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FOR KINGS.—Mr. Polhemus.

FOR ULSTER.—Mr. Wynkoop, Mr. De Witt, Colonel Palmer, Mr. Wisner.

FOR SUFFOLK.—General Woodhull, Mr. Tredwell, Mr.Wickham.

The President, General Woodhull, took the Chair, and the Congress proceeded to business.

The Congress having found, by experience, that the publick service is daily suffering for want of money, and being informed by many Members that the Treasury has for the most part of the time been empty near three weeks past, and that several Members, have lent considerable sums for the publick service; that sundry officers under marching-orders from the General, are now in town, waiting for money to discharge the billeting, and other expenses of their men, without which they cannot remove them; that the sum this Congress ordered to be issued by the Committee of Safety, being entirely in small bills made for change, requires so much time to sign the bills that the money cannot be signed so fast as to satisfy the demands on the Treasury:

Therefore Resolved and Ordered, That the whole sum ordered by this Congress on the 5th day of March last, to be printed, be issued. That Mr. Isaac Roosevelt be requested to have all the Bills mentioned in the Resolutions of this Congress on that day, and ordered by those Resolutions to be printed, to wit; the whole sum of one hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred Dollars, numbered, signed, and sent to the Treasury.

The Congress took into consideration the state of Colonel McDougall’s Regiment, and heard the Returns of each separate Company read.

Ordered, That Captain Brown, of Colonel McDougall’s Regiment, and his Subalterns, and the Subalterns of the Company whereof Captain Willet was appointed to be Captain, do attend on this Congress to-morrow morning, at eleven o’clock.

Captain Increase Child attending, was admitted. He informed the Congress, that, by order of the Committee of Safety, he was authorized to inlist a Company in the Continental service in this Colony, on condition that he could raise his Company in three weeks from the 12th day of April last; that he and the gentleman intended as his First Lieutenant, have inlisted fifty-six men; that he received his warrant so late that he had not had the opportunity which he before expected to inlist out of the Minute Regiment, and that he had met with greater difficulties in recruiting than he expected.

Resolved, That if Captain Increase Child, and his First Lieutenant, shall, within fourteen days from this day, bring fifty-six or more men, fit for service, to Lieutenant-Colonel Livingston, to join the Regiment at the Fortifications in the Highlands, and thereafter obtain from Lieutenant-Colonel Livingston, and transmit to the Provincial Congress or Committee of Safety, a certificate thereof, that the said Increase Child and John Lloyd, his First Lieutenant, shall be entitled to Commissions. That if the said Company be completed within three weeks from this day, that the other Subalterns shall also be entitled to Commissions.

This Congress being informed that General Washington has ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Livingston to repair to the Highlands, are of opinion that they would not discharge their duty to the Continent, and might incur blame, if Colonel Nicoll should be continued there in service.

Resolved therefore, That Colonel Nicoll be relieved from further service at present, at the Fortifications, as soon as Lieutenant-Colonel Livingston shall have arrived there, and be ready to receive the command. That the thanks of this Congress be, and hereby are, given to Colonel Nicoll for his faithful service, and his strict attention to the publick interests, since he has been in the command at the said Fortifications.


Die Jovis, 9 ho. A. M., May 9, 1776.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: General Woodhull, President.

FOR NEW-YORK.—Mr.Scott, Colonel McDougall, Mr.Prince, Mr. Beekman, Mr. Bancker, Mr. Roosevelt.

FOR ALBANY.—Mr.Cuyler, Mr. Glen, Mr. Oothoudt.

FOR KINGS.—Mr.Polhemus, Mr. Covenhoven.

FOR RICHMOND.—Mr. Lawrence.

FOR WESTCHESTER.—Colonel Joseph Drake, Colonel Graham, Mr. Paulding, Mr. Ward.

FOR SUFFOLK.—General Woodhull, Mr. Tredwell, Mr.Wickham.

FOR ULSTER.—Mr. Wynkoop, Mr. De Witt, Colonel Palmer, Mr. Wisner.

FOR ORANGE.—Mr. Haring, Colonel Allison.

Ordered, That Mr. Norwood, the Commissary, deliver to the Captains Griffin, Roe, and Davis, of Colonel Clinton’s Regiment, for the use of their respective Companies, Car-tridge-Pouches, Bayonets, Slings, and Flints, not exceeding eighty-four of each article to each Company, except Flints, and of those two hundred and fifty-two to each Company, and take their respective receipts for the same.

Major Malcom attending, was admitted. He informed the Congress that the Second Regiment has been on duty six weeks, and are much in want of money; he requested that a month’s pay might be paid to them. Mr. Malcom withdrew.

Ordered, That Mr. Scott, Mr. Bancker, Mr. Paulding, and Mr. Cuyler, be a Committee to inquire into the terms and conditions on which the Second Regiment were employed, and by whom, and whether they will be paid at Continental expense; and that the said Committee, or a majority of them, report with all convenient speed.

Captain Brown, of Colonel McDougall’s Regiment, with his Subalterns, and the Subalterns for inlisting the Company whereof Captain Willet was formerly appointed Captain, attending according to order, were admitted. Their Returns were examined, whereby it appears that the Subalterns of the late Captain Willet’s Company have only seventeen or eighteen men, Non-Commissioned Officers included, in their Company, and Captain Brown no more than twelve or thirteen men, Non-Commissioned Officers included, in his Company. Those gentlemen being withdrawn, the Congress taking the state of those Companies into consideration, are of opinion that the publick exigencies absolutely require that those gentlemen be dismissed the service.

Therefore Resolved, That they be dismissed, and they are hereby dismissed accordingly; and that they be paid for their services from the dates of their respective warrants to this day, and their inlisting money for so many effective men as they shall deliver to the Regiment when they shall have delivered the arms and accoutrements they have received to Captain John Johnson; and that it be recommended to Colonel McDougall to add the Privates of those two Companies to Captain John Johnson’s Company. And it is hereby declared that the above-mentioned gentlemen are not dismissed from any dissatisfaction with their conduct, but with great reluctance from necessity only, because they have been so unfortunate in their attempts to recruit their Companies.

And as to such Non-Commissioned Officers of those two Companies as are well qualified for their offices,

Resolved, That they be placed in such Companies of the Regiment as are not supplied with such Officers, and that the other Non-Commissioned Officers of the said Companies be, and they are hereby, dismissed.

Mr. Roosevelt informed the Congress that he has sent twelve or thirteen hundred Pounds, in small money, to the Treasury; that he has, pursuant to the order of this Congress, delivered out a number of the paper Bills of large denominations to be signed, and expects that, by Monday next, several thousand Pounds will be ready to send to the Treasury.

The Petition of Joseph Wood, the younger, on behalf of himself and other Merchants in Philadelphia therein named, was read. They therein set forth their loss by the seizure of a vessel and cargo belonging to them, by Josiah Martin, Esquire, late Goveraour of North- Carolina, with an account of their loss thereto annexed, amounting to one thousand two hundred and ninety-five Pounds three Shillings and seven Pence, Pennsylvania currency; and pray an order to seize the Effects of the said Josiah Martin, in this Colony, to reimburse the Petitioners. The invoices and bills of lading of the cargo of the said vessel, a report of a Committee of the Congress of North- Carolina on the case of the Petitioners, and also a protest of Thomas Jones, a Notary

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