promise to prepare himself for settlement in a short time, and to attend the further order of this House.

Ordered, That Nehemiah Wade, Esq., be Second Major of the First Regiment of Foot Militia in the County of Essex, whereof Edward Thomas, Esq., is Colonel.

Ordered, That Dr. William Winans be Surgeon to the same Regiment.

The Committee to whom was recommitted the draft of a Bill for regulating the ensuing election, made Report; which was read, and, after sundry Amendments, agreed to, and ordered to be engrossed.*

Resolved, (on the motion of the Members of the County of Salem,) That the election in that County be by ballot, and that it be held at the Court-House in the Town of Salem, without removing from place to place, anything in the Ordinance for ascertaining the modes and places of election before contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

Adjourned to three o’clock, afternoon.

Met according to adjournment.

The Petition of Cornelius Williamson, a disaffected person, now confined in the common Jail of Hunterdon, in pursuance of the adjudication of the Amwell Committee, praying that he may have an immediate hearing; read, and ordered to lie on the table.

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

Tuesday, July 16, 1776.

Met according to adjournment.

Ordered, That the Deputy Quartermaster-General, Colonel Biddle, and his Assistants, be empowered, in case of necessity, to impress within this Colony Baggage-Wagons and Horses for the service of the United States of North-America, paying a reasonable hire for their service while employed.

A Letter from Adjutant-General Reed, informing that Lord Howe is arrived at the Hook, and the necessity of urging on, with all expedition, the new levies raising in this Colony; read, and ordered to be filed.

A Petition from Samuel Wigton, a debtor confined in the Jail of Morris, setting forth that he was inlisted as a Sergeant in Captain Morris’s Company, in the Battalion now under the command of Colonel Winds; that before the said Company left the County of Morris, he was arrested for debt, and committed to the Jail of Morris; and that he has several sums of money due to him from sundry persons in the Battalion aforesaid, which, when recovered, are sufficient to discharge his debts; praying that he may have time for the payment of his debts; that he may be released from imprisonment, and that he may be ordered to join his Battalion, or any other this Congress may think proper; and also a testimonial thereunder written, signed by sundry persons, in support of the facts contained in the said Petition; read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Ordered, That Dr. William Burnet be added to the number of Commissioners for East New-Jersey, and that he have the like authority as is given to the Commissioners nominated in the Ordinance of the late Congress for striking the sum of £50,000.

Resolved, That the several Township Committees throughout this Colony do immediately exert themselves in procuring Lead for the use of the Army now engaged in our defence, as the demand for that article is very great and pressing; that to this end they do forthwith collect all the leaden weights from windows and clocks, and all leaden weights of shops, stores, and mills, of one pound weight and upwards; also all other Lead in and about houses, or other places; and that they forward all the Lead which shall by them be so collected to the hands of Alexander Chambers, Abraham Hunt, David Pinkerton, and William Tucker, of Trenton; Hendrick Fisher, of Somerset County; Azariah Dunham, of New-Brunswick; John Ross, of Woodbridge; lsaac Woodroof, of Elizabethtown; and Dr. William Burnet, of Newark; or any of them, Commissioners appointed for purchasing Arms, &c. And the said Commissioners are directed to pay for all such Lead, at the rate of 6d., Proclamation money, the pound weight; together with the reasonable expense that may arise in forwarding the same.

Adjourned to three o’clock, afternoon.

Met according to adjournment.

Captain Kinney appeared before this House in consequence of the citation issued by this Congress for a charge of loitering on the road to Connecticut with the late Governour Franklin; and now, upon examining into the causes of complaint, it appears to this House that whatever delay arose thereon was inevitable, owing to no misconduct in Captain Kinney, but to accidental causes.

The Report of the Committee of Trenton, respecting Samuel Henry, was read the second time; and Mr. Henry being duly notified, appeared before Congress; the charges against him were read, several witnesses examined, and the further hearing of the same deferred till to-morrow morning.

Whereas it has been represented to this Congress that Henry Cuyler, Esq., is so extremely indisposed as to render his removal very dangerous: Therefore,

Ordered, That the Chairman of the Committee of New-York take the parole, drawn in the usual manner, of Mr Cuyler, to remain for the present in his dwelling-house at Newark, or within two miles thereof, he giving bond, with

*An Ordinance for regulating the ensuing Election. — Passed JULY 15, 1776.

