were not immediately employed. And conceiving that Major Douglass’s indetermination would make room for a new appointment, we took the liberty, through you, to recommend Captain Wynkoop, as a person who was bred a mariner, had frequently been master of mercantile vessels, had served with reputation in the last war, both in the land and sea service; that we then thought him (as we still do) an officer of merit, and that we had heard his conduct in the last campaign highly applauded; conceived him to be worthy of the trust, and thought, from General Schuyler’s letter, the appointment would not be disagreeable to him. We further informed you that Captain Wynkoop would not continue in the Marine service under Major Douglass; but that, nevertheless, we had prevailed on him, with the argument of danger that the service would suffer, to engage seamen, and proceed to the General with all possible despatch. To this letter we have hitherto not been favoured with an answer, but have heard a report that some order from Continental Congress has been sent to Major Douglass to repair to the post assigned him. General Schuyler, still attentive to the importance of the service on the Lakes, in a letter of the 4th instant to General Thompson, who furnished us with a copy of it, writes thus: “Will you be so good as to request the New-York Congress that the sailors may be sent up without delay.” In consequence of this, we sent for Captain Wynkoop, being convinced of the impossibility of sending up the seamen without an officer, and engaged him to inlist the men, and to proceed to put the vessels in order, under the present uncertainty of his station, on condition that he be permitted to quit the service in case he should be superseded. Of this we informed General Schuyler by letter of the 25th instant, of which Captain Wynkoop, who is gone up with his seamen, is the bearer. After what has been said already in recommendation of Captain Wynkoop, we shall presume to say no more than that, in case Major Douglass should decline, we hope that this fresh instance of Captain Wynkoop’s zeal for the publick service, added to his former merit, will have sufficient weight with the Congress to confirm him in that command which was destined for Major Douglass.

We herewith send you the petitions and remonstrances of New-York for redress of grievances.

Major Benedict, of the First New-York Battalion, conceiving himself unfit for that office, has made a voluntary resignation, by which that Majority is become vacant. On this occasion we conceive it to be our duty to hold up two candidates for the choice of Congress—Major Barnabas Tuthill, of Colonel Holmes’s Regiment of the last year’s levies, and the person who, from an attention to rank, we put on the list of Lieutenant-Colonels for the present levies, is one. He was an officer in the last war, and we have never heard anything to his disadvantage, either in civil or military character. Captain Marinus Willet was in service during the last war, and was Captain in the last year’s New-York levies; and with an attention to his rank as Second Captain in the First Battalion, and when Captain Weisenfels, who was the First Captain, was promoted to a Lieutenant-Colonelcy, we recommended Captain Willet for the Majority; but by some mistake, as we conceive, Captain Benedict, the Second Captain of the Fourth Battalion, was preferred to him. Captain Willet cannot, in our opinion, have a better recommendation than General Schuyler’s letter to us of the 4th of March last, which is literally as follows, to wit: “When an officer has acted with remarkable attention and propriety, it becomes a duty in his commander to give publick testimony of it: such has been the conduct of Captain Willet during the last campaign. He is therefore entitled to the attention of his country.” For these reasons we beg leave to hold up Captain Willet as another candidate for the Majority. And are, &c.

To our Delegates, at Philadelphia.

“New-York, April 29, 1776.

“GENTLEMEN: Sometime before I left Cambridge, I received an order of Congress to apply to the Assemblies or Conventions of the four New-England Colonies for arms to supply the deficiency of their respective regiments, and if not to be had, to discharge the men that wanted them. When I came to this place, and was informed by Colonel Ritzema of the want of this article for his regiment, and the other troops of this Colony, it became my duty to make this want known to Congress, at the same time giving it as my opinion that, as we found it no easy matter to recruit men, with the expedition they were required, it might be disserviceable to discharge any of the York troops, as some lucky hit might throw arms into our hands. In consequence of which, I received by post the enclosed resolution, which, without delay, I lay before your honourable body; and am, gentlemen, your most obedient, humble servant,

“GEORGE WASHINGTON.”

“In Congress, April 26, 1776.

“Resolved, That none of the Troops already raised be, for the present, disbanded for want of Arms; and that the General apply to the Convention and Committee of Safety of New-York for such Arms as may have been collected under the Resolve of Congress for disarming Non-Associators and disaffected persons, or any other Arms they can supply and deliver to the New-York Troops.”

Die Martis, 10 ho. A. M., April 30, 1776.

The Committee met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: William Paulding, Esquire, Chairman.

FOR NEW-YORK.—Mr. Scott, Mr. Sands, Mr. Evert Bancker, Captain Denning.

FOR ALBANY.—Mr. Oothoudt.

FOR ORANGE.—Mr. Cuyper

FOR KING’S.—Mr. Leffertse.

FOR SUFFOLK.—Mr. Tredwell.

FOR WESTCHESTER.—Mr. Paulding.

FOR ULSTER.—Mr. Wynkoop.

Mr. Abeel, Deputy Chairman of the General Committee of the City of New-York, attended, and was admitted. He informed that a number of Fire-Arms, formerly belonging to the Troops under the command of Captain Clark, are at Captain Clark’s house.

Ordered, That Mr. Scott call on Mr. Clark, and make inquiry as to those Arms.

Mr. Abeel further informed that, by the unanimous consent and request of the Committee, he was directed to inform the Committee of Safety that Mr. Robert Ray has had the management, inspection, and direction of all Permits to Vessels permitted to export; and that the General Committee request that, in the establishment of a Custom-House, Mr. Ray may be thought of as an officer.

Major Malcom, Captain Wool, and Mr. Blake, of the Second Battalion, attending, were admitted. Major Malcom informed the Committee that, by the resignation of several Officers, and the consequent promotion of other gentlemen in their places, new Commissions are become necessary for most of the Officers of the said Battalion; that he and the gentlemen with him were sent to request of the Committee the said Commissions. Major Malcom further informed that the Officers of that Regiment have, amongst themselves, thought of such persons as would be agreeable to them for Field-Officers; that the Regiment are fully sensible that the right of nomination of Field-Officers belongs to this Committee, and not to the Regiment, but that the Officers of the Regiment, notwithstanding, request to know whether it will be agreeable that they should mention in their Return, by way of recommendation, the names of those gentlemen who would be agreeable to the Regiment for Field-Officers.

The Committee informed Major Malcom, and those gentlemen with him, that new Commissions should be made out for the Captains and Subalterns of the said Regiment, when a return of their names and rank should be made to this Committee; and that it would be agreeable to the Committee that the Officers of that Regiment should mention in their Return the names of those gentlemen of whom they approved for their Field-Officers; and that they send their Return to this Committee, by Mr. Stoutenburgh, as soon as convenient.

Mr. Comfort Sands informed the Committee that he is about to make a journey to and beyond Albany; that, by a determination of the Committee at Albany, it is become necessary that every friend to liberty, travelling through their District, to have a passport from some Committee of the place from whence he came; that therefore he requests a Certificate of this Committee.