the liberties of America if British troops should arrive; that there are yet some arms in and about the town of Hempstead; that the inhabitants are five or six hundred in number; that he has heard the inhabitants speak of Gabriel Ludlow, Justice Clowes, Daniel Kissam, and Isaac Smith, Esquires, as principal men, but that he has not heard any of those gentlemen say anything disaffected to the Colonies, and has not had conversation with them on the subject of the present troubles; that last winter a number of the inhabitants met two or three different times at the house of George Ryerson; that there were thirty or forty men at each of those meetings, as he imagines; that he has seen David Colden, Captain Whitehead, Dr. Arden, Thomas Cornell, Captain Richard Hulet, and Isaac Kip, go there; that Captain Hicks, at Rockaway, who formerly had a commission from Government, had about one hundred and forty men in his company; that he conceives many concealed their best arms when Colonel Heard came to disarm them; that they sometimes go out gunning and shooting, but complain for want of ammunition; that the few friends to liberty in that part of the country are afraid on account of the openness and threats of the disaffected; that Nathan Smith told the examinant that one Ackerman had informed him that he (the said Ackerman) had seen a quantity of beef and pork on board of Isaac Denton’s sloop; that there were also butter, eggs, and gammons on board, and that the sloop proceeded out of Rockaway Inlet towards the ships of war; that this was a few days before Captain Parr came up there with a company of Riflemen; that he has at three different times seen one sloop come into Rockaway Inlet; that at one time it was Denton’s sloop which he saw, and that the last he saw was a light sloop which came in there on a Friday, which was a fortnight ago last Friday; that from the caution the greatest part of the inhabitants observe with the few friends to liberty, it is very difficult to obtain a knowledge of their intentions or designs; that he was informed that lately at a vendue at Rockaway, one Jacob Foster, who had a cockade in his hat, was much abused and ill treated because he was a Whig; that the cockade was taken out of his hat and trod on by one Joseph Beagle; that he also heard that Jacob Hendrickson was abused and his hair pulled because he was a Whig; that he, (the examinant,) while he was at the vendue and before he left it, saw Joseph Langdon there; that he appeared to be disaffected and active among the people; that at a sheep-shearing lately in Hempstead, there was fresh lime punch plenty to be sold, and that it was sold in the pens by Timothy Clowes, a tavern keeper.

JOHN HENDRICKSON.

Martin Beebe, the Messenger, who brought despatches from King’s District to General Washington, was called in, sworn, and examined, and his Deposition follows, viz:

NEW-YORK, ss:

Martin Beebe, of King’s District, in the County of Albany, Farmer, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists, deposeth and saith: That he has acted as Clerk of the Committee of King’s District; that he is bound by oath not to mention the names of two persons who on oath gave the information to sundry Members of the Committee of King’s District, which are contained in two papers now shown to him, and of which he was the bearer to General Washing-ton; that the two persons who gave those informations are esteemed to be persons of veracity and to be believed; that he has known them a considerable time; that he is informed that the person mentioned by the name of Brown, is now a non-commissioned officer in Captain Vosburgh’s company, in the Continental service, and that he (this deponent) has been informed that when the said company comes to action, the said Brown is to take the command of the company; that he has understood that the information that Brown was an officer in the Thirteenth Regiment, was obtained from McDonald, the Miner, who told it to George Hinsdale; that Silas Howard is esteemed to be a Tory; that George Hinsdale is esteemed to be deceitful and inimical to his country; that the last account he heard of Brown was, that he was gone to Johnstown; that he has heard and believes that the said Brown has told the soldiers of Captain Vosburgh’s company that he should sometimes be gone, but they must not wonder at it; that he would sometimes be drunk, but they must not think strange of it; that when they came into any engagement their Captain would be missing, and they must follow him; that Captain Barret Dier has formerly been a Committee-man in King’s District; that Samuel Messenger is reputed to be a Tory; that John Guernsey is a person who was some time ago disarmed; that the two persons who were examined on oath before part of the Committee of King’s District, and whose names are concealed, were persons who had formerly been dealt with by the Committee of King’s District, and had been laid under solemn obligations not to do anything against the liberties of this country, and to give information to the Committee of any plot, conspiracy, or mischief, agreed or determined on against the country; that the said two persons have since declared that the schemes and plans in agitation appeared so horrible, that through compunction of conscience they came to the Committee to give information of what they knew; that they at the same time declared, that unless their names were concealed they would not give information of what they did know; and that the Members of the Committee who were then present and this examinant were sworn to conceal their names before the said two persons gave the information contained in the two papers exhibited as their testimony.

MARTIN BEEBE.

Die Luna;, 5 ho. P. M., May 20, 1776.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Brigadier-General Woodhull, President.

FOR NEW-YORK.—Mr. Scott, Mr. Sands, Major Stouten- burgh, Mr. Jacobus Van Zandt, Mr. E. Bancker, Captain Denning, Mr. Van Cortlandt, Mr. Francis Lewis.

FOR ALBANY.—Mr. Glenn, Mr. Cuyler.

FOR DUTCHESS.—Mr. Paul Schenck.

FOR ORANGE.—Mr. Little.

FOR QUEEN’S.—Mr. Lawrence, Colonel Blackwell.

FOR RICHMOND.—Mr. Journey, Mr. Conner.

FOR CHARLOTTE.—Mr. Webster

FOR SUFFOLK.—General Woodhull, Mr. Wickham, Mr.Gelston.

FOR WESTCHESTER.—Mr. Morris, Colonel Gilbert Drake, Mr. Paulding, Major Lockwood.

FOR KING’S.—Mr. Polhemus, Mr. Leffertse, Mr. Vander- bilt

FOR TRYON.—Mr. Moore, Mr. Harper.

The President informed the Congress, at the request of Mr. Webster, that Colonel Malcom is returned a Member of this Congress from Charlotte County, where he has respectable freeholds, as appears by return of the Members of that County, which has been read and filed; and that Mr. Webster desires that Mr. Malcom may take his seat.

It was objected by some Members that Mr. Malcom is not a resident in Charlotte County, and therefore ought not to be admitted to a seat.

Debates arose thereon, and the question being put, whether Mr. Malcom shall be admitted to take his seat, it was determined in the affirmative manner, as follows, viz:

Ordered, therefore, That Mr. Malcom be admitted to take his seat, and that Mr. Webster inform Mr. Malcom that he will please to attend and take his seat.

Mr. Stoutenburgh, with leave of the House, withdrew.

The Congress then resumed the business of the day, and proceeded to consider of the information contained in the papers received of General Washington, and the examinations of John Hendrickson and Martin Beebe.

After some time spent therein, and some gentlemen having delivered their sentiments on the subject—

* * * * * * *

Ordered, That Mr. Schenck, Mr. Paulding, and Mr. Little, be a Committee to consider McDonald’s Reports about Lead Mines, and to report to this Congress their opinion whether either, and which of the said Mines, are worth pursuing, and that they report with all convenient speed.

Ordered, That all the Members of this Congress, from