“Extract from the Votes of Assembly, APRIL 6, 1776.

“Resolved, That it be earnestly recommended by this House to all well-affected Non-Associators, who are possessed of good Arms, to deliver them to the collectors, hereafter directed to be chosen, as they regard the freedom, safety, and prosperity of their country.

“Resolved, That the freeholders and freemen of every Township, Borough, Ward, and District, within this Province, qualified to vote for Members of Assembly, shall respectively meet together at some convenient place within their several Townships, Boroughs, Wards, and Districts, on the 25th day of this month, and then and there choose by ballot three persons for collectors of Arms; which persons so chosen shall meet the persons chosen by the next two adjoining Townships, Boroughs, Wards, or Districts; and the said persons, or a majority of them, shall collect and receive all such Arms of Non-Associators as are fit for use, or can be conveniently made so, within their respective Townships, Boroughs, Wards, and Districts, and shall appraise, or cause the said Arms to be appraised, according to the true and real “value, which they shall pay to the owners, and then shall deposite the said Arms in some dry, safe, and convenient place in the several Townships, Boroughs, Wards, and Districts, subject to the orders of Assembly, or, in their recess, of the Committee of Safety.

“Resolved, That the said persons so chosen, or a majority of them, shall disarm all disaffected persons before described, and shall appraise, or cause the Arms taken from them to be appraised as aforesaid, and shall pay to the owners the value of such Arms as are fit for use, or that can be conveniently made so, depositing all the Arms in the manner before-mentioned.

“Resolved, That if any Townships, Boroughs, Wards, or Districts, shall neglect or refuse to choose such persons as aforesaid, or if the person so chosen shall neglect or refuse to perform the duties hereby required of them; in such case the Committee of Inspection and Observation, in each County respectively, shall immediately proceed to carry the foregoing recommendation of Congress effectually into execution.

“Resolved, That the persons so chosen shall immediately make returns of all Arms fit for use, or that can conveniently be made so, which they shall take, collect, or receive, with the value thereof, to the Assembly, or, in their recess, to the Committee of Safety, who may draw orders for the amount thereof, in favour of such persons, on Michael Hillega s, Esq., Treasurer, who is hereby required to pay the same out of the moneys directed to be emitted by this House.”

Resolved, That the Constables of the respective Townships in this County, who have heretofore neglected their duty, do advertise the inhabitants to meet on Saturday, the 29th instant, to choose suitable persons to proceed agreeably to the above Resolves; and that such person so chosen do make report of their proceedings to this Board at their next meeting.

Resolved, That, for the more ready execution of the said Resolves of Assembly, this County be divided into Districts, as followeth, viz:

Chester, Middletown, Nether Providence, Ridley, Darby, Springfield; Radnor, Haverford, Marple; Edgmont, Upper Providence, Newtown; Willistown, East Town, Tredyffryn; Goshen, East Whiteland, West Whiteland; Charlestown, Pikeland, Vincent; Coventry, Uwchland, East Nantmill; West Bradford, East Bradford, East Caln; Upper Chichester, Lower Chichester, Bethel; Ashton, Concord, Thornbury; Birmingham, West Town, Pennsbury; Kennet, New-Garden, East Marlborough; Londongrove, New-London, London Britain; East Nottingham, West Nottingham, Oxford; Newlington, West Marlborough, East Fallowfield, West Fallowfield, Sadsbury, Londonderry; West Nantmill, West Caln.

Moved, That a Letter from the Committee of Safety, dated May last, be read.

Resolved thereon, That the respective Colonels of the Militia in this County be, and they are hereby, requested, without loss of time, to make a return to the honourable Committee of Safety of the number of Associators composing their several Battalions, and their state and condition with respect to Arms and Accoutrements.

By order of the Committee:

WILLIAM EVANS, Chairman.

ESSEX COUNTY (NEW-JERSEY) COMMITTEE.

Whereas there was an order of the former County Committee, of the 12th of February last, that no person should be allowed to move into or settle within this County without bringing a certificate from the Committee of the City, Township, or County, from whence they removed, that they had signed the General Association recommended by the Continental or Provincial Congress of New-Jersey, or adopted by the Committee of the District where they resided, and had in all things behaved in a manner friendly to American liberty: And whereas sundry people have of late removed into this County, some from the Province of New-York, and others from the different Counties in this Province:

Resolved, That all such persons, so as aforesaid removed into this County, be notified to produce their certificates to this Committee by the 8th. day of July next; and that upon their non-compliance, they be immediately ordered out of the County to the place from whence they came.

Extract from the Minutes. Published by order of the Committee.

ICHABOD BURNET, Clerk.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

[Read June 15, 1776. Referred to the Committee of War and Ordnance.]

New-York, June 14, 1776.

SIR: I herewith transmit you copies of a letter from General Schuyler [of the 10th.] and its several enclosures, which I received since I had the honour of addressing you yesterday. From them you will learn that General Thomas died on the 2d instant, and the apprehensions of our frontier friends in this Colony that our savage foes are meditating an attack against them.

I must beg leave to refer you to a paragraph in the copy of General Schuyler’s letter to General Putnam, or the commanding officer here, enclosed in mine of the 13th, where he requests a supply of clothing to be sent for the Army in Canada. As there is but little or no probability of getting it here, I shall be glad to know whether there will be any chance of procuring it in Philadelphia; and if it should be sent through the hands of the Quartermaster here, to what account it is to be charged.

I was last evening favoured with yours of the 11th instant, and hope the two battalions which Congress have ordered from Philadelphia to the defence of this place, will come provided with arms; if they do not, they will be of no service, as there are more troops here already than are armed.

From General Schuyler’s letter, he has in view the taking post where Fort Stanwix formerly stood. I wrote him I thought it prudent, previous to that, to secure a post lower down, about the Falls below the German Flats, lest the savages should possess themselves of the country, and prevent supplies of men and provisions that may be necessary to send there in future. He says he is in want of cannon and ammunition; but has expressed himself so ambiguously, that I am at a loss to know whether he meant what he has said as an application or not, this being the only intelligence on the subject or the first mention of his want. I have desired him to explain the matter, and wished him, in future requisitions for necessaries, to be more certain and explicit as to quantity and quality. In the mean time I shall send him some intrenching tools, and inquire whether there are any cannon that can be spared from hence.

I have the honour to be, with sentiments of great esteem, sir, your most obedient servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To the President of Congress.

GENERAL ORDERS.

Head-Quarters, New-York, June 9, 1776.

It is strongly recommended to the Officers of the different Regiments to practise the salute with the fusee, and to fall upon a method of being uniform therein, so that all may acquire one and the same mode; and the General desires that when the line is turned out at any encampment, all the Officers keep their arms advanced, and salute only by