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And It is further Resolved, That the Receiver-General aforesaid is hereby directed to pay unto the Soldiers engaged in the service of this Colony, the several sums that have been stopped out of their wages for Fire-Arms, on their producing certificates from the persons from whom they received the said Fire-Arms, that they have returned the same, and that they have satisfied the owners of such Arms for the use thereof. In the House of Representatives: Ordered, That . . . . . . . . . , be a Committee, with such as the honourable Board may join, to procure the Resolves of the Continental and Provincial Congresses printed. In Council: Read, and concurred, and Benjamin White, Esquire, is joined. Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to James Prescott, Esquire, the sum of four Pounds eighteen Shillings and eight Pence, in full for the loss sustained by his son Benjamin being killed in the battle of Bunker’s Hill. Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to James Prescott, Esquire, the sum of five Pounds, for the use of David Kemp, in full of his losses in the battle of Bunker’s Hill. Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to Elisha Frizell, the sum of three Pounds, in full for a Gun and Bayonet broken in the battle of Banker’s Hill. Adjourned to nine o‘clock, to-morrow morning. Saturday, March 23, 1776. Present in Council: Honourable William Sever, Walter Spooner, John Winthrop, Thomas Cushing, Joseph Gerrish, Jedediah Foster, James Prescott, Eldad Taylor, Charles Chauncy, Benjamin Lincoln, Michael Farley, Joseph Palmer, Samuel Holten, Jabez Fisher, Moses Gill, John Taylor, and Benjamin White, Esquires. The Committee of both Houses, appointed the 20th instant, to consider what is proper to be done with respect to appointing some person to preach a sermon on the ensuing general election, have attended that service, and beg leave to report, as their opinion, that the ancient method of appointing a Preacher on the day of election, which was by the Council and House of Representatives alternately, be still continued; and that as the House of Representatives made choice of the Preacher in the year 1774, and no choice hath been made since that time, either by the Council or House of Representatives, the choice for the present year lies with the Council. JOHN WINTHROP, per order. Read, and accepted, and thereupon Resolved, That the choice of a person to preach the Election Sermon for the present year lies with the Council. Petition of the Justices of the Court of General Sessions of the Peace, and the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Bristol, setting forth: That the said Justices, on the second Tuesday of March current, in obedience to a law of this Colony, repaired to Taunton, in the said County of Bristol, in order to open the aforesaid Court of General Sessions of the Peace and Court of Common Pleas, and enter upon, do, and complete the business assigned them to do at said Courts; that upon the approach of the said Justices, with the other officers of said Courts toward the door of the Court-House there, a number of persons, to the amount of fifty at least, (many of whom were armed with clubs and guns, most of whom are known to said Justices,) assembled in a riotous manner, and violently opposed and prevented the entrance of said Justices into said Court-House, and with force and arms assaulted and beat the said Justices, Sheriffs, Šc., and using opprobrious, profane, insulting, and menacing language to the said Justices, outrageously drove them and the other officers of said Courts from said Court-House; whereupon the said Justices were obliged to repair to a house other than that provided by said County, to carry on and open the business of said Courts, to the great inconvenience of all concerned, not being able by their au thority to raise sufficient force to imprison, repel, or disperse said rioters. Wherefore the said Justices entreat your Honours to devise some means for the effectual prevention of such unjustifiable proceedings for the future, that the Justices of the several Courts in this Colony may proceed without fear or dismay to administer impartial justice through the land. Read, and committed to the Committee on the state of the Province. Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to the Heirs of the several Soldiers, killed in the battle of Bunker’s Hill, the sum of forty-two Pounds sixteen Shillings, in full of said losses in the battle. Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to Captain Reuben Dow, the sum of four Pounds seventeen Shillings, in full for the losses he sustained at the battle of Bunker’s Hill. Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to a number of Soldiers in Captain Reuben Dow’s Company, the sum of twenty-seven Pounds one Shilling and five Pence, in full for the losses they sustained in the battle of Bunker’s Hill. Whereas the Court of General Sessions of the Peace, and Inferior Court of Common Pleas, for the County of Barnstable, according to the time appointed by law, should be holden in Barnstable, in the said County, on the first Tuesday of April next: And whereas sundry of the Justices and officers of the said Courts are members of this Court, which is like to continue sitting beyond the time appointed for holding said Courts; and it is probable that matters of great importance may require the attendance of all the members of this Court at that time: Therefore Resolved, That the said Courts be, and hereby are, adjourned to the last Tuesday of June next, being the time at which the Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, for the said County, are by law appointed to be holden at Barnstable afore said; and that all pleas, processes, writs, actions, and suits, issued, or to be issued, complaints, precepts, recognisances, and all other things and matters returnable and having, and that should have had day in the said Courts if the same were holden the said first Tuesday of April next, shall be returnable and have day in the said Courts on the said last Tuesday of June next, and shall abide and continue unto that time, and shall then be proceeded on, heard, and determined, to all intents and purposes as effectually as if the said Court should have been held on the said first Tuesday of April next. The Committee of both Houses, appointed to examine the Commissary’s Accounts, beg leave to report: That they have examined the Account of James Sullivan, Esq., and find the same right cast, well vouched, and conformable to the establishment ordered by this Court for the sea-coast service; that provision, and other necessary articles, have been purchased, and cash advanced for sauce money, Šc., to the amount of eight hundred and thirty-seven pounds seventeen shillings and three pence two farthings; that there remained on hand the 1st of March, seven thousand four hundred and ninety-six pounds of flour, five thousand three hundred and eighty-four pounds pork, ten thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine pounds of beef, (including wastage) and some large quantity of cord wood; also, that a balance of one hundred and sixty-five pounds two shillings and eight pence two farthings, in cash, appears to be due to this Colony, which sum, together with the articles before mentioned, (on hand,) the said James Sullivan, Esq., be further accountable to this Court therefor. CHARLES CHAUNCEY, per order. Read, and accepted. The Secretary, by order of the major part of the Council, went down with the following Message to the House: “Gentlemen of the House of Representatives: “The Secretary will herewith lay before you two letters from the Committee of Newburyport, one dated the 24th of February last, and the other the 13th instant; wherein yon will observe that the order of the Court of the 8th February last, relative to fixing for the sea, and manning with fifty men each, the Sloop Machias Liberty, and the Schooner Diligent, hath not been fully executed; that it is not in the power of said Committee to do it; and that if said vessels are manned it must be from the eastern part of this Colony. Considering the danger that would attend the suffering said vessels to leave the harbour, in which they now are, with so few men as are inlisted to serve on board, (which are a number little more than sufficient to sail them;) the great delay it would cause to attempt the recruiting and marching
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