Minute-men, raised for his Regiment, and which Lord Stirling has requested may be sent to this City, to wit: William Clarice, Captain; Gilbert Strong, First Lieutenant; and Abraham Hyat, Second Lieutenant.

Ordered, That Commissions issue for those gentlemen. And they were issued accordingly.

Mr. Oliver Templeton applied for liberty to go on board the Ship Phenix, to obtain leave of Captain Parker for the vessel loaded by order of the Continental Congress to go to sea.

An oath was administered to Mr. Templeton, in the words following:

“You do solemnly swear on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, that you will not give any intelligence or information whatever to any person or persons on board of the ships-of-war in this harbour, or on board of Governour Tryon’s ship, or the Packet, or any of them, relative to any Fortifications erecting for the defence of this City and Colony; and that you will not carry on board any or either of the said vessels, or deliver to any person on board of or belonging to the said vessels, any letter or paper writing, until you shall have read the same, and know that it does not contain any information relative to the said Fortifications, or any of them. So help you God.”

Ordered, That Mr. Oliver Templeton be, and he is hereby, permitted to go on board his Majesty’s Ship Phenix with the Port-Master, and to return, he having been previously sworn that he will not convey any intelligence relative to the Fortifications erecting for the defence of this City and Colony.

The Account of Christopher Duyckinck and his Company, for going to Nassau-Island, and tarrying sundry days, by order of the Provincial Congress, to attempt to take a pilot, was brought into the Committee and read: it amounts to forty-four Pounds one Shilling and six Pence, only.

Ordered, That it be submitted to the Auditors, or Pay-Table Board.

The Committee took into consideration the case of John Young, brought from Easthampton, now a prisoner at the Barracks, and the Letters and Examinations relating to him. And thereupon made the following order, to wit:

Ordered, That John Young, a native, and the son of a gentleman of Philadelphia, who, contrary to the will of his father, has entered as a volunteer into the Ministerial service, and is now in custody in the Barracks of this City, be safely conveyed to Philadelphia, together with certified copies of the several Letters of recommendation found upon him in his passage to Boston; and the Right Honourable the Earl of Stirling is hereby requested to supply such Guard, and furnish such other necessary means for the safe conveyance of the said John Young to Philadelphia, so as his Lordship shall think proper.

A draft of a Letter to the Committee at Philadelphia was read and approved; and is in the words following, to wit:

In Committee of Safety, New-York, March 18, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: The unhappy excursions of the son of any gentleman friendly to the general interests of America, give us great pain. Upon the subject of Mr. Young, we thought the best thing we could do would be to secure his conveyance to your Committee, not doubting that the good sense of the parent, co-operating with filial piety, will bring the young gentleman to a proper sense of his duty. We enclose the papers necessary to elucidate his case; and are, with great respect, gentlemen, your most obedient servants.

By order of the Committee of Safety.

To the General Committee of Association.

Ordered, That a copy thereof be engrossed, and signed by the Chairman, and transmitted; and the Secretaries prepare and enclose therein copies of the sundry Letters and papers brought from Easthampton, which relate to the said John Young.

A long Letter from Jacamiah Allen, bearing date on the 16th instant, was read and filed. He thereby informs that eighty-two of the Guns beyond King’s Bridge are cleared and unspiked; that he will be able to complete the whole in three weeks from the date thereof, and he thereby offers his services to guard those Guns for one-half of what David Barclay gets.

A Letter from Abraham Lent, Esquire, Colonel of the Orangetown Regiment, bearing date the 17th instant, was read and filed. He thereby informs that he has received the Resolution and Order of the Provincial Congress of the 13th instant, for sending a number of men from his Regiment to New- York. He thereby proposes to send a Captain and set of Officers for a Minute Company, and requests an explanation of the Order, which he appears to have misunderstood.

A draft of an Answer to Colonel Lent was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Committee of Safety, New-York, March 18, 1776.

SIR: We received yours of yesterday, and have only to observe, that only a Lieutenant’s party was to be taken from your Regiment. And as for your Minute-men, we would remind you that there can be no such thing unless a Company is regularly formed; therefore advise you to send down with all convenient speed the thirty-five men wrote for, with a First Lieutenant and Ensign, with Non-Commissioned Officers in the same proportion.

We are, respectfully, sir, your very humble servants. By order of the Committee.

Colonel Abraham Lent, Orange.

Mr. Paulding, one of the Members, informed the Committee that several of the Members from Westchester County, conceiving that they were directed to purchase Pork for a Magazine, were purchasing quantities for that purpose; that Colonel Gilbert Drake, by a late Order of the Congress, was also purchasing the whole quantity directed to be stored in that County, whereby there is danger that the said article of Provisions may be purchased at an exorbitant price. Thereupon, the Committee came to the determination in the words following, to wit:

Whereas different appointments have been made by the Provincial Congress for the purchase of barrelled Pork for the publick service, in Westchester County,

It is therefore Ordered, That no person employed in that service pay more for that article of Provision than four Pounds per barrel, subject to the expense of the sellers for cartage to the place of delivery in the County.

Captain Wynkoop attended the Committee, and informed that, in pursuance of the directions of the Provincial Congress, given to him on . . . . . . . last, he had called on Major Douglass, and delivered to him a copy of General Schuyler’s letter of the — instant, relating to the service on the Lakes; that Major Douglass declined giving him any definitive answer on that subject; and intimated, that if he did undertake that service he would not be able to attend it sooner than two months hence.

Thereupon a draft of a Letter to Major Douglass was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Committee of Safety, New-York, March 18, 1776.

SIR: A gentleman engaged in the publick service should always be ready to determine upon any question of service submitted to his option. Mr. Wynkoop, we are informed, communicated to you the copy of a letter from Major-Ge-neral Schuyler, from which it appears that the Continental Congress has reserved for you the office of Commodore on the Lakes, and designated Captain Wynkoop for service under you in that department. The General has recommended Mr. Wynkoop to that command, in case of your refusal. Lest you should have forgotten the contents of the General’s letter, we enclose you a copy of it. We request your immediate answer. If you accept of the appointment, we expect you will stand ready at a minute’s notice for the execution of duty whenever the service requires it.

We are, sir, your humble servants.

By order of the Committee of Safety.

To Major Douglass.

A long Letter from Colonel Isaac Nicoll, at the Fortifications in the Highlands, dated the 15th instant, was read and filed. Amongst other things, he therein complains of many inconveniences at the Post for want of a Commissary of Provisions and Barrack furniture, and encloses an account of Ammunition supplied by the Commissioners to Captain Samuel Raymond, and not returned; which Account is in the words following, to wit: