplied him by the officer, or the value thereof in money.

That as to the pay and subsistence of said Officers and Soldiers, the same is fixed and ascertained by the said Continental Congress.

That it be recommended to the Officers of said Battalion, to pay the strictest attention to the behaviour of the troops, in Quarters, or on their march, that they give no reasonable cause of complaint.

And it is further Directed, That where any Company shall be inlisted, the Captains having warrants for raising the same, shall cause a Muster to be had thereof in the presence of Azariah Dunham, John Mehelm, Joseph Ellis, or Edmond Thomas, Esqs., who are hereby appointed Mustermasters to review the said Companies, and administer an oath to such Captains, in the words following, which the said Captains, respectively, are required to take, viz:

" I, A. B., do solemnly swear, that all the men whose names are entered in the Muster-Roll by me produced, are truly and bona fide inlisted, and so far as I know or believe, intend going in the service of the United Colonies in the Third Battalion raised, or raising in this Colony. So help me God,"

And if upon such Review, the Mustermaster, who shall attend for that purpose, shall obtain the above said oath, or (if of the people called Quakers,) an affirmation to the same effect; and, also, find the said complete, agreeable to the above directions, shall, thereupon, certify the same on the back of the Muster-Roll of such Company to this Congress, or in their recess to the Committee of Safety, in order that commissions may be made out to the Officers of such Company; which commissions the Committee of Safety of this Colony, during the recess of this Congress, upon receiving certificates as above, are required to make out and deliver. And it is hereby recommended to the inhabitants of this Colony to be aiding and assisting, as far as their influence extends, in raising the aforesaid levies.

By order of the Congress:

On motion made, Resolved unanimously, That the following gentlemen be recommended by this Congress to the honourable the Continental Congress as proper persons far Field-Officers of the Third Battalion to be raised in this Colony, to wit: Elias Dayton, Colonel; Anthony Walton White, Lieutenant-Colonel; and Francis Barber, Major.

Ordered, That the President do sign an attested copy of this Resolution, and transmit the same to the Continental Congress.

A Petition from sundry Inhabitants of the County of Middlesex, praying that Money at interest may be taxed, was read, and ordered a second reading.

Ordered, That William Steele, confined in the Jail of New-Brunswick, be brought before this Congress, and now heard.

Whereupon he was brought in accordingly.

The offence of which he was accused being read to said Steele, he acknowledged the same; which being duly considered,

Resolved, unanimously, That said Steele be discharged from his present confinement, upon his paying the cost of the present prosecution, as the same shall be taxed by the Committee of the South Ward of New-Brunswick, and give his obligation to the said Committee, in the sum of fifty Pounds, for his future peaceable and good behaviour, and yield up to the Chairman of said Committee all his arms of defence, to remain in custody of said Committee until they shall judge it proper to redeliver them.

Ordered, That Mr. Demarest do attend the Papers, Books, and Records, removed from the Secretary's Office, at Perth-Amboy, and deliver the same to Charles Pettit, Esquire, on Thursday next, at Burlington; on delivery whereof, he is hereby required to take Mr. Pettit's receipt, agreeable to an order of this Congress.

John Dennis, Esquire, laid before this Congress," an appraisement of the Blankets in the Barracks in New-Brunswick, by John Schuurman and William Applegate, which is in the words following:

New-Brunswick, February 6, 1776.

In pursuance to order of the Provincial Congress, directed to us, the subscribers, for appraising all the Blankets in the Barracks at New-Brunswick, we find as follows:

JOHN SCHUURMAN;

WILLIAM APPLEGATE.

To John Dennis, Esq.

Congress adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine o'clock.

Wednesday, February 7, 1776.

Congress met.

A Petition from sundry Inhabitants of Morris County, praying that Money at interest may be taxed, and that all persons taxed may have voices in elections, was read, and ordered a second reading.

A Letter from the Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania to this Congress, was read, and ordered a second reading to-morrow morning.

Nathaniel Scudder and David Furman's Report of the Cargo, &c., of the Sloop Polly-and-Ann, was laid before the Congress, and read, and ordered to be filed.