Die Lunæ, 9 ho. A. M., May 27, 1776.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Brigadier-General Woodhull, President.

FOR NEW-YORK—Colonel Jay, Colonel Remsen, ColonelBroome, Mr. Randall, Captain Denning, Colonel Brasher, Mr. Scott, Mr. Alsop, Mr. Lewis.

FOR ALBANY—Mr. Cuyler, Mr. Glenn.

FOR ORANGE.—Mr. Haring, Mr. Little.

FOR RICHMOND.

FOR ULSTER.—Colonel Hasbrouck, Mr. Brewster, MajorParks, Mr. Cantine.

FOR QUEEN’S.

FOR TRYON.—Mr. Moore, Mr. Harper.

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

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

FOR KING’S.—Mr. Covenhoven, Mr. Jeremiah Vanderbilt.

FOR CHARLOTTE.—Colonel Malcom, Mr. Webster.

Colonel Remsenrepresented to the Congress that many persons were confined by order of this and the former Congress and Committee of Safety, and the necessity of appointing a Standing Committee to examine and discharge such of them as shall appear to be innocent of the charges alleged against them.

Thereupon, Ordered, That Colonel Broome, Mr. Cuyler, Colonel Remsen, Colonel Malcom, Colonel Brasher, or any three of them, be a Standing Committee to take examination of and try all such persons as are taken into custody by order of this or any former Congress or Committee of Safety of this Colony, as also all such persons as shall hereafter be taken into custody by order of this Congress or their Committee of Safety, excepting those already committed on suspicion of counterfeiting Paper currency; that the said Committee have power to call in and examine witnesses and papers for that purpose; and further, that the said Committee be, and they are hereby authorized, to discharge all such Prisoners as shall, on full inquiry, appear to said Committee to be innocent of the charges alleged against them respectively; that the said Committee keep a record of their proceedings in the premises, and to recommit all such of the said Prisoners as they shall find guilty, and report them, with their crimes, and the substance of the evidence that shall have been given for and against them.

A Letter from General Putnam, relating to Amos Bulland some other Prisoners who had been taken by one of the Military Guards, was read. A Memorandum enclosed in the said Letter was also read. The said Memorandum contains the names of sundry witnesses against John Beckand Mary, his wife, on a charge of attempting to supply Provisions to the Ships-of-War, and refers to parts of a Letter in custody of one of the Secretaries; and also contains a Memorandum that a Frenchman, known by the name of Dr. Du Buke, had been taking notes on the Batteries and Fort with a pencil.

Ordered, That Mr. McKessonwait personally on the General Committee of this City, now sitting, and deliver to them General Putnam’sLetter, and all the other papers in his custody relative thereto, and give them such other information on that subject as he may have obtained, that the said General Committee may proceed thereon.

It was suggested to the Congress that some gentlemen are of opinion that it would be advantageous for the defence of this Colony to impede the navigation between Red-Hook, on Nassau-Island, and Bedlow’s Island, if the same can be done.

Therefore, Ordered, That Colonel Malcomand Captain Daniel Shaw, and such persons as they shall think proper to take to their assistance for the purpose, be, and they are hereby, authorized to sound the depth of the water between Red-Hook, on Nassau-Island, and Bedlow’s Island, and make report of their doings to this Congress; and that they apply to the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Troops in this Colony for permission to perform the said service without interruption or molestation from the troops on board.

Mr. Covenhovenwas duly sworn and took the usual oath of secrecy.

The Order of the Day being read, the Congress proceeded to hear the Report of the Committee on the Resolution of the Continental Congress of the 15th of Mayrelating to a new form of Government. The same was read, and being again read by paragraphs, is in the words following, to wit:

1st. That your Committee are of opinion that the right of framing, creating, or remodelling Civil Government is and ought to be in the People.

2dly. That as the present form of Government by Congress and Committees in this Colony originated from, so it depends on, the free and uncontrolled choice of the inhabitants thereof.

3dly. That the said form of Government was instituted while the old form of Government still subsisted, and, therefore, is necessarily subject to many defects, which could not then be remedied by any new institutions.

4thly. That by the voluntary abdication of the late Governour, Tryon, the dissolution of our Assembly for want of due prorogation, and the open and unwarrantable hostilities committed against the persons and properties of the inhabitants of all the United Colonies in North-Americaby the BritishFleets and Armies, under the authority, and by the express direction and appointment of, the King, Lords, and Commons of Great Britain, the said old form of Government is become, ipso facto, dissolved; whereby it hath become absolutely necessary for the good people of this Colony to institute a new and regular form of internal Government and Police, the supreme Legislative and Executive power in which should, for the present, wholly reside and be within this Colony, in exclusion of all foreign and external power, authority, dominion, jurisdiction, and pre-eminence whatsoever.

5thly. That doubts have arisen whether this Congress are invested with sufficient authority to frame and institute such new form of internal Government and Police.

6thly. That those doubts can, and of right ought to, be removed by the good people of this Colony only.

7thly. That until such new form of internal Police and Government be constitutionally established, or until the expiration of the term for which this Congress was elected, this Congress ought to continue in the full exercise of their present authority, and, in the mean time, ought to give the good people of each several and respective County in this Colony full opportunity to remove the said doubts, either by declaring their respective Representatives in this Congress, in conjunction with the Representatives of the other Counties respectively, competent for the purpose of establishing such new form of internal Police and Government, and adding to their number, if they shall think proper, by electing others in the stead of the present Members, or any or either of them, and increasing (if they should deem it necessary) the number of Deputies from each County, with the like powers as are now vested in this Congress, and with express authority to institute and establish such new and internal form of Government and Police as aforesaid.

8thly. That therefore this House take some order, to be publickly notified throughout the several Counties in this Colony, whereby the inhabitants of each County respectively, on a given day to be appointed in each of them respectively by this Congress for the purpose, may, by plurality of voices, either confirm their present Representatives respectively in this Congress in their present power, and with express authority, in conjunction with the Representatives in this Congress for the other Counties, to institute a new internal form of Government and Police for this Colony, suited to the present critical emergency, and to continue in full force and effect until a future peace with Great Britainshall render the same unnecessary, or elect new Members for that purpose to take seat in Congress, in place of those Members respectively who shall not be so confirmed. The whole number to be capable of such addition or increase in each respective County as aforesaid.

By order of the Committee:

HENRY REMSEN, Chairman.

The said Report being considered, was accepted.

Mr. Covenhovenand Mr. Jeremiah Vanderbiltdissent from said fourth paragraph and the seventh and eighth paragraphs.

Ordered, That Mr. Scott, Mr. Jay, and Mr. Haring, be a Committee to take said Report and frame it into Resolutions to be published.

The office of Captain of the Company of Light-Horse