The Returning Officer for the Town of Halifax having certified that Mr. John Webb was duly elected a Delegate for the said town until the return of Willie Jones, Esquire, Mr. Webb appeared, subscribed the Test, and took his seat in Congress.

On motion, Resolved, That Mr. Allen Jones, Mr. Cornelius Harriett, Mr. James Coor, Mr. Thomas Person, Mr. Thomas Benbury, Mr. Thomas Respis, Mr. Samuel Jarvis, Mr. Green Hill, Mr. Arthur Council, Mr. Matthew Locke, Mr. Griffith Rutherford, and Mr. John Hinton, be a Committee to inquire into, and make report to this Congress, of the quantity of Ammunition now remaining in the Province.

On Petition of William Alston, setting forth that a certain John Henderson is now about to remove himself out of this Province, to the great prejudice of the Orphans of Solomon Alston, deceased, the same being certified on oath:

Resolved, That such of the Estate of Solomon Alston, late of Granville County, deceased, being the property of his Orphans, now in the possession of John Henderson, or any other persons, be immediately taken into possession for their use; and that the said John Henderson be brought forthwith to this Congress, there to answer any deficiency that may appear, and reimburse the said Orphans; and that James Jones, of Wake County, be appointed to execute this Resolution in any part of the Province, and that he take with him such assistance as he shall think necessary.

Resolved, That General McDonald be admitted to his parole upon the following conditions: That he does not go without the limits of the Town of Halifax; that he does not, directly or indirectly, while a prisoner, correspond with any person or persons who are or may be in opposition to American measures, or by any manner or means convey to them intelligence of any sort; that he take no draft, nor procure them to be taken by any one else, of any place or places in which he may be, while upon his parole, that shall now, or may hereafter give information to our enemies which can be injurious to us, or the common cause of America; but that, without equivocation, mental evasion, or secret reservation, he pay the most exact and faithful attention to the intent and meaning of these conditions, according to the rules and regulations of war; and that he every day appear between the hours of ten and twelve o’clock to the Officer of the Guard.

The Congress adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine o’clock.

Saturday, April 6, 1776.

The Congress met according to adjournment.

Mr. President laid before the Congress Letters from the Delegates of this Province in Congress at Philadelphia, of the 12th of February and 1st of March last, enclosing sundry Resolutions of the Continental Congress, which were read.

Ordered, That the same lie over for consideration till Monday next.

Mr. President laid before the Congress a Letter from Colonel James Moore, of the First Regiment, enclosing a General Field Return of Officers and Soldiers in Camp, and also a Return of the Tories’ Property in his possession.

Ordered, That the same lie for consideration.

On motion, Mr. James Glasgow was appointed Assistant Secretary to this Congress.

Resolved, That Mr. David Love, John Cooper, James Council, John Johnston, William Person, James Coor, Solomon Shepherd, Solomon Perkins, Thomas Benbury, David. Smith, John Thompson, Thomas Gray, Elisha Battle, Memucan Hunt, Joseph Hancock, Robert Sumner, Willis Alston, Whitmill Hill, Robert Irwin, John Hollingsworth, Jeptha Atherton, John Norman, Thomas Burke, William Skinner, Thomas Boyd, Edward Salter, Griffith Rutherford, Archibald, Carrie, John Rand, William Brown, Cornelius Harnett, John Webb, and David Nisbet, be a Committee of Privileges and Elections; and that they have power to send for persons, papers, and records, as the case may require, and make report to this Congress.

Resolved, That Matthew Locke, Robert Irwin, John McNitt Alexander, Thomas Person, Thomas Burke, John Taylor, John Ashe, Thomas Gray, George Mitchell, John Cowper, William Brown, James Coor, William Haywood, John Bradford, Green Hill, Whitmill Hill, Miles Harvey, William Skinner, and John Campbell, be a Committee of Claims, to settle and allow Military and Naval Accounts.

Resolved, That Mr. Allen Jones, Joseph John Williams, David Sumner, Jacob Blount, Thomas Respis, William Thompson, Thomas Benbury, Archibald Corrie, Robert Sumner, Cornelius Harnett, John Spicer, Nathaniel Richardson, Memucan Hunt, Nathaniel Rochester, John Rand, Griffith Rutherford, John Pfifer, David Nisbdt, and John Ashe, be a Committee to settle the Civil Accounts of this Province.

The Congress adjourned till Monday morning, ten o’clock.

Monday, April 8, 1776.

The Congress met according to adjournment.

On motion, Resolved, That Mr. Harnett, Mr. Allen Jones, Mr. Burke, Mr. Nash, Mr. Kinchin, Mr. Thomas Person, and Mr. Thomas Jones, be a Select Committee to take into consideration the usurpations and violences attempted and committed by the King and Parliament of Britain against America, and the further measures to be taken for frustrating the same, and for the better defence of this Province.

Mr. Harnett presented the Petition of Joseph Wood and Partners, praying an order to dispose of the Effects of his Excellency Josiah Martin, Esquire, within this Province, to reimburse the loss they have sustained by the capture and detention of the Sloop Joseph, and the cargo on board of the same, or such other relief as this Congress in their wisdom shall think fit.

Resolved, That Mr. Harnett, Mr. Allen Jones, Mr. Burke, Mr. Thomas Person, and Mr. Thomas Jones, be a Committee to take under consideration the said Petition, and make report to this Congress.

Resolved, That Mr. Allen Jones, Mr. Whitmill Hill, Mr. John Ashe, Mr. Burke, Mr. Miles Harvey, Mr. Thomas Person, Mr. Benbury, Mr. Rand, Mr. Rochester, Mr. Thomas Jones, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Southerland, Mr. Richardson, Mr. Harriett, and Mr. Arthur Council, be a Committee to inquire into the conduct of the Insurgents, and other suspected persons, and make report of their proceedings to the Congress.

The Order of the Day being read,

Resolved, The same be deferred till Wednesday next.

Mr. Thomas Jones presented a Petition from the Executors of the last will and testament of John Callaway, deceased, praying an order may issue to empower them to seize so much of the Estate of Thomas Macknight, and cause the same to be sold, as may be of value sufficient to satisfy the sum of five hundred and eighty-six Pounds two Shillings, with interest and accruing costs.

Resolved, That Messieurs Harnett, Allen Jones, Thomas Burke, Thomas Person, and Thomas Jones, be a Committee to take under consideration the said Petition, and make report to this Congress.

Mr. William Johnston, the Delegate for the Town of Hillsborough, Mr. James Saunders and Mr. John Kinchen, for the County of Orange, Mr. Thomas Wiggins, for the County of Martin, Mr. Ransome Southerland, Mr. William Dent, and Mr. Ralph Gorril, for the County of Guilford, Mr. Dempsey Burgess and Mr. Henry Abbott, for the County of Pasquotank, Mr. Elisha Cain, for the County of Chatham, Mr. Tignal Jones, for the County of Wake, and Mr. Abner Nash, for the Town of Newbern, appeared, subscribed the Test, and took their seats in Congress.

On motion, Resolved, That the Rev. Mr. Ford be appointed Chaplain to this Congress

The Congress adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine o’clock.

Tuesday, April 9, 1776.

The Congress met according to adjournment.

Resolved, That Mr. Corrie, Mr. John Campbell, Mr. Cowper, Mr. William Johnston, and Mr. Cornelius Harnett, be a Committee to inquire into the cost of sundry Merchandise deemed useful to the service of this Province, as per invoice exhibited by Mr. John Wright Stanly, and that they report thereon.

On motion, Resolved, The Congress resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole, to take into consideration the present

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