The latter must not, and cannot, be suffered to remain within your walls, to co-operate with those without, in working your destruction.

“I am, sir, with the greatest respect, your most obedient servant,

“CHARLES LEE.

“To Colonel Woodhull, President of the Provincial Congress.”

Mr. Hobart, from the Committee appointed to consider of the intelligence received from Major-General Lee by his Letters above-mentioned, delivered in their Report, which was read; and the same being read a second time, paragraph by paragraph, and amended, was approved of, and unanimously agreed to, in the words following, to wit:

Your Committee beg leave to report the following Resolves:

1st. That a Magazine of Provisions and Military Stores be established in the County of Westchester.

2d. That the Deputies of Westchester County purchase and deposite in different Stores in that County twelve hundred barrels of good salted Pork, wherever it is to be bought, and that the said salted Pork he repacked and pickled by a sworn packer of New-York; and that the Deputies of Albany County purchase eighteen hundred and fifty bushels of good Peas, and send them to the Deputies of Westchester County, to be by them stored in the same manner.

3d. That a Letter be written to the proprietors of the Powder-Mills in this Colony, requesting them to use all possible diligence in manufacturing that article, and to inform the Congress what quantity they have now on hand, what stock of materials they have by them, and what quantity they can supply weekly.

4th. That Circular Letters be written to the several Colonels of the Minute-men and Militia in this Colony, from the County of Albany to the southward, ordering them to hold their respective Regiments in readiness to march with their Arms, Accoutrements, Blankets, and five days’ Provision, on the first notice of an invasion.

5th. That Colonel Lasher and Colonel Heyer, and the Colonels of the different Regiments of Militia in the City and County of New-York, be ordered to examine into the state of their respective Regiments, with respect to the number of Men, Arms, Accoutrements, and Ammunition, and report thereon forthwith.

6th. That a Letter be written to the Commitees of Southampton and Easthampton, in Suffolk County, requesting them to station men at the most convenient places in that County, to give the earliest notice of the arrival of a Fleet upon the coast; and that upon the first appearance of a Fleet, they despatch an express immediately to this Congress, or the Committee of Safety of this Colony, with an account of the number and size of the Ships, and the course they steer.

7th. That the Light-House at Sandy-Hook be dismantled, the Lantern rendered useless, and all the Oil and Lamps taken and carried to some place of safety at a proper distance.

8th. That—( postponed .)

9th. That a Letter be written to the Provincial Congress of New-Jersey, transmitting them a copy of the Extracts of Letters to General Lee, and requesting them to order their Minute-men and Militia to hold themselves is readiness to march on the first notice of an invasion.

Resolved, That the Congress does agree with their Committee in the said Report.

But as some of the Resolves therein reported are very important,

Ordered, That the said Report be reassumed and read to-morrow morning when the House is full; and a charge of secrecy as to the Light-House was given from the Chair.

A draft of a Circular Letter to the several Colonels of the Minute-men and Militia of this Colony, was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New-York, March 4, 1776.

SIR: This accompanies the resolve of Congress, requesting you to hold your regiment in readiness to march at a moment’s warning. We are apprehensive that the Ministerial Army in Boston may attempt to land in this Colony in a short time. Your zeal for the publick cause, we trust, will stimulate you and the officers under your command to use all possible diligence to comply with this resolution. We have only to add, that no time should be lost in executing this order, and that you forthwith return to this Congress, or the Committee of Safety, the present state of your regiment, as to number of men, arms, accoutrements, and ammunition; and that, if the Minute Regiments do not compose one-fourth part of the Militia of your County, you are hereby ordered to cause the Minute Regiments to be completed agreeable to the rules and orders of this Congress of the 20th December last.

We are, sir, with esteem, your very humble servants.

By order:

NATHANIEL WOODHULL, President.

Ordered, That the Secretaries get one hundred copies of the said Letter neatly printed, with a copy of the fourth Resolution, above reported, which was unanimously agreed to, printed at the foot of each Letter, and to have them ready by to-morrow morning at the meeting of this Congress.

A draft of a Letter to the owners of the two Powder-Mills in this Colony, was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New-York, March 4, 1776.

SIR: The Provincial Congress requests that you will immediately inform them what quantity of Gunpowder you have on hand, what stock of materials you are furnished with, and how much powder you can manufacture per week.

I am, sir, your humble servant.

By order.

Ordered, That one copy thereof be engrossed and signed by the President, and directed and sent to Henry Wisher, Jun., Esq., and another copy thereof directed to John R . Livingston, Esq., owners of the Powder-Mills in this Colony.

A draft of a Letter to the Committee of Easthampton and to the Committee of Southampton, was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New-York, March 4, 1776.

SIR: This covers a resolution of Congress directing the Committees of East and Southampton to station suitable persons on the most proper places for observing the approach of a fleet.

From some intelligence we have received there is reason to expect that the British Army are about to leave Boston; and as it is probable that they may attempt to take possession of this Colony, we therefore entreat you to use all possible despatch to carry this resolve into execution.

We are your humble servants.

By order of Congress.

To John Chatfield, Esq., Easthampton; to Thomas Cooper, Esq., Southampton.

Ordered, That two copies thereof be engrossed and signed by the President, and transmitted—one to John Chatfield, Esq., Chairman of the Committee of Easthampton, and the other to Thomas Cooper, Esq., Chairman of the Committee of Southampton —and that a certified copy of the sixth Resolve, reported by the Committee on the news received by General Lee, be enclosed in each of said Letters.

Colonel McDougall informed the Congress that the Colony Artillery Company are much in want of clothing; that Peter T . Curtenius has coarse blue cloth fit for the purpose of making coats for the company; that he is willing to spare the cloth for that purpose, if this Congress gives an order to him for that purpose, that he may charge it in his accounts; and that the price of the said clothing may be retained out of the pay of the men, respectively, who shall receive the same.

Ordered, That Peter T . Curtenius deliver to Captain-Lieutenant James Moore a sufficient quantity of the said Coarse Blue Cloth to make a Coat for each of his men;