Ordered, That the said Letters be referred to General Scott.

Resolved and Ordered, That Colonel Broome, Colonel Rensselaer, and Colonel Brasher, or any two of them, be a Committee to superintend the Prisoners of the Continental Congress in this Colony, and of the Congress of this Colony, and that they be authorized to employ proper persons to furnish the said Prisoners with Rations, agreeable to certain Resolves of the Continental Congress of the 21st of May last, and generally to take care that the said Prisoners be properly secured and disposed of, and treated with justice and humanity.

Ordered, That Colonel Allison and Mr. Pye be a Committee to inquire into the conduct of Captain Blauvelt’s Company of Militia on the south side of the Mountains in Orange County, who have not drafted their quota of men to reinforce the Continental Army at New-York.

Resolved, That Colonel Allison be, and he is hereby, authorized and requested to cause all the Saltpetre which he hath or shall purchase on account of the Colony, pursuant to a Resolve of the Congress of this Colony, to be manufactured into or exchanged for good Gunpowder, and that he deliver any quantity thereof, not exceeding five hundred weight, to the General Committee of Ulster County, to be disposed of by the said Committee in such manner as they shall think proper, for the defence of the said County.

A draft of a Letter to the Committees of Huntington and Southold, relative to deserters from on board the Provincial armed sloop Montgomery, now lying at Fire Inlet, on the south side of Long-Island, was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New-York, June 28, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: We have received information that six men, viz: Thomas Butler of New-York, Richard Guildersleeve, Ebenezer Conklin, and Solomon Ketcham, Jun., of Hunting-ton, and Jonathan Armstrong and Elisha Reeves, of South-hold, belonging to the sloop Montgomery, Captain William Rogers, did, on the night of the 19th instant, desert from Fire Inlet, We think it necessary that every measure should be taken to discourage such desertions, and therefore request you to use your endeavours to secure said deserters, especially such of them as belong to your District, and cause them to be returned to the said Captain Rogers as soon as possible, who has offered a reward of two dollars, besides reasonable charges, for each man thus secured and returned to him.

We are, gentlemen, your very humble servants.

By. order:

To the Committees of Huntington and Southold.

Ordered, That copies thereof be engrossed, and signed by the President pro tem.,and transmitted.

Saturday morning, June 29, 1776.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

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

FOR NEW-YORK.—Colonel Broome.

FOR ALBANY.—Mr. Gansevoort, Colonel Rensselae.

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

FOR ULSTER.—Colonel Hasbrouck, Major Parks.

FOR WESTCHESTER.—Colonel Lewis Graham, Mr. Paulding.

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

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

FOR ORANGE.—Mr. Haring, Mr. Pye, Colonel Allison.

FOR QUEEN’S.—Colonel Blackwell.

FOR CHARLOTTE.—Mr. Webster.

FOR KING’S.—Mr. Polhemus.

FOR TRYON.—Mr. Moore, Mr. Harper.

FOR CUMBERLAND.—Colonel Marsh.

David Salsbury Franks, from Canada, produced a Certificate, dated at Chambly, 31st May, and signed by Samuel Brewer, Aid-de-Camp, and another Certificate dated at Albany, on the 20th instant, and signed by Abraham Yates, Jun., Chairman of the Albany Committee, whereby it appears that the said Franks is a friend to the American cause, and is permitted to go to New-York with his man servant on private business.

Mr. Franks requested a Certificate for himself and servant to go to Philadelphia.

Thereupon, the following Certificate and pass was given him.

“This Congress, having assurance of the friendly disposition of the bearer hereof, Mr. David S Franks, to the cause and rights of America, do recommend that he be permitted to pass with his man servant to the City of Philadelphia."

A Letter from the honourable John Hancock, Esq., of the 26th instant, was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

“Philadelphia, June 26, 1776.

“GENTLEMEN: You will perceive from the enclosed Resolves, which I do myself the honour of transmitting, in obedience to the commands of Congress, that they have appointed not only the Field Officers in the Regiment to be raised in your Colony, but likewise a number of subalterns.

“The reasons that induced Congress to take this step, as it is a deviation from rule, should be particularly mentioned. I am therefore directed to inform you that, in consequence of their being furnished with a list of the officers who had served in Canada, they have been enabled to appoint, and in fact have only appointed, such as were originally recommended and appointed by the Provincial Congress of your Colony, and have served faithfully both the last summer campaign and through the winter. It is apprehended, therefore, the Congress have only prevented you in their appointments, and that the same gentlemen would have met with your approbation for their services to their country; added to this, the last intelligence from Canada, showing our affairs to be in the, most imminent danger, rendered the utmost despatch necessary, that not a moment of time might be lost. The other officers of the battalion, I am to request you will be pleased to appoint, and exert every nerve to equip the battalion as soon as possible. As an additional encouragement, the Congress have resolved that a bounty of ten dollars be given every soldier who shall inlist for three years.

“I have the Honour to be, gentlemen, your most obedient very humble servant,

JOHN HANCOCK, President.

“To the Honourable Convention of New-York, now sitting in New-York.”

The Resolutions of the Continental Congress of the 26th instant, referred to in the Letter above-mentioned from the Honourable John Hancock, commissioning Major Dubois as Colonel, with instructions forthwith to raise a Regiment to serve for three years, or during the war, and also appointing several Officers in said Regiment, were also read and filed.

The application of Joseph Dwight for a Commission as Letter of Marque for the Brigantine Enterprise, burden one hundred and sixty tons, accompanied by a report or manifest of her warlike stores, was read.

Ordered, That a Commission issue.

Thereupon, the said Joseph Dwight, Commander of said Brigantine, and William Bell,of Philadelphia,Merchant, and Archibald Mercer, entered into bonds, conformable to regulations of the Continental Congress.

The application of Stewart Deane for a Commission as Letter of Marque for the Sloop Beaver, with a manifest of her warlike equipments, was read.

Ordered, That a Commission issue.

Thereupon, the said Stewart Deane and James A. Stewart, Master and owner of the said Sloop, entered into bonds, conformably to the regulations of the Continental Congress in such cases made and provided.*

* Friday P. M., June 28, 1776.

The Sloop Beaver, Stewart Deane Commander, burden about ninety-tons, six carriage guns, twenty-five men.

James A. Sterwart and (Either Samuel Broome, Elias Nixon, or Isaac Sears, or any one of them, to be securities. Samuel Broome supposed out of town; therefore leave a blank for the name of the other security.)

The Brigantine Enterprise, Joseph Dwight Commander, burden one hundred and sixty tons, ten carriage guns, twenty-five men.

Archibald Mercer and William Bell, Philadelphia, merchants, securities for Joseph Dwight.

Ordered, That Comimssions issue.

The warlike stores on board the Sloop Beaver, with the names of the Officers, viz: 6 carriage-guns, each of four pounds; 12 blunderbusses;