cruise, taking the Ships and Brigs, &c., and his reasons for leaving the port without orders, &c.; and is excused and justified for so leaving, fee; and wants directions about cleaning, graving, and refitting, and about the men who are probably infected with the small-pox; and is directed to do the necessaries, with the advice, fee, of Mr. Shaw, who is Colony Agent for naval supplies, as per 15th. Many things to say to them; and about prizes brought into Boston, &c.

Post from Hartford, and Brown the Albany post arrived with many Letters from General Schuyler, Mr. Trumbull, fee; read and attended to, &c.

On representation of the Committee of Inspection for Syrnsbury and others, of the dangerous situation of Newgate Prison, and especially since a number of Tory prisoners are committed there, and the great uneasiness of the people concerning them, and that the keeper is uneasy with his situation, fee, and requesting liberty of a guard, &c., considered; and

Voted, That the Overseers of Newgate Prison be advised and directed, and they are hereby advised and directed, to procure and place a guard of two faithful men every night, or more if they shall judge necessary, carefully to watch and guard said Prison, and all the avenues thereof, in order to prevent the escape of any of said prisoners, and any access to them by unknown or suspicious persons; and that said Committee be advised to examine into the true situation and circumstances of said affair, and inform his Honour the Governour as soon as may be, and of the necessity of the case, in order to receive further instructions in the premises.

Many other matters of a publick nature considered, fee; and adjourned till to-morrow morning.

Tuesday, July 16, 1776.

At a meeting, &c., adjourned from yesterday.

Present: His Honour the Governour, Honourable Deputy-Governour Griswold, Eliph. Dyar, Jz. Huntington, Wm. Williams, Titus Hosmer, Jed. Elderkin, Nath. Wales, Benj. Huntington, and Wm. Hillhouse, Esquires.

Messrs. Brown and Gardner, (sons, fee, of Mr. Brown, of Fisher's Island,) present, applying for pay for the stock lately taken from Fisher's Island, fee It seems the affair is not ripe, fee; but the matter to be previously settled between him and Mr. Winthrop, as to who has a right to receive, fee; and a Letter written to the Committee at New-London.

Captain Mygatt, of a provision vessel, stopped by Captain Niles, agreeable to order, moving for leave to proceed, fee; but it seems not safe, the enemy so many about, and could not consent to it, &c.

Engineer Waters came in. Moves to have some extra allowance for the Carpenters and Masons, at the works at New-London, above the amount of their wages.

Voted, That the tradesmen, as Carpenters and Masons, who have been employed about the works at New-London, be allowed nine Pence per day, over and above their wages, for the time they have laboured, or shall labour there, under the direction of the Engineer, &c.—a particular account to be kept of the days; and that one Shilling and six Pence per day, above their wages, be allowed to the Master Mason, Master Carpenter, and Master Blower, who have laboured, or shall labour, as aforesaid. Account to be kept as afore-said.

Said Mr. Waters laid in his account for his services as Engineer, from November 23 to July 15:

Voted, That an Order be drawn on the Committee of Lead Mine at Middletown, in favour of Joseph Webb, of Wethersfield, for one thousand weight of Lead, to replace the same quantity sent by the Selectmen of Wethersfield, by request, and delivered to Captain Wadsworth, of the Army, at Cambridge. Order delivered to Mr. Hosmer.

On application of William Law, for cash towards his bill for building Carriages for the armed Vessels and Galleys, &c.,

Voted, That an Order be drawn on the Pay-Table, in favour of William Law, for the sum of £80, to be accounted for, on his bill for building Ship-carriages for cannon on board the Galleys, fee, and the cannon brought by Commodore Hopkins.

His Excellency General Washington having requested the loan of the Row-Galleys belonging to this Colony, to assist in the defence of New-York, now attacked by the enemy,

Resolved and Voted, Row-Galleys Whiting and Crane proceed immediately to New-York, and there be under the command of his Excellency General Washington, until further orders. (Orders sent.)

On application and request of Governour Franklin, now residing, on his parole, at Wallingford, for liberty to remove to Middletown; on consideration,

Voted and Resolved, That said Governour Franklin be permitted to remove to, and reside at, Middletown, until further orders, under the obligation of the same parole he has signed on his being ordered to Wallingford.

Voted and Ordered, That none of the Prisoners residing at Hartford or Wethersfield, be permitted any longer to go into the Town of Middletown, without a special license from his Honour the Governour; and the Committee of Prisoners are to take notice hereof, and see that they be restrained accordingly.

Copy delivered to Mr. Root.

The honourable Congress having requested this Colony to furnish our Troops with Tents, Clothing, fee; on consideration,

Voted, A Committee be appointed to purchase and procure all the Tow Cloth and other suitable Cloth or materials for making of Tents, that can be had in the Colony.

Captain John Deshon came in. Moves for a supply of Money to enable him to procure further quantities of Provisions, fee, for the Regiment at New-London, and moves for £2,000. On consideration,

Voted, That an Order be drawn on the Treasurer for the sum of £ 1,500, to be improved for the purpose of procuring Provisions for the support of the soldiers stationed at New-London, and a quantity of Molasses to be distilled and otherwise used for said soldiers, and said sum be accounted for on settlement of his accounts in said service.

Whereas General Schuyler has earnestly requested his Honour the Governour to furnish his Army with a number of felling Axes, not exceeding one thousand, &c.:

Voted, That an Order be drawn on the Pay-Table, in favour of his Honour the Governour, for the sum of £150, to be by him put into the hands of proper persons, to purchase felling Axes for General Schuyler, according to his request, to be repaid by said General; and that an Order be also drawn on the Pay-Table, in favour of Titus Hosmer, Esq., for the same sum of £150, for the same purpose. (The two above sums sent for by Captain Deshon.)

On application of the Selectmen of Lebanon, that they cannot obtain Firearms sufficient for the Company under Captain Clark of said Town,

Voted, That they may receive a number, not exceeding fifteen, of the Guns and Bayonets now in the hands of his Honour the Governour, which were fitted up from old barrels received from Crown-Point. And they were delivered, and receipt taken to the Governour.

MASSACHUSETTS COUNCIL TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Council Chamber, Walertown, July 16, 1776.

SIR: Messrs. Jackson, Tracy & Tracy, merchants of Newburyport, are very solicitous to procure a release of the officers and men of their late Privateer Yankee Hero, which was taken, after a brave and manly resistance, by the Milford frigate; they are now in the hands of our enemies. They take leave to recommend their case to your Excellency's consideration, not doubting but you will attend to any application made to you on their behalf, by the gentlemen above named, and afford every reasonable assistance to accomplish their benevolent purpose; and if they should be happy enough to effect it, it will give us a particular pleasure, as those men, by their past conduct, merit our regard, and