Resolved, That this Congress will provide for the payment of all such necessary expenses as will be incurred by the Committee appointed for carrying into execution the Resolution of this Congress of the 5th instant with respect to dangerous and disaffected persons, and persons of equivocal character.

A Letter from Van Horne, and other prisoners in Jail, was read, and referred to Mr. Malcom and Mr. Lawrence.

Colonel Malcom and Colonel Brasher reported to Congress that there would be no riots this night.

[A draft of a Letter to General Washington, in answer to his of the 13th instant, was read and approved, and is in the words following, to wit:]

Die Sabbati, 5 ho. P. M. June 15.

SIR: The Congress acknowledge the receipt of your favour of the 13th instant, respecting the retention of salted provisions by some persons on Long-Island.

I am directed by Congress to inform you that, by a resolution of yesterday, a copy whereof was furnished to the Commissary-General, they depend that he will obtain the provisions desired, and that the Congress has in contemplation some more general and effectual measures for securing the live stock in certain parts of the Colony for the benefit of the Army.

Enclosed is a copy of some information obtained from Mr. Abraham Livingston, of a stock of cattle in an exposed situation in New-Jersey, of which a copy is forwarded to the President of New-Jersey Congress or Committee of Safety.

I have the honour to be, most respectfully.

By order.

To His Excellency General Washington.

Sunday morning, 9 o’clock, June 16, 1776.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: General Woodhull, President.

FOR NEW-YORK.—Colonel Stoutenburgh.

FOR ALBANY.—Mr. Gansevoort, Colonel Rensselaer.

FOR SUFFOLK.—General Woodhull, Mr. Tredwell, Mr. Hobart.

FOR WESTCHESTER.—Colonel G. Drake, Mr. Tompkins, Mr. Haviland.

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

FOR ULSTER.—Colonel Hasbrouck, Major Parks.

FOR TRYON.—Mr. Harper, Mr. Moore.

FOR CHARLOTTE.—Major Webster.

Adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine o’clock.

New-York, Monday morning, June 17, 1776.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Brigadier-General Woodhull, President.

FOR NEW-YORK.—Mr. Jay, Mr. Livingston, Mr. Sands, Mr. Randall, Mr. Stoutenburgh, Mr. Van Zandt.

FOR ALBANY.—Mr. Gansevoort, Mr. Rensselaer.

FOR SUFFOLK.—General Woodhull, Mr. Strong, Mr. Hobart, Mr. Tredwell.

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

FOR WESTCHESTER.—Mr. Morris, Mr. Haviland, Colonel G. Drake, Mr. Hopkins.

FOR ULSTER.—Mr. Hasbrouck, Mr. Parks.

FOR ORANGE.—Mr. Van Houten.

FOR TRYON.—Mr. Moore, Mr. Harper.

FOR CUMBERLAND.—Colonel Joseph Marsh.

FOR CHARLOTTE.—Mr. Webster.

Colonel Joseph Marsh, one of the Deputies from Cumberland County, attending, delivered in his Credentials, subscribed by Benjamin Carpenter, Chairman of the County Committee, and attested by Joel Matthews, Clerk, which was read and filed; whereby it appears that Colonel Williams and Colonel Joseph Marsh were duly elected, and that they, or either of them, are constituted and appointed to represent the said County in this Congress.

Ordered, That Colonel Joseph Marsh take his seat.

Colonel Marsh was then sworn, and took his seat accordingly.

Mr. Jay offered to the House a Handbill, subscribed with the name of “John Morin Scott,” which, in his opinion, reflected on the honour and impartiality of this House; and moved that the same be read.

The said Handbill was then read.

Whereupon, Mr. Jay moved, and was seconded by Mr. Sands, that the Secretary wait on Mr. Scott with the said publication, and ask him if he is the author of that publication; which motion was agreed to unanimously.

Whereas Michael Lynch and Thomas Hickey, two Soldiers in the Continental Army, are now confined in the City Hall under guard by order of this Congress, on a charge of having knowingly attempted to pass a counterfeit Bill of Credit and the back part of a real Bill of Credit, the full or material part thereof being taken off:

Resolved, That the Courts of Judicature of this Colony, being as yet held by authority derived from the Crown of Great Britain, are for that reason incompetent to the full and impartial trial of the said two Continental Soldiers for the offences wherewith they stand charged, and therefore they must of necessity be tried by a Court-Martial only.

And Ordered, That the original Affidavits and Examinations as to the said two Soldiers, together with the said Bills and a copy of this Order, be transmitted to his Excellency General Washington.

A Letter from Isaac Ketcham,* requesting to be heard before this Congress, was read.

Therefore, Ordered, That the Officer commanding the Guard at the City-Hall be requested to bring Isaac Ketcham before this Congress with all convenient speed, and for that purpose that he cause all fetters and irons to be taken off from the said Isaac Ketcham.

Mr. Robert Benson, one of the Secretaries, reported that he had, pursuant to order, waited on Mr. Scott, and asked him whether the publication, signed “John Morin Scott,” was published by his order; that Mr. Scott answered, Yes, it was published by his order.

Mr. Jay them moved, and was seconded by Mr. Webster, that a Committee be appointed to take that publication into consideration. And the question being put thereon, it was carried in the affirmative by a large majority.

*JUNE 16, 1776.

To the Honourable Speaker in Provincial Congress:

SIR: I, the subscriber, have something to observe to the honourable House if I could be admitted. It is nothing concerning my own affair, but entirely on another subject. From yours to serve,

ISAAC KETCHAM.

To the Honourable the President and Members of the Provincial Congress.

The Petition of ISAAC KETCHAM, a Prisoner now under confinement in the old City-Hall, humbly showeth:

That your unfortunate Petitioner, deeply impressed with shame and confusion for his past misconduct, most humbly begs to lay his unhappy case before this honourable House, which is briefly as follows:

Your Petitioner is extremely sorry that upon his first being taken into custody, and after an examination made by Alderman Waddell in the Congress Chamber, concerning the procuring the paper for the purpose of printing certain Bills of Credit, and sincerely wish I could recall the time when he first persisted in this unhappy scheme, as your Petitioner was informed that he was to be admitted as evidence, on which account your Petitioner gave all the information in his power, to the best of his knowledge.

Your Petitioner further implores the consideration of this House in behalf of six poor children, who are now lamenting the loss of a tender mother and the imprisonment of a father. As several of them are at present dangerously ill by sore sickness, without any person to attend or comfort them—as the children are afraid to stay in the house without some grown person in to protect and take care of them, your Petitioner humbly hopes that if he could be permitted to go to them for a few days, in order to provide some proper persons to attend on them, and that your Petitioner will immediately return to New-York or forfeit his small estate.

Your Petitioner humbly submits his case to this honourable House, and begs that they would please to take it into their wise consideration which will ever lay an obligation on your distressed humble servant,

JUNE 8, 1776.

MR. JAY: SIR—I have (last night) received intelligence from Israel Youngs that he hath discovered a plan from whence we did not expect it. It is time it was guarded against. He is not willing to explain it to any other person but your Honour. Sir, as to my own liberty, I think I have clearly earned it, and well deserve it; though should wait with more patience if I could be of any use to the publick. But, at present, I am not used according to my expectation, but I hope that the first order that comes from this honourable House I shall be discharged.

Sir, I must beg a word or two from Congress for my relief.

To John Jay, Esq.