Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to Captain Abel Kimball, the sum of eight Pounds seventeen Shillings, for the use of his Company, in full for their services for taking care of a Brigantine brought into Gloucester.

A Bill entitled “An Act for regulating the Fees of this Colony in future,” passed the House of Representatives to be engrossed:

In Council: Read a second time, and passed a concurrence to be engrossed.

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

Friday, April 26, 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, Benjamin White, Esquires.

In the House of Representatives: The House made choice of Abraham Andrews, First Lieutenant of Captain Brown’s Company, in Colonel Whitney’s Regiment, in the room of Elijah Danforth; and Silas Porter as Second Lieutenant of the same Company, in the room of Thomas Richardson.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

In the House of Representatives: Ordered, That . . . . . . . . . . be a Committee, with such as the honourable Board may join, to consider the proceedings of the Committee of the Towns of Duxbury, Marshfield, Scituate, and Hanover.

In Council: Read, and concurred, and Caleb Cushing, Eldad Taylor, and James Prescott, Esquires, are joined.

On the Petition of the Committee of Safety of Cape-Elizabeth,

Resolved, That the Commissary-General be, and he is hereby directed to procure for the defence of that town, two Crow-Bars, fifteen Shovels or Spades, six Pick-Axes, two hundred pounds of Lead or Ball, two hundred Flints, and six Narrow-Axes.

Whereas, a Resolve passed this Court, dated the 17th of April, current, directing the Selectmen, Committee of Safety, &c., of the Town of Truro, to deliver to James Holmes, late master of the Ship Friendship, stranded on Cape-Cod shore in February last, the remainder of his private property that was then in the hands of said Selectmen and Committee; by virtue of which resolve (as this Court is informed) said Holmes has made demand of the greatest part of the cargo found on board said ship;

Therefore Resolved, That, by the words “the remainder of his private property that is yet in the hands of the Selectmen and Committee of Safety,” mentioned in said resolve, shall, and ought to be, understood, the remainder of his clothing, cabin furniture, sea-books, cash, and private papers, which were then actually in the hands of said Selectmen and Committee; said Holmes making it appear that the cash was actually his private property; and said resolve shall not be construed to extend to any part of the cargo or stores found on board said ship.

Resolved, That there be paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, to Sarah Parker, the sum of fourteen Pounds three Shillings and nine Pence, in full for the losses sustained by her husband, the late Colonel Parker, who was slain in the battle of Charlestown.

A Bill entitled “An Act for executing the Resolve of Congress recommending the disarming the Enemies of the United Colonies,” &c., having passed the House of Representatives to be engrossed:

In Council: Read a second time, and passed a concurrence to be engrossed.

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

Saturday, April 27, 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, Joseph Palmer, Samuel Holten, Jabez Fisher, Thomas Cushing, Benjamin White, Esquires.

Resolved, That the Commissary-General of this Colony be, and he hereby is, directed to procure, for the use of the Forces stationed at Falmouth, in the County of Cumberland, four Crow-bars, one hundred Shovels or Spades, fifty Narrow-Axes, and fifty Pick-Axes; and the said Commissary is directed to deposite the same with the Selectmen of the Town of Falmouth, for the use of the Militia there, when there shall be no further use for them by the Forces aforesaid; said Selectmen to be accountable for the same, and to consider them as a part of those articles which they are, by the law for regulating the Militia of this Colony, obliged to provide.

Petition of Eleazer French, setting forth the great necessity he is driven to by the unhappy misfortune of having his right arm shot off by a cannon-ball in the engagement on Bunker’s Hill the 17th of June last; also lost at the same time his Gun, appraised at eight Dollars, and Cartridge-box, Bayonet, three and one-fourth pounds of Powder, one and a half pound of Ball, and one Blanket, all his own property, which last articles were appraised at one Pound eight Shillings and two Pence—the whole amount three Pounds fifteen Shillings and two Pence; all which your humble Petitioner prays may be made up to him to relieve his present necessities; also humbly prays the honourable Court would consider how unable the Petitioner is to subsist on his own earnings, with only his left hand, and prays there may be some provision made to relieve him in future from want and penury.

Resolved, That there be allowed and paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, the sum of three Pounds thirteen Shillings and four Pence, in full discharge of said French’s loss.

And whereas the said French lost his right Arm by a Cannon-ball, as mentioned in the above Petition:

It is Resolved, That there be allowed and paid him the sum of four Pounds annually during the pleasure of this Court, and the same to commence on the 1st day of April next.

In Council: Read, and concurred.

A Bill entitled “An Act directing how the Writs and Precepts shall be issued for convening a Great and General Court, or Assembly, for the ensuing year,” having passed the House of Representatives:

In Council: Read a second time, and passed to be engrossed.

Resolved, That one-third part of the Moneys (after the charges of condemnation are paid) arising from the captures that may be made by any of the Armed Vessels fitted out on account of this Colony, and shall be finally condemned by any Court of Justice erected for the trial and condemnation of such captures, shall be distributed among the Officers and Seamen and Marines in the manner following, viz:

To a Captain, 6 shares and all the cabin furniture; to the First Lieutenant, 5 shares; to the Second Lieutenant, 4 shares; to the Master, 3 shares; to the Mate, 1½ share; to the Boatswain, 1½ share; to the Boatswain’s Mate, l¼ share; to the Steward, 2 shares; to the Gunner, 1½ share; to the Gunner’s Mate, 1¼ share; to the Carpenter, 2 shares; to the Carpenter’s Mate, 1½ share; to the Surgeon, 3 shares; to the Master-at-Arms, 1¼ share; to the Pilot, 2 shares; to the Cook, 1½ share; to the Drummer, 1¼ share; to the Boys, ½ share; to the Seamen and Marines, 1 share.

On the Petition of William Gardner, Esquire,

Resolved, That the Committee of Correspondence, Inspection and Safety, for the Plantation called Gardnerstown, be, and they hereby are, directed to allow the said William Gardner to improve (till the further order of this Court) a tract of Land, and the Buildings thereon, lying in said Gardnerstown, that he has lately improved; provided the said Gardner has not, in the judgment of said Committee, acted an unfriendly part towards his country.

The Secretary, by order of the major part of the Council, went down with the following Message to the honourable House, viz:

“Gentlemen of the House of Representatives:

“We earnestly recommend to your consideration, the propriety and even necessity of raising a number of men, perhaps one Regiment, sufficient to fortify, and effectually secure the Town of Hull, Pettick’s Island, and Long-Island, by which the Towns of Hingham, Weymouth, Braintree, Milton, and Dorchester, with the adjoining Towns, will be secured, and the enemy obliged to leave the Road of Nantasket, and all the internal part of the Harbour of Boston. This will so far open the trade to the Town of Boston as to