towns, seizing our vessels, and murdering our precious sons of liberty; making weeping widows for the loss of those who were dearer to them than life, and helpless orphans to be­moan the death of an affectionate father; but who are still carrying on the same bloody pursuit; and for no other reason than this, that we will not become their slaves, and be taxed by them without our consent, therefore, as we would ra­ther choose to separate from, than to continue any longer in connection with such oppressors, We, the Committee of Mechanicks in union, do, for ourselves and our constituents, hereby publickly declare that, should you, gentlemen of our honourable Provincial Congress, think proper to instruct our most honourable Delegates in Continental Congress to use their utmost endeavours in that august assembly to cause these United Colonies to become independent of Great Bri­tain, it would give us the highest satisfaction; and we hereby sincerely promise to endeavour to support the same with our lives and fortunes.

Signed by order of the Committee:

LEWIS THIBOU, Chairman.

Mechanick-Hall, New-York, May 29, 1776.

ANSWER OF THE PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.

In Provincial Congress, New-York, June 4, 1776.

SIR: We consider the mechanicks in union, as a volun­tary association of a number of the inhabitants of this city, who are warmly attached to the cause of liberty. We flat­ter ourselves, however, that neither that association, nor their Committee, claim any authority whatsoever in the publick transactions of the present times; but that, on the contrary, they will ever be ready to submit to that constitutional au­thority which, by a free election, has been vested in Con­gress and Committees. This Congress is at all times ready and willing to attend to every request of their constituents, or of any part of them. We are of opinion that the Conti­nental Congress alone have that enlarged view of our political circumstances, which will enable them to decide upon those measures which are necessary for the general welfare. We therefore cannot presume to instruct the Delegates of this Colony on the momentous question to which your address refers, until we are informed that it is brought before the Continental Congress, and the sense of this Colony be reuired through this Congress.

By order:

NATHANIEL WOODHULL, President.

To Mr. Lewis Thibou.

Petition of THOMAS LOOSLEY and THOMAS ELMS, Paper-makers.

To the Honourable Congress of the Province of NEW-YORK.

GENTLEMEN: Whereas, by the rules and orders lately published by your honourable House for regulating the Mili­tia of this Colony, which rules and orders, from our parti­cular circumstances, being unable to comply with, we have been subjected to several fines, which we have paid for non-attendance on the days appointed for publick exercise, and are, according to the said rules and orders, still liable to the penalty of being advertised and held up as enemies to the country, though we have ever been hearty friends to it, and are constantly labouring to the utmost of our abilities, in our profession, to promote its interests, as well as our own, by carrying on, and perfecting, a most useful manufactory to supply the country with an important and absolutely neces­sary article, for which great sums used annually to be sent abroad; and as in these times of general difficulty this honour­able House has shown a particular attention to the encour­agement of useful arts and manufactures, among which pa­per making is a very considerable one, we humbly hope your Honours will take our case into consideration, and not only grant us an exemption from the impending penalty be­fore-mentioned, but relieve us from the severity of the fines to which we at present stand liable; though we do not desire to be wholly excused from contributing to the pub­lick expense, in the necessary defence of the country, against the invaders of our common rights and liberty.

We humbly beg leave to represent, that we were regu­larly bred in England to the business of paper making, which we understand in all its branches, and have carried to higher degrees of perfection than ever it arrived before in America, where we have been the means of increasing the number of paper mills, improving their construction, and moderating the price of paper. But the work being carried on at great expense, (no less than twenty shillings per day for rent, and a number of hands, who require our constant over­sight and direction,) we could not attend the forementioned military exercises but at an excessive disadvantage and ex­pense; which would certainly either ruin the business, or oblige us to discontinue it; for the rent would still go on, and the water run to waste; the workmen left to them­selves, might neglect or spoil the work; disorder and habits of idleness take place, and effectually put an end to that attention, care, industry, and frugality, that are absolutely necessary to give success to this business. Nor could it have been in our power to supply you, gentlemen, with the paper for the Provincial money, nor the printers, with whom we have contracted, with the quantities necessary for their weekly publications, which will not admit of disap­pointment.

For the foregoing reasons, gentlemen, we hope you will grant our request, especially in an exemption from military service, for which we are no way qualified, nor provided with arms. But though we cannot be serviceable in a mili­tary capacity, we hope in the business of our profession we may prove ourselves useful members of society, and that there fore a service will not be insisted on that would oblige us to drop our business and quit the place.

We are, gentlemen, your most obedient servants,

CHARLES LOOSLEY.
THOMAS ELMS.

New-York, May 29, 1776.

LIEUTENANT HOLIDAY TO GENERAL GREENE.

Far Rockaway, May 29, 1776.

SIR: I send you three prisoners, whose testimony, and the circumstances against them, give me the strongest rea­son to believe they came for a supply of provisions, or some other necessaries for the enemy.

Last Sunday, we saw them come with a sloop from the west and go toward the east end of the Island. I sent a Ser­geant and twelve men after them, to take them if they came in any of the inlets. About fourteen miles to the eastward they came in sight of the sloop, where she was anchored, and they got boats and went in to where the boat lay, and took these prisoners and seven firelocks, which the prisoners say belong to men that left them Sunday evening, which I suppose to be after loading for the sloop.

I am, sir, your humble servant,

JOHN HOLIDAY, Lieutenant.

To General Greene, Brooklyn.

The Examination of three Prisoners, taken near against SILAS CARMAN’S, at OYSTER-BAY, south, and their Sloop. (Seven men they set ashore the night before, and which they give but little account of.)

1. Nathan Gyer, inhabitant at Blue-Point, upon his ex­mination says: He set off with his sloop and carried with him about twelve bushels of clams, about a week ago, andwent to the Jerseys, and passed the man-of-war in the night without being stopped; he made a harbour, came to an an­chor, sold his clams to the Jersey people, as he supposed, and took in seven passengers, as they came aboard of him at different times, some in the day and some in the night, in small crafts; they paid him their passage when he set them ashore in Oyster-Bay, south, at Fort-Neck Point; they left five guns with him; but the persons’ names he don’t remem­ber, except two, one was Umpstad, the other Platt, both from New-England Umpstad, a tailor by trade, from Litchfield. The said Gyer says his design was, when he set out from Blue-Point, to go round to New-England to collect some debts; but when he came to Jersey, he understood that at New-York they took all the boats that passed, and for that reason he returned back to go home, and took in these seven passengers.

2. Lazareth Gyer (son to the first) says: Twenty or thirty bushels of clams, and that the man-of-war barge hailed them and brought them to; took about a peck of their clams. The passengers, which they took aboard and set ashore, came aboard all together in one boat in the daytime; he knew none of them except one they called Patcher, a tailor by trade; but