PHILADELPHIA, June 18, 1776.

Errours Excepted.

CHARLES WALKER.

Proceedings of the Provincial Conference of Committees of the Province of PENNSYLVANIA, held at the Carpenter’s Hall, at PHILADELPHIA, begun June 18, and continued by adjournments to June 25. 1776.

Tuesday, June 18, 1776.

This day a number of gentlemen met at Carpenter’s Hall, in Philadelphia, being deputed by the Committees of several of the Counties of this Province to join in Provincial Conference, in consequence of a Circular Letter from the Committee of the City and Liberties of Philadelphia, enclosing the Resolution of the Continental Congress of the 15th May last.

Colonel McKean, as Chairman of the City Committee, declared the motives which had induced that Committee to propose the holding of the present Conference, and then laid on the table a certificate of Deputies appointed* to attend on the part of said Committee.

Returns were also given in from the Counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, Berks, Northampton, York, Cumberland, Bedford, and Westmoreland, by the Deputies of said Counties, by which it appears the following gentlemen were appointed, viz :

For the Committee of the City, &c., of PHILADELPHIA.—*Dr. Benjamin Franklin, Colonel Thomas McKean, Mr. Christopher Marshall, Sen., Major John Bayard, Colonel Timothy Matlack, Colonel Joseph Dean, Captain Francis Gurney, Major William Coates, Mr. George Schlos-ser, Captain Jonathan B. Smith, Captain George Goodwin, Mr. Jacob Barge, Mr. Samuel C. Morris, Captain Joseph Moulder, Mr. William Lowman, Dr. Benjamin Rush, Mr. Christopher Ludwig, Mr. James Milligan, Mr. Jacob Schriner, Captain Sharp Delaney, Major John Cox, Captain Benjamin Loxley, Captain Samuel Brewster, Captain Joseph Blewer, Mr. William Robinson.

For the Committee of PHILADELPHIA County. —Colonel Henry Hill, Colonel Robert Lewis, Dr. Enoch Edwards, *Colonel William Hamilton, Colonel John Bull, Colonel Frederick Antis, *Major James Potts, Major Robert Loller, Mr. Joseph Mather, Mr. Matthew Brooks, *Mr. Edward Bartholomew.

For the Committee of BUCKS County. —John Kidd, Esq., Major Henry Wynkoop, Mr. James Wallace, Colonel Joseph Hart, Mr. Benjamin Segle.

For the Committee of CHESTER County. —Colonel Richard Thomas, Major William Evans, Colonel Thomas Hockley, Major Caleb Davis, Elisha Price, Esq, Mr. Samuel Fairlamb, Colonel William Montgomery, Colonel Hugh Lloyd, Richard Reiley, Esq., Colonel Evan Evans, Colonel Lewis Grono, Major Sketchley Morton, Captain Thomas Levis.

For the Committee of LANCASTER County. —William Atlee, Esq., Mr. Lodowick Lowman, Colonel Bartram Galbraith, Colonel Alexander Lowrey, Captain Andrew Graaff, Mr. William Brown, Mr. John Smiley, Major James Cunningham, Major David Jenkins.

For the Committee of BERKS County. —Colonel Jacob Morgan, Colonel Henry Haller, Colonel Mark Bird, Dr. Bodo Otto, Mr. Benjamin Spiker, Colonel Daniel Hunter, Colonel Valentine Eakerd, Colonel Nicholas Lutz, Captain Joseph Hiester, Mr. Charles Shoemaker.

For the Committee of NORTHAMPTON County. —Robert Levers, Esq., Colonel Neigal Gray, John Weitzel, Esq., Nicholas Dupue, Esq., Mr. David Deshler, Mr. Benjamin Dupue.

For the Committee of YORK County. —Colonel James Smith, Colonel Robert McPherson, Colonel Richard McAlister, Colonel David Kennedy, Colonel William Rankin, Colonel Henry Slagel, Mr. James Egar, *Mr. John Hay, Captain Joseph Read.

For the Committee of CUMBERLAND County. —Mr, James McLane, *Colonel John Allison, John McClay, Esq., William Elliot, Esq., Colonel William Clark, Dr. John Colhoon, Mr. John Creigh, Mr. Hugh McCormick, Mr. John Harris, Mr. Hugh Alexander.

For the Committee of BEDFORD County. —Colonel David Espy, Colonel John Piper, Samuel Davidson, Esq.

For the Committee of WESTMORELAND County. —Mr. Edward Cook, Mr. James Perry.

*All the Members attended except those marked with an asterisk (*).

A quorum of the Members from the above Counties being met, except that only two appeared from Chester County, proceeded to the choice of a President, Vice-President, and two Secretaries; and Colonel Thomas McKean was chosen President, Colonel Joseph Hart Vice-President, Jonathan B. Smith and Samuel C. Morris, Secretaries.

Then the Conference adjourned to three o’clock P. M.

Tuesday, June 18, 1776, 3 o’clock P. M.

The Conference met, present as above, and adjourned to nine o’clock to-morrow morning.

Wednesday, June 19, 1776.

The Conference met, present twelve Committees, ninety-seven Members.

A Return was delivered at the table from Northumberland, and the Deputies attended, being Col. William Cook, Alexander Hunter, Esq., Messrs. John Heitzel, Robert Martin, and Matthew Brown, as did those also from Chester.

On motion, it was Resolved unanimously, That in taking the sense of this Conference on any question which may come before them, the City and Counties respectively shall have one vote.

On motion, it was Ordered, That the Resolution of the Continental Congress, of 15th May last, recommending the total suppression of all authority under the King of Great Britain, & c., be read.

And it was read accordingly, and is in the words following, viz :

“In Congress, May 15, 1776.

“Whereas His Britannick Majesty, in conjunction with the Lords and Commons of Great Britain, has, by a late Act of Parliament, excluded the inhabitants of these United Colonies from the protection of his Crown: And whereas no answer whatever to the humble Petitions of the Colonies for redress of grievances and reconciliation with Great Britain has been, or is likely to be, given; but the whole force of that Kingdom, aided by foreign mercenaries, is to be exerted for the destruction of the good people of these Colonies: And whereas it appears absolutely irreconcilable to reason and good conscience for the people of these Colonies now to take the oaths and affirmations necessary for the support of any Government under the Crown of Great Britain, and it is necessary that the exercise of every kind of authority under the said Crown should be totally suppressed, and all the powers of Government exerted under the authority of the people of the Colonies, for the preservation of internal peace, virtue, and good order, as well as for the defence of their lives, liberties, and properties, against the hostile invasions and cruel depredations of their enemies: Therefore,

“Resolved, That it be recommended to the respective Assemblies and Conventions of the United Colonies, where no Government sufficient to the exigencies of their affairs has been hitherto established, to adopt such Government as shall, in the opinion of the Representatives of the people, best conduce to the happiness and safety of their constituents in particular, and America in general.

“By order of the Congress:

“JOHN HANCOCK, President.”

By special order the same was read a second time, and, after mature consideration,

Resolved, unanimously, That the said Resolution of Congress of the 15th May last is fully approved by this Conference.

On motion, Resolved, unanimously, That the present Government of this Province is not competent to the exigencies of our affairs.