Hosmer, Jedediah Elderkin, Benjamin Huntington, William Hillhouse, and Nathaniel Wales, Esquires.

A Letter from Colonel W. Pitkin, expressing his great apprehensions of danger of his Powder-Mills being destroyed by enemies, there having been much threatening about them, &c., from Prisoners, &c., which occasioned much consultation about guarding or securing them, and how, &c. After much discourse,

Voted, That Guards be allowed at Colonel Pitkin's and also at Colonel Elderkin and Wales's Powder-Mills, and that the respective owners be allowed 4s. per night for each night they shall keep such Guard until this Board shall take other or further order concerning them.

Letters from the Congress of the 6th instant came in, by express, containing information of their late Declaration of Independence, and a copy of it, requesting the same to be duly published, &c.

Two Letters also from General Washington, of the 7th and 9th instant, about the situation of affairs, and advice that Lord Howe with fifteen thousand men are on their passage, &c., and about our Regiments of Horse, much approving the measure, but expressing the difficulties of keeping horses, &c.

The matter and manner of publishing the Independency as recommended by Congress largely discoursed, and many things given out relative to the matter, &c., and concluded to lay by for the present.

On representation of Dr. Usher, of the New-London Regiment, and Letter from Colonel Wolcott for that purpose:

Voted, That he have liberty to purchase and take up Medicines for the use of said Regiment, of Doctor Lothrop or Doctor Dyar, to the amount of £10, for which the Colony will be accountable, and substance of the vote given said Dr. Usher.

Sundry Accounts of William Williams, Esq., and Nathaniel Wales, Esq., examined and settled, &c., viz: Mr. Wales's account for services, July, 1775; journey and expenses to New-Haven, &c., by order, with William Williams, to look out an armed vessel, and journey and expenses to Philadelphia in September, 1775, after money, &c.; journey and expenses to New-London with Colonel Dyar, to see about Forts, &c.; journey and expenses to Cambridge in October, to meet Committee of Congress, &c.; in whole £51 17s. 3d. Allowed, and order to be drawn for.

Adjourned to Monday next, 15th instant.

CONVENTION OF COMMITTEES IN PETERSHAM.

At a Convention of Committees of Safety, &c., of the Towns of Hutchinson, Templeton, Athol, and Petersham, at the house of Kenelm Winslow, in Petersham, on the 12th day of July, 1776, the following Voles and Resolves were passed:

The question being put, Whether those persons called Tories, in said Petersham, were liberated from the restrictions they were laid under by a former Convention of Committees, and the people assembled at the same place? And it passed in the negative.

The question being put, Whether it is the sense of this body that the House erected in the Town of Petersham for Publick Worship, was the place intended and meant in the restrictions the abovesaid persons were laid under by the former Convention? And it passed in the affirmative.

The question being put, Whether the aforesaid persons should be indulged to meet for Publick Worship at any other place than at the House erected by said Town for Publick Worship? And it passed in the negative.

Resolved, That if such persons, or any of them, should presume to violate any of such restrictions in future, and more especially at such a critical day as the present, that this body will use their utmost influence that they or any of them so offending, after previous notice being given to them of these Resolves, shall be committed to close confinement, and there be continued until our political troubles are at an end.

And whereas Mr. Aaron Whitney hath publickly declared that he will keep open doors for the assembling such persons, in violation of such restrictions, which were read to him; therefore,

Resolved, As the opinion of this body, that such declaration and practice is an insult on the Committee, and against the peace, good order, and safety of the United Colonies, and ought not by any means to be suffered or continued, but that he be deemed as inveterate and as incorrigible as any who have been so restricted, and ought to be brought immediately to condign punishment.

The aforesaid restrictions are as follow, viz:

"That they should deliver all their Arms and Implements of war, immediately, into the hands of the Selectmen of Petersham, and that they should not go out of the Town of Petersham without a pass, signed by the major part of the Committee of Correspondence of said Town.

"That no more than two should assemble together at any place, except publick worship, legal town meetings, or funerals."

The reasons given by the Committees for laying on the restrictions aforesaid are as follow:

"At a meeting of the Committees of Correspondence of, the several Towns of Hardwick, Templeton, Rutland District, Hubbardston, Westminster, Petersham, New-Salem, Athol, Greenwich, Winchendon, and Royalton, at said Petersham, February 25th, 1775, at the request of the Committee of Petersham, on account of the riotous assembling of Joshua Willard, William Barron, Esqs., Ebenezer Bragg, and others, did, on examination, find that the said persons, with their associates, had entered into a covenant or combination utterly subversive of our natural and chartered rights, and tending to strengthen and assist the enemies of our Constitution in their arbitrary attempts to introduce the late unconstitutional acts of the British Parliament, and likewise to assist each other, in opposition to all such persons who are friends to our liberties and rights. In consequence of which combination, they did actually assemble at the house of David Stone, with firearms, and did actually insult and threaten the lives of several persons who went to inquire into the occasion of their so assembling. By all which, it appears to us, the Committees of the above mentioned Towns, and the people assembled," &c.

The names of the persons thus restricted are as follow: Joshua Willard, William Barron, Ebenezer Bragg, Thomas Beeman, Joseph Stevens, Benjamin Furness, David Stone, Ephraim Whitney, James Jackson, Luke Lincoln, William Martindale, Seth Hapgood, Benjamin Chandler, Joseph Smith, Nathaniel Munroe, David Allin, Samuel Frizzel, Isaac Hastings, David Stone, Jun., Nathaniel Lincoln, and Ebenezer Ayres; with some others, whose names are not here mentioned, as they have made their peace with the Town of Petersham and the Committee of Correspondence, and manifested a friendly disposition towards American liberty; which persons, the present body are of opinion, ought not to suffer any inconvenience by the effect of the present Resolves.

And further Voted, That if any of such persons who have not been restored as aforesaid, should in future, or until our political troubles are ended, be found with Firearms, Ammunition, or other implements of war, that in such case they ought immediately to be taken from them.

Per order:

EPHRAIM DOOLITTLE.

July 12, 1776.

At a meeting of the Committee of Safety, &c., for the Town of Petersham, July 16th, 1776:

Whereas the Town of Petersham, since the above restrictions were laid on said persons, have, in a full town meeting assembled, voted that Robert Goddard, Ensign Man, and