of the several towns touching Independency, agreeable to the recommendation of the last House, (which recommendation you undoubtedly saw in the Watertown newspaper,) it appeared that about two-thirds of the towns in the Colony had met, and all instructed in the affirmative, and generally returned to be unanimously. As to the other towns, the accounts of their Members were, either that they were about to meet, or that they had not received the notice, as it was given only in the newspapers. Whereupon, the House immediately ordered the unnotified towns to be notified by handbills, and in a short time undoubtedly we shall have returns from all; and it is almost certain that the returns will be universally to support the Congress, with their lives and fortunes, in case of a declaration of Independence.

Yesterday our Assembly resolved the requisition of five thousand men for New-York and Canada. The House immediately appointed a committee to devise the manner of raising them, and with the utmost assiduity the Court will pursue it till accomplished.

I am your most assured friend and servant,

JOSEPH HAWLEY.

To Elbridge Gerry, Esquire.

To the Honourable the Council and Assembly for the Co-lony of NEW-HAMPSHIRE:

The Address and Petition of Major JAMES HACKETT:

GENTLEMEN: Permit me to return you my most hearty thanks for the honour you have conferred upon me in the appointment to the chief command of a regiment to be raised in the service of the United Colonies, and to be stationed for the safeguard and protection of this Colony in particular. While I feel myself obliged and honoured by your appointment, I cannot but lament that the chief command was not bestowed upon your former choice, a gentleman of superior skill and military reputation, whose judgment and experience are equal to the important office. My highest ambition would be to serve as second in command under the above gentleman, if the honourable House would think proper to make such an arrangement. I rather urge it, knowing it would be for the benefit of the service, and the honour of this Province in particular. But if, after this my most earnest solicitation in favour of Mr. Darne, you should still think proper to continue me in the chief command, be assured my utmost endeavours shall not be wanting to promote the good of my country in a faithful and diligent discharge of my duty. While I express the warmest inclination for the service, I must at the same time acknowledge myself inadequate to the task. I have had all the hardships of a soldier, without the experience of a General. If I should be found wanting in military skill, I shall hope for your and the publick’s indulgence. A faithful discharge of my duty, the publick good, and the happiness of those under my command, will always be the objects of my peculiar care and attention.

I am, with great respect, gentlemen, your most obliged and humble servant,

JAMES HACKETT.

Exeter, June 13, 1776.

PENNSYLVANIA ASSEMBLY.

Monday, May 20, 1776.

By the Returns of the Sheriffs of the several Counties, where an additional number of Representatives were directed, by an Act of Assembly passed the last sitting, to be chosen, it appears the following gentlemen were duly elected to serve in Assembly as Representatives during the remainder of this year, viz:

For the City of PHILADELPHIA: Samuel Howell, George Clymer, Andrew Allen, Alexander Wilcocks.

For the County of LANCASTER: Thomas Porter, Bartram Galbreath.

For the County of YORK: Samuel Eddie, James Rankin.

For the County of CUMBERLAND: Jonathan Hoge, Robert Whitehill.

For the County of BERKS: Henry Haller, John Lesher.

For the County of NORTHAMPTON: James Allen, Jacob Arndt.

For the County of BEDFORD: Thomas Smith.

For the County of NORTHUMBERLAND: James Potter.

For the County of WESTMORELAND: John Procter.

Mr. Speaker and twenty-seven Members met, pursuant to adjournment, and a quorum not appearing, the House adjourned to to-morrow, at three o’clock in the afternoon.

Tuesday, May 21, 1776.

A quorum of the Representatives met this day; but it being too late to proceed upon business, the House adjourned to ten o’clock to-morrow morning.

Wednesday, May 22, 177C.

The House met pursuant to their adjournment.

Mr. Speaker laid before the House a Letter received from Charles Moore, Esq., “requesting that he might have permission to resign his office as Clerk to the House, finding it to be inconvenient to him in many respects to continue longer herein.”

Petitions from Edward Tilghman and Abel Evans, respectively praying to be appointed Clerk to the House, in the room of Charles Moore, Esq., who has resigned, were presented to the House, and read.

Ordered to lie on the table.

A Protest of divers of the inhabitants of this Province, in behalf of themselves and others, was presented to the House, and read, and follows in these words, viz:

“The Protest of divers of the Inhabitants of this Province, in behalf of themselves and others :

“To the Honourable the Representatives of the Province of PENNSYLVANIA:

“GENTLEMEN: We, the inhabitants of the City and Liberties of Philadelphia, in behalf of ourselves and others, the inhabitants of Pennsylvania, conceive it our duty to represent unto this House as followeth;

“That whereas the honourable the Continental Congress hath, by a Resolve bearing date the 15th instant, recommended the taking up and establishing new Governments throughout all the United Colonies, under the ‘authority of the people;’ and as the chartered power of this House is derived from our mortal enemy, the King of Great Britain, and the members thereof were elected by such persons only as were either in real or supposed allegiance to the said King, to the exclusion of many worthy inhabitants whom the aforesaid Resolve of Congress hath now rendered electors; and as this House, in its present state, is in immediate intercourse with a Governour bearing the said King’s commission, and who is his sworn Representative, holding, and by oath obliged to hold, official correspondence with the Ministers of the said King, and is not within the reach of any act of ours to be absolved therefrom: We, therefore, in this solemn manner, in behalf of ourselves and others, do hereby renounce and protest against the authority and qualification of this House for framing a new Government.

“As we mean not to enter into any altercation with this House, we shall forbear enumerating the particular inconsistencies of its former conduct, and content ourselves with declaring that, as a body of men bound by oaths of allegiance to our enemy, and influenced, as many of its members are, either by connections with, or pecuniary employments under the Proprietary of this Province, who is likewise the said King’s Representative, it is, to all good intents and purposes, disqualified to take into consideration the late Resolve of Congress, and, as a House, is not within the description mentioned in the said Resolve, as ‘an Assembly under the authority of the people’ only; and because, likewise, that we have very alarming apprehensions that a new Government, modelled by persons so inconsistently circumstanced, would be the means of subjecting ourselves and our posterity to greater grievances than any we have hitherto experienced.

“In thus protesting against the authority of this House for framing a new Government, we mean not to object against its exercising the proper powers it has hitherto been accustomed to use, for the safety and convenience of the Province, until such time as a new Constitution, originating from and founded on ‘the authority of the people, ’ shall be finally settled by a Provincial Convention to be elected for that purpose, and until the proper officers and Representatives