Militia Commanding Officer, in case of an alarm or invasion, under the following Regulations, to wit:

That to the end that such selected Militia may at all times be ready for immediate service, your Committee do advise that they be selected in manner following, that is to say: That a Major-General be appointed to command the Militia of the whole Colony; that the office of Brigadier-General in every Brigade be filled up according to the former military arrangement, by Provincial Congress; that the Major-General, when appointed, do forthwith issue his orders to the several Brigadier-Generals, who, in consequence thereof, are to issue their orders respectively to the respective Colonels or other Commanding Officers of the several Battalions or Regiments under their command, requiring them to cause to be selected by ballot one-third part of the Militia of each Battalion or Regiment, to be ready to march at a minute’s warning, accoutred as the Militia Regulations require, and with five days’ provisions; which men, so selected, shall be ready to march at a minute’s warning, and shall keep themselves in such readiness for one whole year, at the expiration of which another third of each whole Battalion shall be balloted for the like service for one year, excluding those from the ballot who shall have already served, and that for the third year’s service the remaining third part of each Battalion shall be ready to perform the service in manner before directed; and that in order properly to officer such detachments of the Militia for active and immediate service, the men balloted for the first and second year’s service shall have the election of the Officers according to their respective ranks, the number and rank of each of which said Officers shall be according to their standing in the Militia; no Officer to be employed in this service for more than one year, nor more than two Officers at a time out of one Company, and the remaining Officers in the third year to be Officers of course, according to their standing in the Militia; and we recommend it as a necessary provision to permit any selected person, except Officers for the service aforesaid, to procure a person to serve in his stead, provided he be approved of by the Commanding Officer of the Regiment; that the same proportion of Officers shall be allotted for the command of such selected men as are allotted by the Militia Regulations; that the Field-Officers to command such selected men shall be chosen by ballot by the Officers chosen to command the selected Militia, and that no more than one Field-Officer shall be elected out of each Battalion or Regiment for the aforesaid Minute or Select service; the Militia thus selected to be under command of their respective Brigadier and the Major-General, as the rest of the Militia.

By order of the Committee:

JOHN MORIN SCOTT, Chairman.

Mr. Sands then moved, and was seconded by Mr. Strong, in the words following, to wit:

“I move that this Congress proceed immediately into the consideration of the Regulation of the Militia of this Colony.”

After some time spent in consideration of Regulations for the Militia of this Colony, and some progress made therein, Colonel Malcom moved, and was seconded, That the Order of Minute-men in this Colony be abolished.

Debates arose thereon, and the question being put, it was carried in the affirmative, in manner following, to wit:

Mr. Duane then came into Congress and gave information that he had reason to believe that a body of the Militia would very speedily be called on, and be taken into present pay, to assist the Continental Army for a limited time; and, from other matters mentioned by Mr. Duane, the further consideration of this subject was postponed for this afternoon.

Mr. Duane had leave of absence to visit his family and provide a house for their reception.

The Congress adjourned to nine o’clock to-morrow morning.

Die Jovis, 9 ho. A. M., June 6, 1776.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Brigadier-General Woodhull, President.

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

FOR ALBANY.—Mr. Glenn, Mr. Ten Broeck, Mr. Cuyler.

FOR SUFFOLK.—General Woodhull, Mr. Gelston, Mr. Strong.

FOR DUTCHESS.—Mr. James Livingston, Mr. De Lavergne, Mr. Schenck.

FOR ORANGE.—Mr. Haring, Mr. Van Houten.

FOR WESTCHESTER.—Major Lockwood, Colonel L. Graham, Captain Fleming, Mr. Morris, Colonel Gilbert Drake.

FOR QUEEN’s.—Mr. Samuel Townshend, Mr. James Town-shend, Mr. Van Wyck.

FOR ULSTER.—Colonel Hasbrouck, Major Parks.

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

FOR CHARLOTTE.—Mr. Webster.

FOR TRYON.—Mr. Moore, Mr. Harper.

A Petition of Philip Youngs, now in custody, praying to be discharged, or permitted to go at large on giving security, was read and filed.*

Debates arose on the said Petition; and the question being put, whether the said Philip Youngs shall be admitted to give security and to go at large, or remain in confinement, it was determined that he remain in confinement, in manner following, that is to say—

Resolved, therefore, That the said Philip Youngs remain in his present confinement.

Captain John Johnson attending, was admitted. He informs that some time in the last night he found a large company

*June 6, 1776.

MR. SPEAKER AND GENTLEMEN OF THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE: I, Philip Youngs, a confined prisoner, humbly make bold to address this honourable House, in hopes that they will indulge your Petitioner with a hearing, as your Petitioner is entirely innocent of the charge laid against him, of knowing, directly or indirectly, of any attempt to make, counterfeit, sign, or pass, any bill or bills of any kind or denomination whatsoever. Your Petitioner humbly hopes the House will be kind enough to consider his hard case—your Petitioner having a vessel and cargo lying by for want of your Petitioner’s presence, by which he is losing considerably every day. As your Petitioner is confined upon mere suspicion, your compliance with your Petitioner’s request will greatly oblige your distressed, humble servant,

PHILIP YOUNGS.

To Nathaniel Woodhull, Speaker of the Honourable House of Provincial Congress in New-York.

To the Honourable Speaker of the House of Provincial Congress of NEW-YORK, and to the House:

The Petition of Philip Youngs, now a prisoner, desireth once more the favour of this honourable House to take in consideration your Petitioner’s hard fate, and be pleased to set him at liberty once more, any ways as this House shall think proper, as he (your Petitioner) always has, ever since the present contest between Great Britain and America, striven, all that lay in his power, to promote the welfare of America, as is well known by persons that live near me; that I have got a great deal of ill will by standing for my country, and by that have been threatened to be tarred and feathered, and now the Tories boast and say, You have been a great Whig, and see what the Congress will do with you now: they will confine you, guilty or not guilty, and make you spend your money; and they cry out who hath complained, A great Tory. Which, gentlemen, if I had an opportunity, could prove every word of this assertion; and, gentlemen, what I am confined, absolutely I am clear of, as true as the sun shines, which I am positive of before God and man, which, if I was not, would not say for ten thousand worlds, And your Petitioner humbly hopes that this honourable House will consider my hard fate that I labour under; and further, gentlemen, the hard usage that my family labours under on account of the Tories, who, when they pass the house, cry out to my family, Where is Youngs, that great Whig? Why, the Congress has confined him because he is a Whig; and such like expressions, to terrify my family, and to make this honourable House look ridiculous, which, gentlemen, it grieves your Petitioner to hear of; and your compliance will oblige your distressed humble servant,

PHILIP YOUNGS.

June, 8th day, 1776.

P. S. Gentlemen, I make no doubt but if Samuel Brumes was here he would convince you all that I ever have striven to promote the welfare of America, for which I appeal, gentlemen, to this honourable House for relief in this day of trouble. Be pleased to indulge me.

P. Y.