Thursday, July 18, 1776.

Met according to adjournment.

Present: His Honour the Governour, Hon. Deputy-Governour Griswold, Elipht. Dyar, Jz. Huntington, William Williams, Titus Hosmer, Jedr. Elderkin, Nathl. Wales, Benj. Huntington, Wm. Hillhouse, Esquires.

Letters prepared for General Schuyler, &c., and sent by Brown, the Albany Post, and for Colonel Porter, about the Cannon, and Colonel Pettibone's appointment to procure Cannon to be brought to Hartford; and copies of the appointment of the Commissaries to procure Clothing, &c., as mentioned page 456.

Mr. Root came in, and moves in the name of the Committee of Prisoners and the County Court, to have a yard erected around the Jail al Hartford, to secure the Prisoners, &c.; and is considered and largely discoursed, &c.; and it being represented to this Board by a Resolve of the honourable County Court of the County of Hartford that it is absolutely necessary that a good yard be forthwith built around the Jail in said County, which they judge will be particularly useful to secure the Prisoners of War that are or may be taken in, or sent into, this Colony; and, on consideration.

Voted and Resolved, That it be recommended to the County Court for the County of Hartford, forthwith to make and construct a good and sufficient yard for said Jail, with pickets or plank, in the best and most prudent manner they can.

And it is further Resolved, That one-half the expense of constructing said yard be borne and paid out of the publick Treasury of this Colony, the residue by the County of Hartford aforesaid.

Whereas the Regiment raised in this Colony for Continental service, under the command of Colonel Andrew Ward, is now in great measure raised, mustered, equipped, and ready to march, and his Honour the Governour hath given orders for their march to Boston: And whereas intelligence is received that Lord Howe, with a very large body of troops, hath joined General Howe at New-York, and the whole force of the enemy seems ready to fall upon the city of New-York and parts adjacent, and the small-pox now greatly prevailing in and about Boston, and would probably spread in said Regiment and disable it from service should they march there:

Resolved, That it will be most advisable and best, that the Colonel of said Regiment be ordered to suspend their march for the present, until further orders from the Congress or General Washington may be had, which, from the state of publick affairs, may be expected.

The matter of publishing the Independency taken up again, and largely discoursed; and the manner of choosing the Delegates, &c., a good deal considered, &c.; and finally thought best to let the matter of publishing the Independency remain for the determination of the General Assembly at their next stated session.

Whereas many persons inimical to the United States of America do wander from place to place, with intent to spy out the state of the Colonies, and give intelligence to their enemies, whereby confederacies may be formed and strengthened, and other great inconveniences may ensue: Thereupon, which to prevent,

Resolved, That no person or persons, unknown or suspected, whether they appear in the character of Gentlemen, Expresses, Travellers, or common Beggars, be permitted to pass from Town to Town, in this Colony, unless he or they can and do produce a certificate from some Congress, Committee of Safety or of Inspection, some Magistrate, Justice of the Peace, General or Field-Officer of the Army, therein mentioning from whence, and to what place, the person producing the same is travelling, and that he is friendly to the liberties of the American States, unless he be a person well known and friendly as aforesaid; and all Officers, civil and military, Selectmen, Committees of Inspection, Sheriffs, Constables, Grand Jurors, and Tithingmen, in this Colony, are directed to require every person travelling as aforesaid to produce such certificate, and to stop and examine such persons travelling without certificate as aforesaid; and unless he or they can give full satisfaction that he or they are pursuing their lawful business, and are friendly to the liberties and interests of the United American States, and hath no design to hurt or injure them in his or their journey, that they apprehend such person or persons, and him or them carry before the civil authority, Selectmen, or Committee of Inspection of the Town in which he or they shall be found, to be further examined and dealt with as the nature of the case, in his or their opinion, may require. And it is further recommended to the civil authority and Selectmen of the larger Towns in this Colony, that proper watches and wards be kept in suitable places in said Towns by night, to apprehend any such persons as aforesaid that may travel by night from place to place, and practise mischief against this or the rest of the United American Colonies, and bring them before proper authority, that they may be dealt with in such manner as the nature of their several cases may require.

An attested copy delivered Mr. Root, to be printed in handbills.

Adjourned to eight o'clock, to-morrow morning.

Friday, July 19, 1776.

Met according to adjournment.

Present: His Honour the Governour, Honourable Deputy-Governour, Elipht. Dyer, Jz. Huntington, Wm. Williams, Titus Hosmer, Jed. Elderkin, Benj. Huntington, Nathl. Wales, and William Hillhouse, Esquires.

Letters preparing for General Washington, &c., for Congress, &c. Copies made of a number; about six Depositions taken at New-London, of the conduct of some New-York Provision vessels throwing themselves into the enemy's hands, &c.—in order to send General Washington. Originals for the Congress.

On representation of Messrs. Elderkin and Wales, of the necessity of a Magazine to store the Powder wrought or to be wrought at their Mill,

Voted, That Colonels Elderkin and Wales be directed to build a good and sufficient Magazine of stone, of the dimensions of eight feet by ten, at least; to be arched, covered with earth, and situated in a good dry side hill, near their Mill and Works; and that they receive out of the pub-lick Treasury a sum not exceeding £14, to enable them to perform said service, for which they engage to erect such Magazine, so as to well and thoroughly answer the end proposed, and to be, and belong to the Colony, and they to supply the deficiency, if any there be.

On pressing application from Mr. Brooks, one of the Selectmen of Stratford, for a supply of Powder for the Town,

Voted, That an Order be drawn on Messrs. Doolittle & Co.'s Powder-Mill, at New-Haven, for eight hundred pounds in favour of the Selectmen of Stratford—they to account for to the General Assembly, or to this Board, at the rate of 5s. 4d. per pound, or in such manner as shall be further considered and ordered. (Order given; sent in letter by the Deputy-Governour.)

On repeated application from General Washington, &c.,

Ordered, That Captain Stanton, of the Row-Galley Shark, shall, in addition to the order before, immediately repair to General Washington, at New-York, and subject himself to the command of said General, until further orders.

Voted and Ordered, That Captain Harding, of the Brig Defence, immediately cause said Brig to be fitted and repaired with necessary repairs, and that he cruise in the Sound, and in proper places and grounds, for the best advantage and interest of the Colony.

Voted, That his Honour the Governour be, and he hereby is, desired to give proper Commissions to such Officers as shall be duly chosen and returned as Commission Officers, in all such Companies of men not obliged by law to bear arms in the Militia in this Colony, as shall associate into military order, and stand ready to serve the publick, under the command of the Captain-General.

Adjourned till Tuesday next, unless sooner called.

MEETING OF COMMITTEE FOR SYMSBURY, CONNECTICUT.

At a meeting of the Civil Authority, Selectmen, and Committee of Inspection for the Town of Symsbury, on the 19th day of July, A. D. 1776:

Colonel JONATHAN, PETTIBONE Chairman.

Whereas, by frequent complaints, it appears to this meeting that there is great grounds of suspicion, that inimical