Whereas, by the second section of the Constitution of this Colony, formed by this Congress, there is to be a Legislative Council and General Assembly elected by the good people of this Colony, on the second Tuesday in August next; and, pursuant to the same Constitution, one Sheriff and one or more Coroners in each County ought, at the same time, to be elected; and whereas it was thought proper not to fix or insert in the said Constitution either the places or mode of election, or the place where the said Council and Assembly shall meet, after they are so elected, but leave them to be ascertained by a distinct Ordinance of this Congress:

Resolved, therefore, That the places of election shall be as follows: In Bergen, at the Court-House in New-Barbadoes; in Essex, at the Court-House in Newark; in Middlesex, at the Court-House in New-Brunswick; in Somerset, at the Court-House at Hillsborough; in Morris, at the Court-House in Morristown; in Monmouth, at the Court-House in Freehold; in Hunterdon, at the Court-House in Trenton; in Sussex, at the Court-House in Newton; in Burlington, at the Court-House in the City of Burlington; in Gloucester, at the Court-House in the Town of Gloucester; in Salem, at the Court-House in the Town of Salem; in Cumberland, at the Court-House in Bridgetown; and in Cape-May, at the Court-House in the Middle Precinct; and that the inhabitants of each County, entitled to vote for Representatives in the said Council and General Assembly, when met at the place of election, shall, between the hours of ten in the morning and one in the afternoon, choose three judicious freeholders to preside as Judges of the election; which Judges shall take an oath or affirmation before any Justice of the Peace for the faithful and impartial discharge of their duty; and the said inhabitants shall then proceed to elect such a number of Representatives in Council and Assembly as, by the said Constitution, they are entitled to elect; and also one Sheriff, and one or more Coroners; adjourning from day to day, and from place to place, (except in the County of Salem,) if it shall be thought necessary, pursuant to the Ordinance of the late Provincial Congress. And the certificate of the Judges, so as aforesaid appointed, together with six good and sufficient freeholders, shall be a sufficient testimonial of the election of any member of Council or Assembly; the form of which certificate shall be as follows: “We do hereby certify, that on the day of the date hereof, A, B, and C were (or that A was in the certificate for a member of Council) duly elected to represent the County of . . . . . . in the General Assembly of this Colony, (or Legislative Council, as the case may require,) to be held at Princeton on the 27th of this instant. Witness our hands and seals this . . . . day of August, 1776.” Provided always, That no person or persons shall be entitled to a seat in Council or Assembly unless he or they so elected shall have first taken the following oath or affirmation, to wit: “I, A B, do swear (or affirm) that I do not hold myself bound to bear allegiance to George the Third, King of Great Britain; that I will not, by any means, directly or indirectly, oppose the measures adopted by this Colony, or the Continental Congress, against the tyranny attempted to be established over these Colonies by the Court of Great Britain; and that I do and will bear true allegiance to the Government established in this Colony under the authority of the people.”

And as it is highly unreasonable that the enemies of America should be admitted to take an active part in our publick measures, no person or persons shall be admitted to vote at the said election, unless he first take the same oath or affirmation, if thereunto required by any one of the Judges or Inspectors of the said election; which oath or affirmation any one of the Judges aforesaid shall be empowered to tender and administer to any or either of the said electors.

And that each person who shall be named as a candidate by any inhabitant entitled to vote shall be admitted to appoint one Inspector and one Clerk; which Clerks, when so appointed, shall be sworn or affirmed in manner aforesaid, truly and impartially to take the votes and set down the name and place of abode of each elector, and to poll no voter who is Dot attested, if required so to be by any one or more of the Judges or Inspectors. Provided always, That no Sheriff or Coroner shall be empowered to act in his office until he shall be commissioned by the future Governour or Vice-President of the Colony, and shall be further qualified in such manner as the future Legislature of this Colony shall direct and appoint.

And it is further Resolved, That the Legislative Council and General Assembly, when so elected, shall, for the first time, meet at Princeton.