amounting to ten Pounds seventeen Shillings and four Pence, be allowed and paid out of the Treasury, and that the President of the Council give his warrant on the Treasurer for payment thereof.

Voted, That Noah Emery, Esq., Captain Stephen Harriman, and Captain Prentice, be a Committee of this House, to join a Committee of the honourable Council, to prepare and bring in a Bill for establishing the Fees of the several Officers in this Colony.

Voted, That Samuel Cutts, Israel Morey, and John Bellows, Esqs., be a Committee of this House, to join a Committee of the honourable Council, to consult about Fire-Arms, and to prepare a Letter in answer to a Letter from his Excellency General Washington, respecting the same.

Adjourned to to-morrow morning, nine o’clock.

Wednesday, January 17, 1776.

Met according to adjournment.

The Petition of a number of the Freeholders of the Parish of Brentwood being read,

Voted, That the Petitioners be heard thereon to-morrow, if they see cause.

Upon reading an ignominious, scurrilous, and scandalous piece printed in the New-Hampshire Gazette and Historical Chronicle, (No. 1001,) of Tuesday, January 9, 1776, directed or addressed to the Congress at Exeter,

Voted, That Daniel Fowle, Esq., the supposed printer of said Paper, be forthwith sent for and ordered to appear before this House, and give an account of the author of said piece; and further to answer for his printing said piece, so much derogatory to the honour of this Assembly, as well as of the honourable Continental Congress, and injurious to the cause of liberty now contending for.

Voted, That the Hon. John Wentworth, Esq., of Somersworth, be one of the Counsellors for the County of Strafford, in the room of Thomas Westbrook Waldron, Esq., who was chosen, but did not accept.

Voted, That the Billeting-Roll of Captain Moses Leavitt, amounting to eighty-seven Pounds twelve Shillings and nine Pence, be allowed and paid out of the Treasury, and that the President of the Council give his warrant on the Treasurer, or Paymaster, for the payment thereof.

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

Thursday, January 18, 1776.

Met according to adjournment.

Voted, That Colonel Baker, Colonel Walker, and Colonel Morey, be a Committee of this House, to join a Committee of the honourable Council, to wait on John Langdon, Esq., at Hampton-Falls, or wherever they may meet him, and desire him to repair to this House as soon as he conveniently can.

A Letter prepared by the Committee of both Houses, in answer to one received from General Washington, respecting Fire-Arms, &c., being read,

Voted, That the same be transcribed, and sent to his Excellency General Washington as soon as may be.

Voted, That Major Parker, Mr. Gibson, and Captain Wait, be a Committee, to join a Committee of the honourable Council, to take into consideration what method is best to be taken to obtain security for Debts in Civil Cases, and how far the same shall be prosecuted and carried into execution as to the recovery of such Debts.

Upon reading the Petition from Newtown, in behalf of Second Parish:

Voted, That John Dudley, Esq., Captain Prentice, Mr. Balch, Mr. Baldwin, Captain Wait, James Betton, Esq., and Major Bellows, be a Committee to examine into the matters of the complaint, and make report thereon as soon as may be.

The said Committee made the following Report thereon, viz:-

Upon considering the prayer of the within Petition, and hearing the evidences on both sides, find that the within named Joseph Bartlett, Esq., was not legally chosen by the Town of Newtown to represent them in Congress on May 17th, 1775.

The Petitions from the Towns of Portsmouth, Dover, Newington, Rochester, Stratham, Northampton, Rye, New-Market, Kensington, Greenland, and a part of Brentwood, against taking up Government in the new form established by this House, being read and considered, (by both Houses being come together in the Town-House,) and folly argued by Mr. John Pickering, Counsel for the Petitioners:

The House adjourned till to-morrow, nine o’clock, A. M.

Friday, January 19, 1776.

The House met according to adjournment.

Voted, To choose a Committee of five persons to consult with some of the members of the Committee of Safety of Portsmouth, and report to this House what they think best to be done respecting removing the People from Gosport; and that Dr. Levi Dearborn, Captain Wait, Colonel Evans, John McClary, Esq., and Captain Moulton, be the said Committee.

Voted, That Colonel Morey, Colonel David Gilman, and Colonel Evans, be a Committee of this House, to confer with a Committee of the honourable Council, about laying our plan of Government before the honourable the Continental Congress, and taking their advice thereon, and to make report to the House as soon as may be.

The Committee appointed to consult about removing the People from Gosport, made report to the House as follows, viz:

The Committee appointed for the above-said business, beg leave to report: That it is our opinion that the inhabitants of Gosport, on the Isle-of-Shoals, remain there until further orders from this House; and that they be allowed to purchase any necessaries of life, sufficient for their own families, at Rye Harbour, or Little Boar’s Head, in Northampton, on making pay for the same in cash, or good fish. Provision to be made by some two persons near said harbours for the above purpose, or by a Committee for that purpose, in behalf of the Colony; and that the said inhabitants be forbid going to, or trading in, any other harbour or harbours.

Which Report being read and considered,

Voted, That the Inhabitants of Gosport remain on that Island till further orders from this House.

Voted, That Captain Moses Barnett, of Londonderry, be, and hereby is, empowered to take and certify Depositions for Adam Stuart, and against him, concerning the complaint and information of the Committee of Safety of Londonderry.

The honourable Board sent down the following Vote of Council, viz:

“Colony of New-Hampshire, in Council, January 19, 1776.

“Upon reading the Letters from his Excellency General Washington and General Sullivan, requesting Recruits from the Continental Army, the Board are of opinion that the requisition ought speedily to be attended to, and would therefore recommend a vote to be passed for the raising one regiment out of our Militia now in the service; and that a Committee of the honourable House be appointed to join with a Committee of the Board, and fully authorized to carry the same into execution.

“Voted, That the foregoing be sent to the honourable House.

General Washington’s Letter is as follows:

“Cambridge, January 16, 1776.

“SIR: The alarming and almost defenceless state of our lines, occasioned by the slow progress in raising recruits for the new Army, and the departure of a great number of the Militia, which had been called in for their support till the 15th instant, rendered it necessary for me to summon the General Officers in Council, to determine on proper means to be adopted for their preservation. For this purpose, they met at Head-Quarters yesterday and to-day, and finding that it was with the utmost difficulty and persuasion that such of the latter as are now here have been prevailed upon to continue till the last of the month, (after which there is not the remotest probability of their staying a moment,) they have judged it expedient, and absolutely necessary, that thirteen regiments should be forthwith, raised, equal to those of the new establishment, to fee officered according to the usual mode of their respective Governments, which are to