Debates arose on the said proposed amendment. Mr. Morris supported his motion in a long argument in opposition to the said proposed amendment.

The question being then put on Mr. Sands’s motion, it was carried in the affirmative, in the manner following, to wit:

The Congress then proceeded to nominate and appoint a Committee for the purpose before-mentioned.

Thereupon, Resolved, That Mr. Scott, Mr. Haring, Colonel Remsen, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Jay, Mr. Cuyler, and Colonel Broome, be a Committee to take into consideration the Resolutions of Continental Congress of the 15th May instant, and that the said Committee report thereon with all convenient speed.

As Colonel Remsen is appointed one of the Committee to report on the stations of the neighbouring Regiments of Militia in case of invasions or alarm, as requested by General Washington’s Letter of the 17th instant, which might interfere with his attendance on the Committee above appointed:

Ordered, That he be discharged from the Committee relating to the Militia, and that Colonel Malcom be added to that Committee in his stead.

A Letter from General Putnam, dated this day, was received, read, and filed. He therein mentions that an old house very much endangers the great Laboratory in the new Bridewell near the Green; that Colonel Knox is very desirous to take it away; that as it is in a ruinous condition there is no inducement to keep it standing.

Ordered, That Mr. McKesson inform the General that the Magistrates have given orders to remove the Paupers out of that house without delay, and given permission to Colonel Knox to have it removed as soon as it is evacuated.

Die Sabbati, 9 ho. A. M., May 25, 1776.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Brigadier-General Woodhull, President.

FOR NEW-YORK.—Colonel Broome, Mr. Sands, Mr. Jay, Mr. Jacobus Van Zandt, Mr. Randall, Mr. Bancker, Colonel Remsen, Mr. Scott.

FOR ALBANY, —Mr. Cuyler, Mr. Glenn.

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

FOR TRYON.—Mr. Moore, Mr. Harper.

FOR ULSTER.—Major Parks, Mr. Cantine, Mr. Hasbrouck, Mr. Brewster.

FOR ORANGE.—Mr. Haring, Mr. Little.

FOR KING’S.—Mr. Polhemus, Mr. Leffertse, Captain Jeremiah Vanderbilt.

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

FOR WESTCHESTER.—Mr. Morris, Mr. Paulding, Mr. Tompkins, Mr. Haviland.

FOR QUEEN’S.—Mr. Waters Smith, Col. Blackwell, Captain Lawrence.

FOR CHARLOTTE.—Colonel Malcom, Mr. Webster.

Matthew Cantine, Esquire, appeared and produced the Credentials of the Deputies chosen to represent the County of Ulster in Provincial Congress, dated at New-Paltz, April 16th, 1776, and signed by Johannes Hardenburgh, Chairman of the Committee of the said County; whereby it appears that Colonel Charles Hewitt, Colonel Abraham Hasbrouck, Colonel Johannes Snyder, Matthew Cantine, Esquire, Matthew Rhea, Esquire, Mr. Arthur Parks, Henry Wisner, Jun., Esquire, and Samuel Brewster, Esquire, were duly elected to represent the said County in Provincial Congress, with power, in conjunction with the other Counties, to elect Delegates for this Colony in Continental Congress, and a recommendation to them to nominate George Clinton, Esquire, as one of the said Delegates.

Colonel Abraham Hasbrouck also appeared and produced another Credential from the same County, of the same date, and signed by Johannes Hardenburgh, Chairman of the said County Committee, whereby it appears that the same gentlemen were duly elected to represent the said County in Provincial Congress, and that any two of them be a quorum, reserving to the people of the County at large the right of choosing a Delegate for the Continental Congress.

The said Credentials were respectively read; and the question being put, whether those gentlemen shall take their seats: Agreed that those gentlemen (as well as any other of the gentlemen in the said Credentials named) take their seats.

And Ordered, That a Letter be written, enclosing copies of the said Credentials, to the Chairman and Members of the Committee of Ulster County, requesting of them to transmit to this Congress, without delay, a true statement of the proceedings of the said Committee relative to the election of Deputies for the said County; and, further, that they inform the Congress of the reasons for sending two sets of Credentials, contradictory to each other with respect to the subject of appointing Delegates for the Continental Congress.

Mr. Sands reported that he had spoken with Colonel Curtenius on the subject of contracting to supply Captain Hamilton’s Artillery Company with Provisions; that Colonel Curtenius refused entering into contract himself, as he could not attend to the business—his time being altogether taken up with other publick business; but that Cornelius Roosevelt and Wessel Wessels were willing to contract for supplying the said Company with Provisions, at the rate of 10½d. per ration, and that Colonel Curtenius would become surety for their true and faithful performance of the same.

Ordered, That Mr. Sands be authorized to make the said Contract with those gentlemen on the terms they have offered.

A Return of the Officers of a Minute Company at Newburgh, in Ulster County, whereby it appears that the following persons were elected: Uriah Drake Captain, Jacob Lawrence First Lieutenant, William Ervin Second Lieutenant, and Thomas Dunn Ensign,—was read and filed.

Ordered, That the issuing of Commissions be delayed till the Report of the Committee on General Washington’s two Letters be taken into consideration.

Messrs. John Berrian and Robert Harpur, two of the Members of the General Committee of the City and County of New-York, attending, were admitted. They delivered in the Report of the said Committee on the case of Azor Betts, charged with having inoculated persons for the Small-Pox; whereby it appears that Doctor Betts has, by the repeated applications of the Officers of the Continental Army, inoculated some of them—particularly Colonel Molton, Captain Parks, Doctor Hart, and Lieutenant Brown; and that the said Committee has committed the said Azor Betts in close custody in Jail until he be released by order of this Congress.

Messrs. Berrian and Harpur further informed, that the wife of Azor Betts, on her examination, says that Lieutenant Seymour, from Long-Island, had informed her that seven persons of the Army (Officers, as she understood) on Long-Island were taking mercurial preparations, and, as he (the said Seymour) supposed, were inoculated or preparing to be inoculated with the Small-Pox.

Ordered, That the Secretaries prepare a copy of the said Report of the General Committee, to be delivered to Major-General Putnam, that he may give such directions to the Continental Army for preventing the Small-Pox among them on Long-Island as he may think necessary.

Messrs. Berrian and Harpur also informed the Congress that William Newton, of this City, has been charged and convicted before the General Committee of New-York of violating a Resolution of the Continental Congress, in refusing to receive in payment the Continental Paper money; that the said Newton has since consented to receive the said money in payment. The General Committee therefore request the advice and opinion of this Congress on a doubt which hath arisen in the said Committee, to wit: Whether the said Newton ought, notwithstanding his present willingness to receive the said money, to be held up to the publick as an enemy to this country.

The said Committee were informed, as the opinion of this Congress, that it would be most prudent not to hold the said Newton up to the publick as an enemy to this country; provided he receive the said money without interest from the day on which the same was tendered to him in payment

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