of this Congress, for the due and faithful discharge of the trust reposed in them, and for the due application of the said moneys which may be paid them out of the Treasury.

It is further the opinion of this Committee, that a Powder-Mill be erected in the County of Halifax, and that Wylie Jones, Benjamin McCulloch and Josiah Sumner, Esquires, be appointed to erect the same, and prepare all utensils, implements and materials, for the manufacturing Gunpowder; and that they receive from the Directors of the Saltpetre Manufactory such quantities of Saltpetre, from time to time, as they shall have made, prepared, and refined for use, and also shall use their best endeavours to procure Sulphur wherever it may be found, and to purify such of it as may be crude and unfit for present use. And that the said Wylie Jones, Benjamin McCulloch, and Josiah Sumner, be empowered to draw upon the Colony Treasurers for a sum of money, not exceeding five hundred Pounds, to disburse the expense of constructing such works, and providing such articles as shall be necessary to carry on the said work; and that they give bond for the due application of the said moneys, and the faithful discharge of the trust reposed in them, and that the said bond be to the President of this Congress, and his successors, in the penal sum of one thousand Pounds, and that the said Directors of the Powder-Mill shall be allowed the sum of one shilling for every pound of Gunpowder manufactured by them, and delivered within two years into the hands of persons hereafter to be appointed by this Congress to receive the same for the publick use.

It is further the opinion of this Committee, that a work be established in the Province of North- Carolina, for the purpose of making common Salt, and that Waightstill Avery, William Thompson, Richard Blackledge, and Robert Williams, be Commissioners to erect works necessary for that purpose, and to carry on the process, and obtain all possible information relative to the same; and that they be empowered to draw upon the Treasury for a sum not exceeding two thousand Pounds, to pay the expenses of erecting such works, and providing all materials, implements and utensils proper to be made use of; and that such works be fixed in such part of the sea-coast where they will be best secured from the annoyance of the enemy, and tend to furnish the Colony with the greatest quantity of that necessary article; and that the said Directors give bond, with sufficient security, for the faithful discharge of the trust reposed in them, and the due application of all such moneys which may be advanced them; and that over and above their reasonable expenses, be allowed the sum of four pence (for the space of two years from the last day of August next) for every bushel of Salt manufactured by them, and delivered to such persons as shall be directed to receive the same, for the publick use; and that the said Commissioners, after fixing upon a proper place on the sea-coast for the manufacturing of common Salt, do purchase the same of the proprietor or proprietors thereof, for and in behalf of the publick of this Province, upon the most reasonable terms, and give a draft for the same on either of the Treasurers of this Province, who shall be allowed the same in the settlement of his accounts with the publick; and that the conveyance for the same shall be taken in the name of the President and his successors of this Congress, for and in behalf of the publick of this Province, and that said conveyance shall be taken in fee simple.

It is further the opinion of this Committee, that John Devane, Richard Herring, and James White, in the District of Wilmington; John Cowper, James Coor, and James Glasgow, in the District of Newbern; Luke Sumner, William Hunter, and Jacob Hunter, in the District of Edenton; Joseph John Williams, Christopher Dudley, and James Ransom, in the District of Halifax; William Johnston, Thomas Burke, and Ambrose Ramsey, in the District of Hillsborough; James McCoy, David Nisbit, and William Alexander, in the District of Salisbury, be empowered immediately to direct the establishing of publick Manufactories in their respective Districts, of good and sufficient Muskets and Bayonets, of the following description, to wit: Each Firelock to be made of three-fourths of an inch bore, and of a good substance at the breach, the barrel to be three feet eight inches in length, a good lock, the to be eighteen inches in the blade, with a steel ramrod, the upper end of the upper loop to be trumpet mouthed; and that for that purpose they collect from the different parts of their respective Districts all Gunsmiths, and other mechanicks, who have been accustomed to make, or assist in making Muskets, or who may, in their opinion, be useful in carrying on such Manufactory, and that they be together employed in the respective District Manufactories so established; and that they be furnished, at the expense of this Colony, with tools, implements and utensils, and materials for carrying on the said work; and that the said Commissioners respectively shall contract with the mechanicks in such manner as they may think proper, provided that for each Gun and Bayonet complete, the publick shall not pay a sum exceeding five Pounds; and that the said Commissioners in each District shall have liberty to draw upon the Treasury for a sum of money not exceeding one thousand Pounds for each District, to be expended in erecting such Manufactories, procuring tools, implements and materials, and paying the mechanicks employed for their respective services; and that the said Commissioners shall give bond to the President and his successors, with sufficient security, for the faithful discharge of their trust, and that they will justly account for all sums of money which may be intrusted to them for the purposes aforesaid; and that the said Commissioners shall deliver to such person or persons as shall be empowered by this Congress to receive the same, all such Muskets and Bayonets as shall be complete for use.

Your Committee further report, that as to the contents of a letter from Henry Gifford to General Moore, referred to this Committee, they are of opinion that Mr. Thomas Person, Mr. Martin Pfifer, and Mr. Ambrose Ramsay, be empowered and directed immediately to repair to John Wilcox’s Furnace and Iron-Works, on Deep River, and to agree with the said John Wilcox, in behalf of this Province, on the lowest terms they can, for the hire of the said Furnace and Iron-Works for the space of two years, or to purchase and repair the Iron-Works in Guilford County, for casting pieces of Ordnance, Shot, and other warlike implements, for the use of this Province, of such sizes and denominations as the commanding officer of the troops shall from time to time direct; and that said Commissioners agree with some person or persons, and direct the said work, and collect from the different parts of the adjacent country persons skilled in putting the said Furnace in proper plight, and working at the same, and likewise horses, wagons, carts, and barrows, together with all conveniences for smelting of metal, and wood-cutters, colliers, and all other workers necessary for carrying on the work of the said Furnace, and employ them for the purpose aforesaid; and that the said Commissioners procure, at the expense of this Colony, all such provisions, tools, furniture, and materials, as shall be found necessary for completing the said purpose; and that for discharging the expense thereof, the said Commissioners be empowered to draw on the Colony Treasurers, or either of them, for any sum, not exceeding five thousand Pounds, and that they give bond to the President of this Congress, for and in the name of this Province, in the penal sum of ten thousand Pounds, for the due application of, and accounting for the money they shall so draw for the purpose aforesaid, and the faithful discharge of the trust reposed in them.

And as by the above Resolves several set of Commissioners have been appointed to superintend and to carry into execution the several purposes and manufactories mentioned therein, and as several Commissioners therein mentioned may remove out of the Province, die, or decline:

It is therefore Resolved, That where any of the said Commissioners may remove himself out of this Province, die, or decline to act, in every such case the survivor or survivors of such set of Commissioners where such an incident may happen, shall have full power to nominate and appoint a person, whom they shall conceive a proper person, to fill up such deficiency, who shall enter into bond as is above directed.

The House, taking the said Report into consideration, amended the same, and concurred therewith.

Ordered, That Mr. Griffith Rutherford, Mr. Thomas Person, and Mr. Allen Jones, be a Committee to consider the Petition of a number of persons in Guilford County against Colonel James Martin and Alexander Hunter, and make report thereon.

Ordered, That Mr. James White, Mr. Lawrence Baker, and Mr. Rotheas Latham, have leave of absence.