That the said Assemblies, Conventions, and Committees or Councils of Safety, be empowered to contract with proper persons, on the most reasonable terms, for supplying such of the Prisoners, their Wives and Children, in their respective Colony, as are not supplied by Mr. Franks.

That the said Assemblies, Conventions, and Committees or Councils of Safety, be authorized and requested to take the paroles of the Officers, and to cause a strict observance of the terms on which they are enlarged, and also to take especial care that none of those confined by order of the Congress be suffered to escape; also, to advance the allowance of two Dollars a week to each of the Officers who cannot draw or sell their bills, and to draw for the same on the President of the Congress.

That the said Assemblies, Conventions, Committees or Councils of Safety of the Colonies, respectively, in which Prisoners are or shall choose or be appointed to reside, be empowered to remove such Prisoners from place to place, within the same Colonies, as often as to such Assemblies, Conventions, Committees or Councils of Safety, it shall seem proper, having regard to the former Resolutions of Congress concerning Prisoners.

The Committee to whom the Letter of the 10th, from General Lee was referred, brought in their Report,* which was read; and after some debate,

Resolved, That the further consideration thereof be postponed till the arrival of General Washington.

A Letter from Allan McDonald, a Prisoner at Reading, to John Nixon, Esq., President of the Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania, was laid before Congress, and read.

The Committee to whom the Letters from General Washington, Major-General Schuyler, and the Commissioners in Canada, were referred, brought in their Report, which was read.†

Resolved, That the consideration thereof be postponed till to-morrow.

The Committee for superintending the Treasury, to whom it was referred to consider and report a plan for carrying into effect the Resolution of Congress for emitting Five Millions of Dollars, brought in their Report, which was read.

Resolved, That the consideration thereof be postponed till to-morrow.

The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,

Adjourned to ten o’clock, to-morrow.

Wednesday, May 22, 1776.

A Petition from James McKnight was presented to Congress, and read.

A Report being made on the Petition of P. Simons, the same was taken into consideration. Whereupon,

Resolved, That it appears James McKnight hath proceeded in the sale of the Sloop Sally and her cargo, contrary to the mode prescribed, and without any authority from Congress.

That the Resolution passed the 4th of April, “empowering the Committee of Inspection and Observation of the County of Burlington to make sale of the Sloop Sally and the cargo on board, and to pay one-half of the net proceeds to James McKnight for salvage, and retain the other half for the owner or owners,” be set aside.

Resolved, That it be an Instruction to the Marine Committee to procure an exact account of the number and weight of the Cannon lately taken at Providence.

Resolved, That it be an Instruction to the Committee to whom the Instructions given by the Naval Committee to Commodore Hopkins were referred, to inquire how far Commodore Hopkins has complied with the said Instructions; and if, upon inquiry, they shall find he has departed therefrom, to examine into the occasion thereof.

Resolved, That the said Committee have power to send for witnesses and papers.

The Congress resumed the consideration of the Report on the Letters from General Washington, &c., received the 16th and 18th. Whereupon,

Resolved, That the Instructions given to Mr. Price by Major-General Schuyler be approved. That General Schuyler be directed to take any further measures for supplying the Army in Canada with Provisions, which his prudence may suggest, in which the Congress place the highest confidence.

* Report of the Committee to whom the Letter from General LEE, of the 10th of MAY, 1776, was referred.

The Committee to whom the Letter from General Lee, with its enclosures, were committed, having had the same under consideration, have come to the following Resolutions thereupon:

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee an expedition against Detroit ought immediately to be undertaken, and the Committee beg leave to refer to a late Report now lying on the Congress table, for a particular detail of the force, and other articles relative to this expedition.

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee that an expedition against Niagara be for the present suspended.

† Report of the Committee on the Letters from General WASHINGTON, Major-General SCUYLER, and the Commissioners in CANADA, received 16th and 18th MAY, 1776.

