Ordered, That Mr. Gray and Mr. Parker procure and send to each County such machines.

The House adjourned to nine o’clock to-morrow morning.

Saturday, June 1, 1776.

Mr. Speaker and thirty-five Members met pursuant to adjournment; and a quorum not appearing, they adjourned to Monday next, at four o’clock in the afternoon.

Monday, June 3, 1776.

Mr. Speaker, with thirty-six Members, met pursuant to adjournment; and a quorum not appearing, they adjourned to to-morrow, at three o’clock in the afternoon.

Tuesday, June 4, 1776.

Mr. Speaker, with thirty-six Members, met pursuant to adjournment; and a quorum not appearing, they adjourned to ten o’clock to-morrow morning.

Wednesday, June 5, 1776.

The House met pursuant to adjournment.

The Speaker laid before the House a Letter he had received from the President of the General Convention of Virginia, enclosing Resolves of the Convention of that Colony; which were read, and are as they severally follow, viz:

“Virginia, May 22, 1776.

“I am honoured with the commands of the General Convention of this Colony to transmit you the enclosed Resolutions, which they have thought it indispensably necessary to enter into at this important crisis; requesting that you will communicate their contents to the Assembly of your Colony, for their consideration.

“I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,

“EDMUND PENDLETON, President.

“Honourable the Speaker of Assembly, Pennsylvania. ”

“Votes of the Assembly.

“In Convention, Wednesday, May 15, 1776.

“Present one hundred and twelve Members.

“Forasmuch as all the endeavours of the United Colonies, by the most decent representations and petitions to the King and Parliament of Great Britain, to restore peace and security to America, under the British Government, and reunion with that people upon just and liberal terms, instead of a redress of grievances, have produced, from an imperious and vindictive Administration, increased insult, oppression, and a vigorous attempt to effect our total destruction:—by a late act, all these Colonies are declared to be in rebellion, and out of the protection of the British Crown; our properties subjected to confiscation; our people, when captivated, compelled to join in the murder and plunder of their relations and countrymen, and all further rapine and oppression of Americans declared legal and just. Fleets and armies are raised, and the aid of foreign troops engaged to assist these destructive purposes. The King’s Representative in this Colony hath not only withheld all the powers of Government from operating for our safety, but, having retired on board an armed ship, is carrying on a piratical and savage war against us, tempting our slaves, by every artifice, to resort to him, and training and employing them against their masters. In this state of extreme danger, we have no alternative left but an abject submission to the will of those overbearing tyrants, or a total separation from the Crown and Government of Great Britain, uniting and exerting the strength of all America for defence, and forming alliances with foreign Powers for commerce and aid in war:—Wherefore, appealing to the Searcher of Hearts for the sincerity of former declarations, expressing our desire to preserve the connection with that nation, and that we are driven from that inclination by their wicked councils, and the eternal laws of self-preservation,

“Resolved, unanimously, That the Delegates appointed to represent this Colony in General Congress be instructed to propose to that respectable body to declare the United Colonies free and independent States, absolved from allegiance to, or dependance upon, the Crown or Parliament of Great Britain; and that they give the assent of this Colony to such declaration, and to whatever measures may be thought proper and necessary by the Congress for forming foreign alliances, and a confederation of the Colonies, at such time and in the manner as to them shall seem best: Provided, That the power of forming Government for, and the regulations of, the internal concerns of each Colony, be left to the respective Colonial Legislatures.

“Resolved, unanimously, That a Committee be appointed to prepare a Declaration of Rights, and such a plan of Government as will be most likely to maintain peace and order in this Colony, and secure substantial and equal liberty to the people.

“EDMUND PENDLETON, President. ”

A Member presented at the table a Letter from the Chairman of the Continental Treasury Office, with some Minutes of that Board, respecting an account of the number of inhabitants of this Province, to be procured by the Assembly and returned to said Office; which were read.

Ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Speaker laid before the House a Letter which he received from the President of the Continental Congress, enclosing a number of Resolves of the Congress, which were read, and ordered to lie on the table for the consideration of the House.

A great number of Petitions from divers inhabitants of this Province, of the same tenour with those presented on Wednesday last from the City and County of Philadelphia, were laid before the House, and read.

Ordered to lie on the table.

The Petition from a number of inhabitants of Cumberland County, praying that the Instructions given by the Assembly to the Delegates of this Province in Congress may be withdrawn, was read a second time, and, after a debate of considerable length, the question being called for and put by the Speaker, whether a Committee shall he appointed to bring in new Instructions to the Delegates of this Province in Congress?

Carried in the affirmative by a large majority.

Ordered, That Mr. Dickinson, Mr. Morris, Mr. Reed, Mr. Clymer, Mr. Wilcocks, Mr. Pearson, and Mr. Smith, be a Committee to prepare and bring in a draft of Instructions to the Delegates in Congress.

The resignation of Frederick Molineux, who was appointed Quartermaster to one of the Battalions in the pay of this Province, was presented, and read.

Ordered to lie on the table.

The House adjourned to three o’clock in the afternoon.

A Memorial of the Committee of Inspection of the County of Westmoreland was presented to the House, and read, setting forth that, from a variety of informations, they are apprehensive of danger from the Ministerial troops at Detroit, and the Indians in that country; that Vann Sweringen, Esq., has raised a Company of effective men at a considerable expense, whom the Memorialists have continued and stationed at the Kittaning, on the Allegany River, for the protection of the frontier; and praying that the said Company may be continued as long as the House may think proper; and that they may approve of the conduct of the Committee.

Ordered to lie on the table.

A Memorial of the Commanders of the thirteen Row-Galleys in the service of this Province, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth that the Memorialists attended yesterday before a Committee of the House, who were appointed to inquire into the conduct of the Committee of Safety, agrees able to an order of the House of the 29th of may last; and that they were there as spectators and auditors only; that they addressed the publick in an appeal, signed with their names, on the 16th day of May last, respecting the actions on the 8th and 9th days of the said month with the Roebuck and Liverpool ships of war in the river Delaware, and alleging that they had every reason to believe that only for the want of ammunition at the time the Roebuck got aground, they would have made a prize of her; that the Committee of Safety, on the inquiry, endeavoured to prove that the Memorialists had a greater quantity of ammunition than they had set forth in the address aforesaid, and that several other facts therein contained were not well founded; all of which the Memorialists are ready to disprove, and to make out the several particulars in their said address, to the satisfaction of the House. They therefore