In King’s County—

In Richmond County—

In Queen’s County—

In Westchester County—

and also all such other persons of the like character as the said Committee may think proper, to be summoned by the said Committee to appear before them at such time and place as they shall appoint, then and there to show cause, if any they have, why they should be considered as friends to the American cause, and as of the number of those who are ready to risk their lives and fortunes in defence of the rights and liberties of America, against the usurpation, unjust claims, and cruel oppressions of the British Parliament, which rights and liberties, and which unjust claims and cruel oppressions, are specified and stated in divers Addresses, Petitions, and Resolutions of the present and late Continental Congress; and in default of appearance, the said Committee, on proof made of the service of the said summons, are authorized and directed to cause them to be arrested and brought before them by warrant, under their hands, directed to any Militia Officer in this Colony, who is hereby required to execute the same.

And if, on the appearance and examination of the said persons, it shall appear to the satisfaction of the said Committee that they, or any or either of them, are friends to the American cause, that such of them whom they shall so adjudge to be friends, shall be forthwith discharged, and a certificate thereof, under the hands of the said Committee, given them, and their names forthwith reported to this Congress, to the end that the same may be entered on their Journals and published, and justice thereby done to their characters and reputations.

And it is further Resolved, That all such of the said persons as the said Committee shall not adjudge and determine to be friends of the American cause, the said Committee be, and they hereby are, required to treat and dispose of in the following manner, to wit:

That such of them as may be men of influence in the neighbourhood of the place of their present residence, be removed to such place in this or a neighbouring Colony as will deprive them of an opportunity of exerting that influence to the prejudice of the American cause, and respectively bound by their parole or word of honour, or other security, at the discretion of the said Committee, neither directly nor indirectly to oppose or contravene the measures of the Continental Congress, or the Congress of this Colony, and to abide in the place and within the limits to be assigned them, till the further order of the present or future Provincial Congress, or Continental Congress; and in case they shall refuse to give such parole or other security, to commit them to safe custody.

And as to such of the said persons whose removal, in the judgment of the said Committee, shall not appear necessary, that the said Committee do cause them to be respectively bound with such security, by parole or otherwise, as the said Committee shall deem necessary, neither directly nor indirectly to oppose or contravene the measures of the Continental Congress or the Congress of this Colony. Provided, nevertheless, that the said Committee shall be, and they are hereby, authorized, in case they shall, on inquiry, find any or either of the said persons to be so dangerous as that they ought not to be permitted to go at large, to order such of them to be kept in safe custody.

Resolved, That the said Committee and the County Committees keep a just record of their proceedings, in pursuance of these Resolutions, and report the same, with the substance of the evidence offered to them for and against the several persons who shall be by them apprehended, summoned, tried, and examined, by virtue of the aforesaid Resolutions; and that they have power to send for witnesses and papers.

Resolved, That the said Committee consist of the following gentlemen, to wit: Mr. Morris, Colonel Remsen, Mr. John Ten Broeck, Mr. Haring, Mr. Tredwell, Colonel Lewis Graham, and Mr. Hallett; and that any five of them be a quorum, and that before they enter on the business herein before assigned them, they, and also all such of the County Committees as may be engaged in carrying these Resolutions into execution, severally take an oath diligently, impartially, without fear, favour, affection, or hope of reward, to execute and discharge the duties imposed on them by the aforegoing Resolutions.

Resolved, That the said Committee appoint such persons as they may think proper to repair to the said Counties, to inquire for and procure the witnesses against the persons herein directed to be arrested or summoned, to appear and give evidence against the said persons before the said Committee; and that the said persons be paid for their trouble at the rate of fifteen shillings for each day they shall respectively be employed on that service, and that the witnesses they may direct to attend as aforesaid be paid their reasonable expenses for travelling charges and subsistence, to be certified and allowed by the said Committee, which certificate shall be a warrant to the Treasurer of this Congress to pay the person or persons in whose favour such certificate shall be given the sum or sums therein allowed as aforesaid.

Colonel Broome, from the Committee appointed to hear and determine on the cases of such confined Prisoners as have been confined by order of this Colony’s Congress, brought in a Report on the case of Neil McFall, which was read, to wit:

“New-York, June 5, 1776.

“Colonel Fleming says that Neil McFall, Sergeant of the Twenty-Sixth Regiment, was taken prisoner at St. Johns;

any succour from Britain or Ireland, and in five or six days invade and reduce any of the above Colonies at pleasure. Add to these great advantages, that the possession of the Narrows and Nutten-Island would be the destruction of this city; but of this I think there would be no need, for all the principal inhabitants are at heart with the Crown, particularly all my brethren the Members of the Assembly; but as the mob now commands, prudence forbids them to declare without a military force. You have many with you who are well acquainted with the navigation of the Sound. The spot which I advise you to land at is Cow-Bay.

W. SMITH.

TO THE PRINTER OF THE CONNECTICUT GAZETTE.

DOBB’S FERRY, September 19, 1776.

MR. GREEN: As I understand you have republished a letter in your paper which was reprinted from a London paper, and said to be written by the Honourable William Smith, Esq., I beg leave to inform you that it is a forgery, and I doubt not was written by some of the Refugees in England, with a view to render Mr. Smith’s situation as disagreeable as their own was. The letter will not prejudice Mr. Smith in the opinion of those who know him; but the natural and just jealousy of the times may lead those who are unacquainted with him to form an unjust idea of him; I doubt not, therefore, that, in justice to injured innocence, you will publish the following extract from a letter written by Mr. Smith respecting the letter above-mentioned, and insert a paragraph requesting the Printers who have already published or may yet publish the forgery, to print this too. It is dated the 4th instant.

I am, sir, your humble servant,

EBENEZER HAZARD.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THE HON. WILLIAM SMITH, ESQ.

The artlessness of the author of the letter in the Baltimore Journal, of the 8th of August, is very apparent. Indeed, as the forgery was contrived in England, he could not know of my removal from New-York on the 29th of March. You will observe that the printed letter is dated there the 11th of May, and that the writer supposes himself a Member of the Assembly. I have not been in town since March, and never was in the Assembly. These mistakes in personating me, render the fraud manifest. There are other marks of it. No man who knows me will imagine that, after my asserting, in the history of New-York, (page 20,) that Long-Island was one hundred and twenty miles long and Hempstead Plain but sixteen, will suppose me the informer that the Island is one hundred and thirty miles in length and the plain twenty-four; and that I am so ignorant of America as to place New-Jersey at fifty miles from Long-Island, and Rhode-Island at one hundred and fifty, and Maryland but thirty from Philadelphia; or that I should believe the people of Suffolk, and especially the Members elected but last spring, to be well-affected to the measures now under the direction of General Howe.

I am not fond of oaths to remove groundless suspicions, or I should enclose you an affidavit that I never wrote a letter to Mr. Howe upon any subject whatsoever; nor to any man living, in the smallest degree similar to the letter in the Maryland Journal. Such an affidavit I will publish, if it is necessary, for the satisfaction of my countrymen; after which, as Mr. Howe is upon the spot, no man can believe the calumny who does not think me both a fool and a knave.