Met according to adjournment.

Resolved, That no Troops in the service of the United States, or of any of them, nor their Baggage, Ammunition, or their other Wagons, shall pay for passing any of the Ferries within this State more than one-third part of the ferriage usually paid by such as are not in said service. And to prevent a misconstruction of this Resolve, It is hereby declared, That Commissaries or other persons supplying the Army with Provisions, Stores, &c., are not intended to be included in said Resolve, so as to receive any private benefit from the same.

A Letter from the War-Office, of the 6th of August; read and filed.

Adjourned to Thursday, three o’clock.

Thursday, August 15, 1776.

A sufficient number of Members not attending, the Convention did not meet.

Friday, August 16, 1776.

The Convention met.

Ordered, That the Committees of the several Counties, Towns, and Districts, in this State, do make out lists of the Prisoners of War which now are or have been resident within their Districts, and transmit the same to this Convention, or the future Legislature of this State, without delay.

Mr. Hardenbergh added to the Committee of Accounts.

Adjourned to three o’clock, afternoon.

Met according to adjournment.

Ordered, That Richard Lott, Esq., be appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Second Battalion of Middlesex.

Ordered, That John Taylor be appointed First Major thereof.

The Petition of Captain Philip Van Arsdalen, praying leave to raise a Company of Light-Horse in Somerset County; read, and ordered to lie on the table.

A Petition from the Officers of the Second Battalion of Middlesex County, praying an addition of Captain Wetherill’s Company to that Battalion; read, and ordered a second reading.

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

Saturday, August 17, 1776.

Met according to adjournment. Adjourned to 3 o’clock, afternoon.

Met according to adjournment.

A Letter from William Ch. Huston, Captain of a Company in the Second Battalion of Foot Militia in the County of Somerset, setting forth, that from his connection with the College in the absence of Dr. Witherspoon, and other circumstances, he cannot pay the due attention to his Company, and begging leave to resign his commission.

Ordered, That his resignation be accepted.

In pursuance of the recommendation of the honourable Continental Congress,

Resolved, That all the Workmen of this State actually employed in the manufactory of Fire-Arms be excused from going out with the Militia when called upon.

Resolved, unanimously, That the Bills of Credit emitted by the honourable Continental Congress be a legal tender within the State of New-Jersey, for all sums of money due and owing from one person to another.

Ordered, That Mr. Sergeant revise, correct, and transcribe the Minutes of this Convention for the press, to be inspected, approved, and signed by the President, and that he have the same compensation as has been allowed to the Clerks of Assembly in this State.

Whereas the difference of the several Currencies within this State very greatly perplexes many of the good people thereof, and more especially such of the people of the neighbouring States as have come hither for our defence against the common enemy, and gives occasion to great impositions and deceits,

Resolved, unanimously, That all payments and receipts be made in every part of this State in Proclamation money of New-Jersey, at 7s. 6d. the dollar, reckoning the difference between the usual prices heretofore taken in any other currency, and reducing the same to Proclamation.

Adjourned till Monday morning, eight o’clock.

Monday, August 19. 1776.

Met according to adjournment.

Upon the application of Doctor Samuel Bard, for the assistance and encouragement of this State in the erecting of Salt Works,

Resolved, unanimously, That this State will, upon good security, lend to the said Doctor Bard a sum of money not exceeding £500, for the term of two years, without interest, for the purpose of erecting Salt Works within this State.

Resolved, unanimously, That this State will receive Salt manufactured by the said Doctor Bard, at one dollar the bushel, in payment of said sum of money: Provided, The same be tendered for payment before the expiration of two years after the loan of the money.

Resolved, unanimously, That if any of the works so to be raised shall be destroyed by the enemy, this State will sustain the loss of one half of the money which shall have been appropriated for the purpose of erecting such works, out of the money advanced on loan by this State to the said Doctor Bard.

Resolved, unanimously, That the Workmen actually employed in the said works, not exceeding ten, be exempt from military duty during the time which they shall be so employed: Provided, That the said money be lent upon condition that the works shall be completed within three months of the said loan; and that the said Dr. Bard be not entitled to receive the bounty heretofore offered on Salt.

A Petition signed by fifty-six Associators, in the Company of Captain Smith, in the Precinct of Upper Alloway’s Creek, in the County of Salem, praying that they may be formed into a distinct Company, and be officered by Abner Penton as Captain, Eaton Haywood First Lieutenant, Jacob Houseman Second Lieutenant, and Thomas Smith Ensign, was read,

A Memorial of the Committee of the said Precinct was also read, recommending that the prayer of the said Petition may be granted. Whereupon,

Ordered, That the prayer of said Petition be granted, and that Commissions do issue accordingly.

Adjourned to three o’clock afternoon.

Lieutenant, Ensign, or Adjutant, £6; a non-commissioned officer £3; and every private refusing to serve in his turn as aforesaid shall be fined £3.

That the pay of the officers and privates, to be computed from the time of their marching to join the Flying-Camp, shall be, in all respects, the same as those in the Continental service.

And whereas the principles of equity and humanity require that a proper compensation and provision be made for the families of all such as may be killed or wounded in the service; the Convention pledge the faith of this State that an adequate provision for the purpose aforesaid shall be made in such manner as that an equitable share of the burden shall fall upon those who do not go out with one or other of said divisions on their tour of service; it being clearly the opinion of the Convention that the fines above-mentioned to be paid by those who do not go out, being but a small share of property, are not equivalent, nor can, with any degree of reason, be put in competition with the risk of lives and limbs of those who go into the service; and also upon persons of property above the age of fifty, who are neither required to do duty nor pay any fine.

In this interesting situation—viewing, on the one hand, an active, inveterate, and implacable enemy, increasing fast in strength, daily receiving large reinforcements, and industriously preparing to strike some decisive blow; on the other, a considerable part of the inhabitants supinely slumbering on the brink of ruin, and moved with affecting apprehensions, the Convention think it incumbent upon them to warn their constituents of the impending danger. On you, our friends and brethren, it depends, this day, to determine, whether you, your wives, your children, and millions of your descendants, yet unborn, shall wear the galling, the ignominious yoke of slavery; or nobly inherit the generous, the inestimable blessings of freedom. The alternative is before you—can you hesitate in your choice? can you doubt which to prefer? Say!—will you be slaves? Will you toil and labour and glean together a little property, merely that it may be at the disposal of a relentless and rapacious conqueror? Will you, of choice, become hewers of wood and drawers of water? Impossible ! You cannot be so amazingly degenerate as to lick the hand that is raised to shed your blood! Nature and Nature’s God have made you free ! Liberty is the birthright of Americans! the gift is of Heaven ! and the instant it is forced from you, you take leave of everything valuable on earth. Your happiness or misery, virtuous independence or indignant servitude, hang trembling in the balance. Happily, we know we can anticipate your virtuous choice. With confident satisfaction we are assured that not a moment will delay your important decision—that you cannot feel hesitation, whether you will tamely and degenerately bend your necks to the irretrievable wretchedness of slavery—or, by your instant and animated exertions, enjoy the fair inheritance of Heaven-born freedom, and transmit it unimpaired to your posterity.