MONDAY, February 26, 1776. A letter from general Lee, dated 22d instant, was read: Resolved, That the same be referred to a committee of three. The members chosen, Mr. M'Kean, Mr. J. Adams, and Mr. L. Morris. Resolved, That an order be drawn on the treasurers, in favor of Carpenter Wharton, for the sum of 6000 dollars, he to be accountable. A petition from lieutenant Jocelyn Feltham, of the 26th regiment, who was taken prisoner at Ticonderoga, was presented and read, praying leave to go to Europe for the recovery of his health. Resolved, That the prayer of his petition be granted. A representation from the committee of inspection and observation of the city and liberties of Philadelphia, relative to vessels loaded for Great-Britain, Ireland, and the British West-Indies, was presented to Congress, and read : Whereupon, Resolved, That no vessel loaded for Great-Britain, Ireland, or the British WestIndies, be permitted to sail until the further order of Congress; and that it be recommended to the different committees of inspection and observation, to see that this resolution be carried into execution. Ordered, That the above resolve be published. Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to examine and report the numbers and circumstances of the permits, and the destination of the vessels, to which such permits have been granted, for exporting the produce of the colonies, in consequence of the importation of ammunition and warlike stores; and that the representation of the committeee of inspection and observation for the city and liberties of Philadelphia, on this subject, be referred to the said committee. The members chosen, Mr. Duane, Mr. Chase, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Livingston, and Mr. Wythe. A letter from the convention of New-Jersey, dated February 24th, was read: Resolved, That the same be referred to the committee to whom the letter from general Lee, was this morning committed. Resolved, That an order be drawn on the treasurers, in favor of the delegates of Maryland, for the sum of twenty-two thousand dollars, to be by them exchanged for gold and silver, and paid back into their treasury. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. TUESDAY, February 27, 1776. Resolved, That Monsieur Regonville be permitted to go to Bristol, and spend a week with his relations there; and that, after that, he return to Philadelphia. Resolved, That the sum of 100 dollars be paid to Monsieur Dugan, for his services in the cause of the United Colonies in Canada, and that it be recommended to the commanding officer of the forces of the United Colonies in that province, to advance him to a post in the army, suitable to his merit and ser vices. The committee, to whom the letters from Christopher Leffingwell and others, concerning the brigantine Nancy, commanded by Thomas Davis, and her cargo, were referred, brought in their report; which being taken into consideration, Resolved, That the case of the said brigantine and cargo, pertaineth to the judicature established in the colony of Connecticut for hearing and determining matters of the same kind. The Congress taking into consideration the report of the committee appointed to consider into what departments the middle and southern colonies ought to be formed, Resolved, That New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, the lower counties on Delaware, and Maryland, be put into one department, under the command of the major-general, and two brigadiers-general with proper staff: That Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, be put into one other department, under the command of one major-general, and three brigadiers-general with proper staff: That Friday next be assigned for the election of the majors-general, brigadiers-general, and staff-officers in the foregoing departments. Resolved, That it be recommended to the convention of New-Jersey, to have the cargo of the transport Blue-Mountain Valley landed, and secured in some safe place, till further orders of Congress. The order of the day being renewed, WEDNESDAY, February 28, 1776. Resolved, That general Lee be directed not to proceed to Canada, until he receive further orders from Congress. The committee, to whom the letters from general Lee and the convention of New-Jersey, were referred, brought in their report, which was read : Resolved, That the consideration thereof be postponed till to-morrow. Resolved, That the secret committee be directed to repay to the delegates of North-Carolina the four hundred weight of powder borrowed of that colony. The committee on prisoners, to whom the letter from the committee of safety of Pennsylvania was referred, brought in their report, which was taken into consideration; and thereupon, Resolved, That the committee of inspection and observation for the county of Berks, in Pennsylvania, be authorized and requested to contract, upon reasonable terms, for the subsistence of such of the prisoners now in Reading as are not supplied by Mr. Franks, together with the women and children belonging to all the prisoners there, and for supplying them with fire-wood, and other things absolutely necessary for their support: That the committees of inspection and observation for the counties, districts, or towns, assigned for the residence of prisoners, be empowered to superintend their conduct, and, in cases of gross