It was suggested to the Congress by a Member, that many people in the Colony are manufacturing Saltpetre; that it will probably become a staple of the Colony; that as the Congress of this Colony is to pay an exceeding high price for all such quantities of Saltpetre as shall be made in this Colony in a given time, that, therefore, as well for the publick safety to procure good Saltpetre, as to increase the goodness and value of the commodity, it is necessary to have Inspectors of Saltpetre appointed to ascertain its quality.

Ordered, That Colonel Lewis Graham, Mr. Livingston, and Mr. Haring, be a Committee to form and report such method of appointing Inspectors of Saltpetre as may prevent impositions in that article, and that the said Committee report with all convenient speed.

The Congress took into consideration the case of Andrew Gautier, Jun., and thereupon came to the following determination:

Andrew Gautier, Jun., having been duly convicted before the General Committee of the City and County of New-York, of refusing to receive the Continental paper currency in payment for tea; and the judgment of the said Committee now being by the Congress on appeal confirmed, the said Andrew Gautier saith: That he never refused Continental money for goods, except in this instance, for which he hath been condemned; that he hath always been a steady and warm friend to the American cause; that he is determined to support the same at the risk of his life, and that he served in the New-York Fusileers until he was elected an Officer in one of the Ward Companies; and further declares, in the most solemn manner, upon his word of honour, that his offence was committed undesignedly, and that he is sincerely sorry for the same.

Resolved, therefore, That the said Andrew Gautier, Jun., be, and is hereby, pardoned and absolved from the said offence.

Application was made to the Congress for an additional small quantity of Gunpowder for Queen’s County, and information therewith given that Captain John Sands has upwards of one hundred and forty men in his District, but that they are in general destitute of Gunpowder.

Ordered, That Mr. Richard Norwood, the Commissary, deliver one hundred weight of Gunpowder to Oliver Thorne, the bearer hereof, to be conveyed to the Chairman of the County Committee of Queen’s County, for the use of the inhabitants of that County who are friends to the American cause, to be charged to the said County, and to be paid for at the same price as the former parcel sent to that County. And the Chairman of the County Committee is requested to take the same care as to the distribution of, and payment for this Gunpowder, as the former parcel. Mr. Norwood is to take a receipt for the Gunpowder he may deliver.

The Congress being informed that Captain John Johnson has it in his power to apprehend a negro of Colonel Edmund Fanning, who has heretofore been made use of to keep up a communication with the ships-of-war, and the ship on board of which Governour Tryon resides:

Ordered, That Captain Johnson be requested to cause the said negro to be apprehended, and put into safe custody until further order.

The President informed the Congress that Dr. Treat had informed him that the Director of the General Hospital for the American Army was desirous to purchase the Medicines belonging to the Colony which are in the care of Dr. Treat, and desires the direction of this Congress whether the said Medicines shall be sold to Dr. Morgan for the use of the said General Hospital.

The Congress took the same into consideration, and determined that the said Medicines ought not to be sold at present, as the inhabitants may thereby be left destitute and suffer, and there may be a greater necessity for them before others can be obtained. That Dr. Treat be requested to continue to take care of, and preserve the said Medicines, until further order, and that the Congress of this Colony will allow him a reasonable reward for his trouble in the premises.

The Congress proceeded to hear the Resolutions relative to persons dangerous and disaffected to the American cause, and to persons of equivocal character. The same being deliberately read and agreed to, and the Committee appointed to carry those Resolutions into execution, they are in the words following, to wit:

Whereas the Continental Congress, by their Resolve of the 6th day of October last, did recommend to the several Provincial Assemblies and Conventions, and Councils or Committees of Safety, to arrest and secure every person in their respective Colonies whose going at large might, in their opinion, endanger the safety of the Colony or the liberties of America:

And whereas, from sundry informations and evidences exhibited to this Congress, it appears that the enemies of American liberty in this and the neighbouring Colonies have a general communication with each other, by reason whereof the influence of the British Ministry, however feeble, is in some measure sustained, and the minds of the people frequently alarmed and poisoned by false reports and misrepresentations purposely framed and propagated with design to promote the views and machinations of the enemies of America:

And whereas certain persons in Queen’s County, King’s County, the City and County of New-York, Richmond County, and Westchester County, have been represented to this Congress as disaffected to the American cause, and, together with others in various parts of the Colony, who having little or no property in it, or regard for its rights, may be influenced by the hope of plunder and confiscation to take an active part with our enemies whenever it may, in their opinion, be done with success:

And whereas, from various reports and the best intelligence which could be obtained from Europe, as well as from the positive assertions of the disaffected throughout this and the neighbouring Colonies, there is great reason to expect that an hostile armament will soon arrive in the Colony, whereby it hath become highly expedient and necessary to provide that the inhabitants of this Colony, while employed in repelling a foreign invasion, be not injured or annoyed by domestick enemies:

Resolved, therefore, That the following persons in Queen’s County, the City and County of New-York, and Richmond County, whose conduct has been represented to this Congress as inimical to the cause and rights of America, and who, if summoned, would probably not appear, but secrete themselves, be arrested and brought before a Committee of this Congress, hereinafter nominated and appointed, to wit:

In Queen’s County*—

In the City and County of New-York—

In Richmond County—

And that the following persons in the Counties aforesaid, and in the County of Westchester and King’s County, whose conduct has been represented to this Congress as equally inimical with that of the former, but who would probably appear on being summoned, be summoned by the said Committee to appear before them at such time and place as they may appoint, and in default of appearance, on proof of the service of the summons, that they be arrested in like manner as the former, to wit—

In King’s County—

*A List of QUEEN’S County Tories.—Richard Hulet, Thomas Cornwall, Stephen Hulet, Gabriel Ludlow, Dr. Charles Arden, Joseph Beagle, Joseph Langdon, Dr. Martin, Judge Thomas Jones, Captain Archibald Hamilton, Flushing; David Coldan, ditto; Richard Coldan, ditto; Judge Ludlow, Plains; Justice Claus, Captain John Kendall, at Daniel Thom’s, Flushing; John Moore, Newtown; David Beattie, Hempstead; Mr. John Baudin, at Jamaica; Mr. Chafe, ditto; John Hulet, Oyster-Bay; Hugh Wallace, Esq., George Folliott, Samuel Doughty.

A List of Inhabitants of QUEEN’S County, under bonds filed in the Provincial Congress.—Daniel Kissam, Gilbert Van Wyck, John Wil-lett, David Brooks, Charles Hicks, John Townshend, John Polhemus, Benjamin Whitehead, Thomas Smith, John Shoals, Samuel Martin, Nathaniel Moore, Samuel Hallett, William Waynman.

*