that the Students of the College should return as soon as possible to their proper seat,—for these and other reasons, we think it proper to apply ourselves to this honourable Court, rather than more directly to the honourable Congress of the United Colonies, that the College Buildings may be repaired, the Students there reinstated, and this Literary Society compensated for the great losses it has sustained. We therefore beg leave to commend the aforesaid circumstances of the College under our care to the consideration of your Honours, that all necessary provision may be made for restoring and reimbursing this Society, as in your wisdom shall seem best, and that you would order accordingly.

Resolved, That Mr. Watson, Colonel Thatcher, and Major Fuller, be a Committee to estimate the damages sustained by Harvard College for the accommodation of the Continental Army, and by means of the British Forces; and that said Committee be empowered to make such repairs immediately as may be necessary for the comfortable accommodation of the members of said College, and report to this Court; and that said members have leave to take possession of these Buildings, and the Appurtenances thereunto belonging, as soon as those repairs are made.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to the Selectmen of Grafton, the sum of twenty-one Pounds fifteen Shillings and four and a half Pence, in full of their Account for Provisions supplied the Army in April last.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to the Selectmen of Bradford, the sum of thirty-four Pounds six Shillings and eight Pence, in full of their Account for Provisions supplied the Army.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to the Selectmen of Fitchburgh, the sum of fourteen Pounds eleven Shillings and two Pence, in full discharge of their Account for Provisions supplied the Army.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to the Selectmen of Holliston, the sum of fifty-eight Pounds nine Shillings, in full of their Account for boarding men at Roxbury and Cambridge, in the service of this Colony.

The Committee of both Houses, appointed to examine Caleb Wheaton, Caleb Wheaton, Jun., and Joseph Wheaton, Prisoners taken in the Brig bound from Boston to Halifax, and sent to this Court by the Committee of Marblehead, have attended that service, and report: That it appearing to your Committee that the said Caleb Wheaton having, while in Boston, been an Associator, and in other instances unfriendly to American liberty, are of opinion that the said Caleb Wheaton, Caleb Wheaton, Jun., and Joseph Wheaton, jointly and severally, give bond to the Treasurer of this Colony in the penal sum of five hundred Pounds, the condition whereof to be that they and every one of them will be of good behaviour, and will not correspond with any of the enemies of America, or take up arms against the United American Colonies; and that they subscribe and make solemn oath before a Justice of the Peace within this Colony that they will faithfully observe and fulfil the conditions before-mentioned; and that they pay such cost and charge as hath arisen by their being brought before the General Court; and in default of their complying with the foregoing, that they be committed to close confinement until the further order of the General Court.

CALEB CUSHING, per order.

Read, and accepted.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to Abner Rawson, the sum of twenty-one Pounds sixteen Shillings and one Penny, for the use of the Committee of Supplies of the Town of Uxbridge, in full of their Account of Provisions supplied the Army.

Resolved, That the Officers of Militia who were called in last February to join the Continental Army at Dorchester and Roxbury, for a few days, be directed to make up their Muster-Rolls in the same manner as the Militia who have been called in at other times.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to the Selectmen of Methuen, the sum of sixteen Pounds two Shillings and four Pence, in full of their Account of Provisions supplied the Army.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to Samuel Moody, the sum of fifteen Pounds ten Shillings, for the use of the Selectmen of the Town of Newbury, in full of their Account for Provisions, Carting, &c., for the Army.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to Phineas Smith and others, the sum of twelve Pounds eighteen Shillings and eight Pence, in full of their Account for guarding Cannon at Lexington, and transporting them to Cambridge.

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

Thursday, April 25, 1776.

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

Resolved, That the Committee for fortifying the Town and Harbour of Boston be, and they hereby are, directed and empowered to draw on the Commissary-General of this Colony for necessary Intrenching Tools for one hundred men, or as many of them as by order of this Colony they shall employ for the purpose aforesaid, and also Provisions for said men, which the Commissary-General is directed to supply accordingly.

Whereas a certain John Hill, lately taken prisoner by Commodore Manly in a vessel bound from Boston to Halifax, and brought into Portsmouth, was examined before the Council, and no evidence then appearing against him, he was discharged and set at liberty: And whereas it hath since been made to appear to this Court that the said Hill, at the time he was taken as aforesaid, had in his possession Chests, Trunks, and Packages of Goods and Merchandise, to the value of three hundred Pounds sterling, supposed to have been stolen from the distressed inhabitants of the Town of Boston, and was an assistant to Crean Brush in his late unwarrantable and high-handed thefts and robberies:

Therefore Resolved, That the said Hill be immediately apprehended wherever to be found, and brought before this Court for examination touching the premises; and all Sheriffs, Constables, and other Executive Officers, and all the good People of this Colony, are hereby directed and empowered to apprehend the said Hill wherever he may be found, and bring him forthwith before this Court, in order that he may be dealt with for his aforesaid high-handed crimes, as to law and justice appertains.

In Council: Ordered, That Benjamin Chadbourn and Benjamin White, Esquires, be a Committee, with Colonel Hallet, Mr. Bryant, and Mr. Lincoln, to take into consideration the Report of Joseph Pearse Palmer, Major Demick, and Colonel Cobb, a Committee appointed by this Court relative to a Sloop lately cast ashore at Province-town, on Cape-Cod, with their Accounts, and report what is proper to be done thereon.

The Committee upon the foregoing Order have attended that service, and report: That it is their opinion that the proceedings of Joseph Pearse Palmer, Esq., and Major Demick, as set forth in their Report, be accepted; and that they be paid out of the publick Treasury the amount of their Accounts, viz: To the said Joseph Pearse Palmer, Esq., eight Pounds sixteen Shillings and seven Pence, and to the said Joseph Demick the sum of one Pound nineteen Shillings, in full of their Accounts.

BENJAMIN CHADBOURN, per order.

Read, and accepted.

Resolved, That it be, and hereby is, recommended to the Selectmen of the several Towns in this Colony, where any of the poor of the Towns of Boston and Charlestown are resident and supported at the publick expense, and are now desirous of removing with their effects into said towns, that on their producing a certificate from the majority of the Selectmen of the towns they respectively belong to, of there being a prospect they will be able to support themselves and families, that they be assisted with teams, or proper conveyances, with necessary provisions, for such removal, and exhibit their accounts to this Court for the same; and they shall be paid at the same rates as have been ordered by this Court for removing said poor into the country.