The Committee to whom were referred the Letters and Papers received from General Washington, Major-General Schuyler, and the Committee of Congress in Canada, having considered the same, are humbly of opinion—

1st. That the instructions given to Mr. Price by General Schuyler be approved. That General Schuyler be directed to take any further measures for supplying the Army in Canada with Provisions which his prudence may suggest, in which this Committee place the highest confidence.

2d. That General Schuyler be informed of the difficulty of procuring specie, and directed, as far as possible, to remedy that inconvenience, by purchasing such necessaries as can be obtained in these Colonies, and to appoint Storekeepers and other officers for the sale and distribution thereof.

3d. That General Schuyler be directed to open such roads as will facilitate the communication between the Eastern Colonies and Ticonderoga, and to employ the Troops (while he finds it necessary to detain them) in rendering Ticonderoga defensible.

4th. That the propriety of throwing up works at the Isle-aux-Noix, and sending a small supply of provisions thither, in order to secure a retreat, if, unfortunately, our Army should be driven to the necessity of evacuating Canada, should be suggested and submitted to the judgment of General Schuyler.

5th. That the alteration of our affairs in Canada renders it proper to inquire whether it will not be more expedient to build the gondolas mentioned in the Report of the Council of War at Ticonderoga than at Chambly. That this also be suggested and left to the judgment of General Schuyler, the Commissioners, and General Officers in Canada.

6th. That General Washington (or the Commanding-Officer at New-York) be directed to send from thence to Ticonderoga so many light Cannon as will be sufficient to arm the vessels now on Lake Champlain.

7th. That the attention of the Commissioners in Canada to the restoration of order and discipline, and to the punishment of those by whom they are violated, deserve the approbation of Congress.

8th. That the specie now in the Treasury, and as much more as can be procured, not exceeding the sum of 100,000 Dollars, be immediately remitted to the Commissioners for the payment of debts due from the Colonies in Canada, and for the preservation of publick credit.

9th. That the Commissioners in Canada be directed (if necessary) to appoint proper persons to collect and audit the publick accounts in that Province.

10th. Resolved, That the Commissioners in Canada and General Schuyler be informed that we cannot give them any assurance of maintaining our Army there by hard money, but that this ought not to disarrange our operations, Congress being determined to send from these Colonies supplies of provisions, and all other necessaries, if hard money cannot be obtained; and that, in the mean time the best endeavours shall be used to procure the sum of 100,000 Dollars in hard money.

Resolved, That some person or persons be employed by the President in New-England, as an Agent or Agents, to procure, if possible, hard money, to the amount of 100,000 Dollars; and, as soon as a considerable sum is obtained, the said Agents be directed to transmit the same to the Commissioners in Canada, for the use of the Army there; and, in case of the absence of the Commissioners, to be delivered to the Deputy Paymaster-General.

11th. That the Committee in Canada he directed to consult with the Officers there (if they should not think it advisable to return to Quebeck) about the posts that it will be necessary to occupy in order to retain as much as possible of that Province, always having in view the security of the frontiers of these Colonies, and the necessity of preventing any intercourse between our enemies and the Indians.

12th. That the Commissioners in Canada be directed (if unhappily our Army should be reduced to the necessity of evacuating that Colony) to receive into our pay those who have adhered to us, and shall wish to leave that country, and to render every assistance in their power to such of them as cannot be provided for in that way, and to give them the firmest assurances of the aid and protection of Congress.

13th. That such presents should be made to the Indians, on the delivery of the hatchet, as the Commissioners in Canada think prudent.

14th. That 500,000 Dollars be sent, as soon as possible, to General Schnyler,

15th. That Surgeons, and Mates be added to the Hospital in Canada, and that Doctor Stringer be directed to procure them,

Strike out 3d, 4th, and 5th. Instead of 11th, substitute—“That General Schuyler be informed that Congress have in view these two great objects—the protection and assistance of our Canadian friends, and the securing so much of that country as may prevent any communication between our enemies and the Indians. The means of effecting these purposes by fortifying proper posts, building armed vessels where most expedient, opening roads of communication or otherwise, are left to the determination of a Council or Councils of War, governing themselves by events, and their knowledge of the country.