out of the house; said they should not have the tea for Continental money, and that they might do their worst; complain to the Committee, or whatever they pleased, for that Mr. Alsop, one of the Continental Delegates, sold his tea for hard money and no otherwise, and would not; that Mr. Gautier weighed the tea for Van Home, and started it out afterwards; says Mr. Gautier weighed the tea for Van Horne, took it out of the box for that purpose and put it in a paper, and when he found he could get nothing but Continental money, poured it back again. Witness says he did not say that if he had the hard money they should not have it. Acknowledges that he said he would not be too good to raise a posse and take the tea by force. Sickles said if he did he would blow his brains out.

Cornelius Van Home sworn. He and Ward went to purchase tea, and Ward asked the price; Sickles said it was six shillings per pound. Witness asked to have a pound weighed; Mr. Gautier went to weigh it. Witness was going to pull out his pocket-book, and Sickles said he should not have the tea without hard money—silver or gold; he said he thought Mr. Sickles was joking; where should carmen get hard money? we work for the Continent and get Continental money. Told him further that it was very hard to work for Continental money and not be able to purchase with it the necessaries for his family. Whereupon Mr. Gautier, who had weighed the tea, threw it back into the chest; that the conversation about hard money arose after Mr. Gautier had begun to weigh the tea.

The defendant confesses that he told the witnesses he asked gold or silver for his tea, and turned it back into the chest when they declared they would not give gold or silver.

Joseph Winter sworn. Says the defendant fully exculpated Mr, Sickles, and took the charge on himself.

Mr. Dunscombe says that Gautier before the Committee cleared Sickles, and Sickles declared he had never refused Continental money, and he alone had refused the money; that the Secretary of the Committee will prove this. Mr. Gautier so far admits this matter that he acknowledges he turned the tea into the box. Gautier further says that he does not know what money the cartmen had; that no money was tendered to him; that they told him it was paper money, and therefore he refused to deliver the tea.

Joseph Winter, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists, says: That Mr. Andrew Gautier, on his examination before the General Committee, fully exculpated Sickles, and took the whole charge upon himself; that he understood that he exculpated Sickles to both charges. Mr. Gautier says he has not any questions to ask the witness.

The parties and witnesses withdrew. The allegations of the parties examined. The Congress having heard the witnesses in the case of Andrew Gautier, Jun.,

Resolved, That the decision of the General Committee of the City and County of New- York, in the case of Andrew Gautier, Jun., be and is hereby confirmed.

Mr. Dunscombe and Mr. John Campbell, two of the General Committee, attended on behalf of the Committee, and their appointments were read.

The Minutes of the General Committee of the City of New-York were read; whereby it appears that complaint had been made against Andrew Gautier, Jun., for refusing Continental bills in payment. That on the testimony of Samuel Pratt and Samuel Ward, (whose depositions taken before the Committee were read,) the said General Committee had “Resolved, That Mr. Andrew Gautier, Jun., had violated the Resolution of Congress in refusing to receive the Continental bills in payment, and that he be held up to the publick as an enemy to his country.”

That from this decision Mr. Gautier has appealed to this Congress. The defence of the said Andrew Gautier, Jun., by him delivered in writing, was also read, whereby he confesses and avoids the said charge.

Mr. Dunscombe informed that Samuel Pratt is on board of a Continental Sloop.

Samuel Ward, being duly sworn and examined, says: That he and Van Horne heard that there was tea to sell at Ten Eyck & Seaman’s store; that they went to the store and asked if they had tea to sell; that Zacharias Sickles answered, Yes, for six shillings per pound; that Gautier weighed the tea; that, while Gautier weighed the tea, Sickles said it must be paid for in hard money—gold or silver; that he and Van Horne complained that they should be refused necessaries for Continental money; that for six shillings in silver they could purchase more than for eight shillings in Continental money, and told them they had not any hard money; that this was said in the hearing of Gautier; that Sickles said he would not sell the tea for Continental money, and called him a rascal, and bid him begone out of the house, and told him he might do his worst—complain to the Committee or do as he pleased, for that Mr. Alsop, one of the Continental Delegates, sold his tea for hard money, and would not sell it otherwise; that Gautier, when he had weighed the tea and put it up in a paper, returned it into the box when he could not get gold or silver for it; that Gautier had weighed the tea for Van Horne; that though the deponent went for tea, he did not ask to weigh any for himself, because Van Horne was refused. The witness being asked by Gautier whether he did not declare that if he had hard money he would not pay it for the tea? the witness says he did not make any such declaration; that after he was much irritated by abusive language, he said he thought it right for a mob to take the tea by force and weigh it out, but that he then meant, and soon after declared to the people, that in that case it ought to be sold at six shillings per pound, Continental money.

Cornelius Van Horne, being duly sworn, says: He went with Ward to purchase tea; Ward asked the price; Sickles said six shillings per pound; he desired to weigh a pound; that Gautier weighed the tea; that when he took out his pocket-book to pay for the tea, Sickles said he should not have the tea without hard money—gold or silver; that he (the said Ward) told Sickles that he thought he was joking; that cartmen had no hard money; that they Worked for the Continent and were paid in Continental money; that it was hard they could not get necessaries for Continental money; that Gautier, who had weighed the tea, returned it into the box; that Gautier was weighing the tea when he was about paying for it, and before any mention had been made about hard money; that the said Sickles refused to take Continental money for tea.

Mr. Lewis Thibou and a number of citizens, who style themselves a Committee of Mechanicks, having come into the Congress-Chamber while the last-mentioned witness was under examination, and delivered at the Chair a paper which they style an Address, the House was ordered to be cleared, in order that the said paper may be inspected, to discover whether it is proper for this Congress to receive the same. The said paper and Address being inspected, the door was opened, and the said citizens were desired to come into the Chamber, and the said paper or Address being read by the said Lewis Thibou, was delivered in at the Chair.

They therein set forth that they are devoted friends to their bleeding country; that they are afflicted by beholding her struggling under heavy loads of oppression and tyranny, and the more so when they view the iron hand lifted up against them; that their Prince is deaf to petitions for interposing his royal authority for redressing our grievances; that one year has not sufficed to satisfy the rage of a cruel Ministry in their bloody pursuits, designed to reduce us to be slaves, and to be taxed by them without our consent; that, therefore, they rather wish to separate from, than continue connected with, such oppressors; and declare that, if this Congress should think proper to instruct their Delegates in Continental Congress to use their utmost endeavours in that august assembly to cause these United Colonies to become independent of Great Britain, it would give them the highest satisfaction; and they thereby sincerely promise to endeavour to support the same with their lives and fortunes.

Thereupon an Answer was given to Mr. Lewis Thibou in the words following, viz:

In Provincial Congress, June 4, 1776.

Sir: We consider the Mechanicks in Union as a voluntary association of a number of the inhabitants of this city, who are warmly attached to the cause of liberty. We flatter ourselves, however, that neither that Association nor their Committee will claim any authority whatsoever in the