Thereupon, Ordered, That Peter Van B. Livingston, Esq., as Treasurer of the Provincial Congress of this Colony, pay unto Peter Curtenius the sum of £4,469 8s. 1d., being the balance due to him on the 8th instant for sundry purchases as Commissary to the Congress of this Colony, agreeable to a Certificate of the Committee of Pay-Table, dated the 8th instant.

A Letter from the Honourable John Hancock, dated the 25th instant, enclosing a Resolve of Congress of the 24th instant, declaring that all persons abiding within any of the United Colonies, and deriving protection from the laws of the same, owe allegiance to the said laws, and are members, of such Colony; and that all persons passing through, visiting, or making a temporary stay in any of the said Colonies being entitled to the protection of the laws during the time of such passage, visitation, or temporary stay, owe, during the same time, allegiance thereto; that all persons, members of, or owing allegiance to, any of the United Colonies as aforesaid described, who shall levy war against any of the said Colonies within the same, or be adherent to the King of Great Britain, or others, the enemies of the said Colonies, or any of them, within the same, giving to him or them aid and comfort, are guilty of treason against such Colony. That it be recommended to the Legislatures of the several United Colonies to pass laws for punishing, in such manner as to them shall seem fit, such persons, before described, as shall be proveably attainted of open deed, by people of their condition, of any of the treasons before described. That it be recommended to the Legislatures of the several United Colonies to pass laws for punishing, in such manner as they shall think fit, persons who shall counterfeit, or aid or abet in counterfeiting, the Continental Bills of Credit, or who shall pass such bill in payment, knowing such a bill to be a counterfeit,—were respectively read and filed.

Ordered, That Mr. Scott, Colonel Brasher, Mr. Hallett, Colonel Broome, and Major Parks, be a Committee to take the said Resolves into consideration.

Dr. John Jones and Mr. Thomas Pearsall (two governers of the Hospital of the City) informed the House that they have in store about £30 sterling worth of Medicines, which were intended for the use of the said Hospital; that Dr. Morgan, Director-General of the Continental Hospital, has applied to them for the said Medicine, for the use of the Continental Hospital, and that he will pay a reasonable price for the same. Dr. Jones and Mr. Pearsall request the advice of Congress in this matter.

Agreed, as the opinion of this Congress, That the said Medicine ought not to be disposed of, but reserved for the use of the poor and other inhabitants of this City.

Philip Livingston, Esq., represented to Congress that his attendance at Continental Congress is necessary, and that, with permission of this House, he intends to set out for Philadelphia next Sunday.

Thereupon, Resolved, That Mr. Livingston be discharged from his attendance in this Congress, and that he have a dispensation from his attendance as a Member of the Committee appointed to carry into execution certain Resolves of this Congress relative to persons dangerous and disaffected to the American cause, after next Saturday.

A certain John Leaver, from Tryon County, attending, requested a Passport to go to Pennsylvania; and the Members of said County representing him a friend to the American cause, the following Certificate was given to him, to wit:

“This Congress having received satisfactory information that the bearer, Mr. John Leaver, is a friend to the cause of America, therefore he is permitted to pass unmolested.”

Wednesday afternoon, June 26, 1776.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: John Haring, Esq., President pro tem.

FOR NEW-YORK.—Mr. Livingston, Colonel Remsen, Mr. Randall, Colonel Stoutenburgh, General Scott.

FOR ALBANY.—Colonel Rensselaer, Mr. Gansevoort.

FOR ORANGE.—Mr. Haring, Mr. Pye.

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

FOR ULSTER.—Colonel Hasbrouck, Major Parks.

FOR WESTCHESTER.—Mr. Morris, Mr. Paulding.

FOR TRYON.—Mr. Moore, Mr. Harper.

FOR SUFFOLK.—Mr. Tredwell, Mr. Wickham.

FOR DUTCHESS.—Mr. De Lavergne, Mr. Schenck, Colonel M. Graham.

FOR CHARLOTTE.—Mr. Webster, Colonel Malcom.

FOR CUMBERLAND.—Colonel Marsh.

Frequent application having been made to this Congress by many of the inhabitants of this City, being proprietors of the Cannon at King’s Bridge and elsewhere in this Colony, for permission to dispose of the same, and his Excellency General Washington having signified his approbation that the proprietors of all the four-pound Cannon be at liberty to dispose of the same:

Therefore, Ordered, That the proprietors of any of the four-pound Cannon now lying at or near King’s Bridge, as also of those at the Fortifications in the Highlands, and elsewhere in this Colony, be, and they are hereby, permitted to dispose of the same.

Whereas it has been represented to this Congress that the Committee of Albany have sent certain inhabitants of that City and County prisoners to Hartford, in Connecticut, viz: Abraham Cuyler, Henry Cuyler, Stephen De Lancey, John Duncan, Benjamin Hilton, and John Monier;

Resolved, That the said Committee be requested to make known to this Congress their proceedings against said persons, and the misdemeanours with which they stand charged.

Ordered, That the President enclose a certified copy of the said Resolution in a Letter to the Chairman of the Committee of the County of Albany.

Colonel Rensselaer and Colonel Broome are appointed a Committee to inquire what number of Prisoners are come from Long-Island, and which were taken from on board the Ship taken on the south side of Long-Island, and which and how many of them are Commissioned Officers.

A Letter from Abel Belknap, Chairman at a meeting of the Committees of the Precincts of Newburgh and New-Windsor, in conjunction, dated 24th instant, wherein they represent that the said Precincts are destitute of Gunpowder, and request a supply of that article, as also that of Lead. Captain Isaac Belknap, who was sent down with the said Letter, was called in, and requested to inform the said Committees that the Congress have it not in their power to send them any supply of Gunpowder now, but that they expect a quantity hourly, and that the said Committees may rest assured that this Congress will send them a supply of Powder on the first arrival of that article.

Colonel Allison delivered in the Report of the Committee appointed to take into consideration the Letter from Colonel John Field, relative to the men drafted out of his Regiment of Militia in Dutchess County, and who refuse to march; also of two certain Captains who refuse to permit any men to be drafted out of their-respective Companies, and the Resolve of a Sub-Committee of the said County thereon. The same being read, was unanimously agreed to.

Thereupon, Resolved, That whereas information hath been given to this Congress that certain Captains in Colonel Ludington’s Regiment of Militia, in Dutchess County, have refused to draft, or permit drafts to be made, out of their respective Companies, for the purpose of completing the Brigade of Militia to be raised in this County for the Continental service, as recommended by this Congress in pursuance of the Resolves of the Continental Congress of the 1st, 3d, and 4th instant:

Resolved, That the General Committee of the said County be requested to make inquiry into the premises; and upon due proof of the charge against the said Captains, to send them under proper guard to this Congress, to be dealt with according to their deserts.

And whereas this Congress being also informed that some of the Troops already drafted in the said County have refused to march;

Therefore, Resolved, That it be recommended to the Brigadier-General and the General Committee of the said County to pursue the most speedy measures to complete their quotas of the three thousand Militia to be raised in this Colony, agreeable to the Resolves of this Congress of the 7th instant, and to forward their march with all possible speed, and make return to this Congress of the names of all such persons as neglect or refuse to comply with the aforesaid Resolve.