That the Committee are determined, as far as lieth in their power, to comply with the resolve of the Congress of the 15th instant, in the manner before-mentioned; and they declare that the present Assembly of this Province was not chosen, nor is it invested with powers, to carry the said resolve into execution.

That the unwillingness of the House to appeal to the voice of the people, and the pains they have taken to prevail upon the Congress to interfere in our “domestick police,” betrays a fear that, in refusing to comply with the resolve of Congress, they will act contrary to the inclinations of a majority of their constituents.

That a majority of the present Assembly do not possess the confidence of the people. That the Province is not fully nor equally represented in it. That it is composed of men who hold offices under the Crown of Great Britain. That they have deputed the power, which was deputed solely to them, to persons who had not the sanction of the voice of the people for legislative purposes; and we have reason to believe that a majority of them have been dragged into a compliance with most of the resolutions of Congress from the fear of a Provincial Convention.

From a Government formed by men marked with such inconsistencies, prejudices, and arbitrary views, we have as much to fear as from the unlimited exertions of that power which has declared itself possessed of a right to tax us without our consent, and to bind us in all cases whatsoever.

The Committee have too much confidence in the wisdom of your body to believe that, when informed of the true situation of this Province, you meant to include the Assembly thereof in your recommendation to Assemblies to form new Governments. The origin and present tenure of your power can never suffer you to forget that it was by making names yield to things, and forms to substantial justice, that you acquired the confidence of America and the admiration of the world.

They beg that the Congress would not be deceived by misrepresentations. The Committee declare solemnly that they have no design or wish to alter those parts of the Charter and laws of the Province which secure to every man the enjoyment of his property, liberty, and the sacred rights of conscience. They wish only to make such alterations in them as relate to the mode of representation in the Province, and such as render the consent of the King of Great Britain and his Governour necessary to give efficacy and execution to our laws; and this they conceive to be no less necessary to the safety and happiness of our Colony in particular than to America in general.

The situation of our Province, it is true, requires vigour and harmony in the direction of both civil and military affairs; but these can never be obtained when a people no longer confide in their rulers. The Committee fear no calamities from disunion in the Province, but thus publickly charge the feebleness of all our counsels to our union with men of narrow and interested views. The strength of a country in the time of war consists in the number of its fighting men. The constituents of this Committee, who are composed chiefly of this class of men, have declared that they will support the union of this Province with the other Colonies at every hazard; and they have the pleasure of hearing that similar determinations prevail in most of the battalions of the Province.

Signed by order of the Committee:

THOMAS MC KEAN, Chairman.

Committee-Chamber, Philadelphia, May 24, 1776.

JAMES MEASE TO ROBERT MORRIS.

[Read May 25, 1776.]

Philadelphia, May 24, 1776.

DEAR SIR: I beg the favour of you to apply to Congress for a draft of twenty thousand dollars, for the use of the battalions, the last I had being expended. I should be glad to know whether it will not be proper to lay in a stock of shoes, hats, and stockings, for the use of the troops. If any are likely to be wanted next fall or winter, it would be much the most advantageous to prosecute the purchase now, when there is but little demand. If it is delayed until they may be actually wanted, they will rise greatly in price, and I fear scarce be got at all. Both leather and wool becomes every day dearer; and, upon any sudden demand, the materials made of them will rise exceedingly.

I am, with infinite respect, dear sir, yours,

JAMES MEASE.

To Robert Morris, Esq.

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY (PENNSYLVANIA) COMMITTEE.

Northumberland County, May 24, 1776.

At a meeting of the Committee of Inspection and Observation for said County, Captain John Hambright in the Chair.

Agreeable to notice given at the last meeting, John Aurant attended to answer the complaint of Samuel Maclay and Benjamin Alison, Esqs., in behalf of themselves and other Magistrates, relative to several charges set forth in a Memorial to the honourable House of Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania at their last sitting, when a proved copy of said Memorial was read to said Aurant. He could not prove any material assertion contained in his Memorial, but, on the contrary, acknowledged some of them to be false, and others misrepresented by the translator he employed.

On said day appeared George Wolfe and Thomas Sutherland, agreeable to notice give them, to answer the complaints of said Samuel Maclay and Benjamin Alison, Esqs., for that they, in conjunction with others hereafter mentioned, some of whom are not known to this Committee, and others whose names are known, (thought too insignificant to be taken notice of,) did, as a Committee, sign and present a Memorial to the honourable the Continental Congress, containing several charges against the Magistrates of this County. When a proven copy of said Memorial was read to them, they acknowledged the authenticity of the same, but said they were not prepared to prove any of the allegations therein contained, as their papers were in the hands of the Assembly; but when they were offered copies of all their papers, said they could produce testimony, but would not, until they were present or before authority, lest they should be bribed; upon which they were allowed to produce their evidences, if any they had, on Thursday, the 30th instant, to prove their assertions against the Magistrates of the County aforesaid, or any of them; when, they not appearing, the Committee, upon due consideration of what they had heard, entered into the following Resolves:

Resolved, That the above-named George Wolfe and Thomas Sutherland, with William Leech, George Overier, Matthias Hess, Thomas Price, and John George Conrad, signing their names as a Committee of this County, is a gross imposition upon the honourable the Continental Congress, and the publick in general, as they never were in the Committee of this County.

Resolved, That as none of the allegations contained in the Memorials of John Aurant, or the above-mentioned fictitious Committee, have been proven, saving that a few guns were either lost or broken last winter, which we consider as a trifling inconvenience, the owners (upon proving the value) having sufficient security for them, and many of them have been proved, and others acknowledged by the parties to be false, we look upon them as unjust, absurd, and malicious.

Resolved, There is but one Committee of Inspection, Observation and Correspondence, in this County, in which each Township is equally represented.

Resolved, That the above be advertised in the publick papers, to prevent the like imposition for the future.

Signed for and in behalf of the Committee.

JOHN HAMBRIGHT, Chairman.

GENERAL PUTNAM TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Head-Quarters, New-York, May 24, 1776.

SIR: I received yours of 22d from Amboy, and waited immediately on the Provincial Congress: they gave me the enclosed invoice of articles they had forwarded on for Albany. Most of the articles General Schuyler wrote for I have already shipped, and will this day proceed up the river. Colonel Knox has sent two conductors to King’s Bridge, to pick out twelve cannon suitable for the vessels, and have them ready by the time the vessel gets up.