for joining or assisting the enemies of this Continent; and of such as have fled from this Colony to or with the British Army, Fleet, or elsewhere, together with their respective crimes and evidences, or depositions which may be procured to prove the same, unless such person or persons shall have given ample satisfaction to the publick of their sincere contrition, thorough reformation, and firm attachment to the rights and interests of this and the other United Colonies of America; and it is recommended to the Justices of the Peace in the several Counties, to aid and assist such Committees in taking such depositions as may be procured in the premises.

Resolved, That the whole of the Stores lately imported into Dartmouth, in the Sloop Sally, belonging to this Colony, be stored there under the care of Captain Gamaliel Church and Lemuel Williams, and by them to be kept until removed by the Commissary-General of this Colony, or the order of this Court.

The Committee of both Houses, appointed to examine Caleb Wheaton, Caleb Wheaton, Jun., and Joseph Wheaton, prisoners, taken in the Brigantine bound from Boston to Halifax, and sent to this Court by the Committee of Marble-head, have attended that service. It appearing to your Committee that the first named, Caleb Wheaton, having, while in Boston, been an Associator, and in other instances not friendly to American liberty, are of the opinion that the said Caleb Wheaton give bond to the Treasurer of this Colony for the sum of three hundred Pounds, with sufficient surety for his future good behaviour, or be confined in some Jail within this Colony until he shall find such surety; or if the said Wheaton shall think proper, and shall procure his passage for himself and family to Nova-Scotia, he may have liberty to remove there on his own expense, provided he will give his promise in writing, not to bear arms against the United Colonies. And that the said Caleb Wheaton, Jun., and Joseph Wheaton, upon their giving their written paroles not to bear arms against the United Colonies, nor any way to aid or assist the enemies of said Colonies, and they paying the expense of being brought before this Court, may be discharged.

BENJAMIN CHADBOURN, per order.

In Council: Read, and accepted.

In the House of Representatives: Read, and non-concurred, and ordered to be recommitted, and Colonel Carpenter, with such as the honourable Board shall join, is added to the Committee.

In Council: Read, and concurred, and Caleb Cushing, Esq., is joined.

In the House of Representatives: The House made choice (by ballot) of the following gentlemen, as Adjutants for the respective Regiments of Militia hereafter mentioned viz:

Brinsley Stephens, for the Fourth Regiment, in the County of Essex.

Gershom Flag, for the Second Regiment, in the County of Worcester.

Joseph Haskell, Jun., for the Fourth Regiment, in the County of Plymouth.

John Farrar, for the Sixth Regiment, in the County of Worcester.

Eliel Todd, for the Second Regiment, in the County of Berkshire.

Levi Pease, for the Third Regiment, in the County of Hampshire.

John Porter, for the Sixth Regiment, in the County of Middlesex.

John Gleason, for the Fifth Regiment, in the County of Middlesex.

Phinehas Newhall, for the First Regiment, in the County of Worcester.

Frederick Drown, for the First Regiment, in the County of Bristol.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

Ordered, That the Secretary be directed to procure the printing of a sufficient number of the Resolves empowering the Committees of the several Towns in this Colony to lease out the Estates of the enemies of the United Colonies, and deliver the same when printed to the Sheriff of the County of Suffolk, that each Town in the Colony may be furnished with a copy thereof.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to Eleazer Priest, the sum of one Pound nineteen Shillings, in full for losses sustained at the battle at Chelsea, in May last.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to the Heirs of John Gibson, the sum of six Pounds nine Shillings, in full for losses sustained at the battle of Bunker’s Hill.

Ordered, That the Petition of a number of the Commissioned Officers of the Twenty-Seventh Regiment of Foot, be committed to Mr. Wheeler, Colonel Orne, and Mr. Singletary, with Thomas Cushing and Moses Gill, Esquires.

Whereas this Colony have raised and stationed a number of men on the Sea-Coast for their protection and defence, who are under the pay of this Colony, and some of them have taken sundry vessels; and no resolve has as yet been passed to determine what share such men shall have in any prizes that are or may be taken:

Therefore Resolved, That the Sea-Coast Men, stationed in any part of this Colony, shall be entitled to one-third part of the nett proceeds (after charges of condemnation and other expenses are paid) of all Vessels and Cargoes that have been, or shall hereafter be taken by them, and legally condemned by the Court established to try the justice of all such captures, which shall be divided among them, in proportion to the pay of the Officers and Soldiers employed in such port or place, and the remainder shall be to the use of the Colony.

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

Wednesday, April 24, 1776.

Present in Council: Honourable James Otis, William Sever, Benjamin Greenleaf, Walter Spooner, Caleb Cushing, John Winthrop, Thomas Cushing, Benjamin Chadbourn, Joseph Gerrish, John Whetcomb, Jedediah Foster, James Prescott, Eldad Taylor; Michael Farley, Samuel Holten, Jabez Fisher, Moses Gill, and Benjamin White, Esquires.

As it is the wisdom of every community to encourage the growth and manufacture of those commodities which tend to the publick good, especially such articles as are necessary for defence in time of war; and as the furnishing a Navy is of the last importance, both to the present and future security of these United Colonies, and as this cannot be done without large quantities of the necessary article of Hemp, which may be produced to great advantage among us; and whereas the honourable Continental Congress have recommended that encouragement be given for the culture and growth of Hemp; therefore, for the encouragement of those who will undertake to cultivate so important a commodity at this time,

It is Resolved, That there shall be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, for every pound of good merchantable Hemp, water-rotted and well dressed, which shall be of the growth of this Colony, after the date hereof, a bounty of two Pence upon the pound, to continue for the space of three years from the date hereof; the quantity and quality of the Hemp to be certified to the Treasury of this Colony, under the hand of the major part of the Selectmen of the Town in which it was raised, who shall be empowered to administer an oath to the person producing the commodity, in the form following, viz:

“You, A B, of. . . . ., do swear that the. . . . . pounds of Hemp by you now offered for a survey, was produced and raised by you within this Colony, since April, 1776, and that neither you nor any other person in your behalf, hath hereto had a survey and obtained a certificate for the same, or any part thereof: so help you God.”

Which oath shall be reduced to writing before it is administered, the quantity of Hemp being expressed in words, and not in figures, and the person taking the same shall subscribe his name thereto; after which, the surveyor shall endorse and subscribe his Certificate, in the form following, viz:

“. . . . ss. The. . . . day of. . . . A.D. . . . . surveyed the quantity of Hemp within-mentioned, and found it to be good and merchantable, and entitled to a premium agreeable to a resolve of the General Court.”

It is earnestly recommended to all those whose situation will admit of it, by every method in their power, to promote the raising of Flax, the doing of which will be considered