misbehavior, to confine them, and report to Congress the proceedings had on such occasions. Ordered, That the foregoing resolve be published. Resolved, That the committee of safety of Pennsylvania, agreeable to the offer made by them of their service, of which Congress have a proper sense, be authorized to distribute the officers, who are prisoners in Lancaster, in such places within the province of Pennsylvania, as to that committee shall seem most proper, taking their parole, which, if they refuse to give, the said committee are empowered and directed to confine them; and that, in executing this resolve, the said committee have regard to the resolutions heretofore made by Congress, with respect to prisoners and their residence. A petition of Anthony Marmajou, master and owner of the brig Little-Polly, of the island of Martinique, was presented to Congress and read: Whereupon, Resolved, That Monsieur Marmajou be permitted to load the brigantine Little-Polly, in which he imported a small quantity of powder and arms, with the produce of these colonies, (horned cattle, sheep, hogs, poultry and lumber for making casks excepted,) and export the same to Martinique; and that the said Anthony Marmajou do take every possible precaution to avoid all British men of war and cutters on his voyage; and that he use his utmost endeavors to import into these colonies the powder and arms mentioned in his petition, Resolved, That an order be drawn on the treasurers in favor of Mr. J. Mease, for the sum of twenty thousand dollars, he to be accountable. The committee, to whom the letters from general Schuyler, dated the 10th and 13th of February, and the papers there mentioned, were referred, brought in their report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon, Resolved, That a sufficient quantity of steel be sent to general Schuyler, or the commanding officer at Albany, for the armorers and the blacksmiths who are appointed to go and work for the Indians, and that the delegates of NewJersey be desired to provide and forward the same: That an account of the money paid to the Pennsylvania troops who have marched to Canada, be sent to general Schuyler: That the deputy muster-master general, Gunning Bedford, esq. be directed to repair to his post forthwith in the northern army in Canada, and that he muster the troops once in every month, and make returns to Congress and the commanding officer: That the orders given by general Schuyler, in his letter of the 12th instant, to lieutenant-colonel Warner, be approved. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. THURSDAY, February 29, 1776, The colony of New-Hampshire having appointed delegates for the present year, William Whipple, esq. one of the said delegates, attended and produced the credentials of their appointment, which were read as follows : COLONY OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE-IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, January 23, 1776. "Voted, That Josiah Bartlett, John Langdon, and William Whipple, esqs. be, and hereby are appointed delegates to represent this colony in the Continental Congress at Philadelphia for the term of one year from this time, any one of them, in the absence of the others, to have full power to represent this colony, and that not more than two of them attend at one time. Sent up for conP. WIIITE, Speaker. currence. IN COUNCIL, eodem die. Read and concurred. Attest, E. THOMPSON, Secretary. E. THOMPSON, Secretary." A letter of the 14th from general Washington, enclosing a letter from lord Drummond to general Robinson and sundry other papers, was read. Agreeable to the order of the day, the Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the letter from general Washington, of the 9th instant, and the trade of the colonies after the 1st of March, and, after some time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Ward reported that the committee not having come to a conclusion, desired him to move for leave to sit again. Resolved, That this Congress will, to-morrow, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into further consideration the letter from general Washington, and the trade of the colonies. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. FRIDAY, March 1, 1776. A letter from the committee of safety of New-Hampshire, with a petition from the said colony, and sundry other papers, were read: Resolved, That the same be referred to a committee of three. The members chosen, Mr. Wythe, Mr. Braxton, and Dr. Franklin. A petition from the inhabitants of Falmouth being presented, was read. Resolved, That it be referred to a committee of three. The members chosen, Mr. W. Livingston, Mr. Read and Mr. Paca. A letter from J. Mease, commissary, with sundry queries, to which he requests the answers of Congress, that he may know how to conduct the business entrusted to him, was laid before Congress and read: Resolved, That the same be referred to a committee of three. The members chosen, Mr. Rutledge, Mr. Paine, and Mr. Hewes. A memorial of the merchants, traders and others, of the city of Philadelphia, was presented and read: 1 Resolved, That it be referred to a committee of the whole. The general assembly of Massachusetts-Bay, having transmitted to Congress a state of the accounts of their colony against the continent, Resolved, That the same be referred for liquidation to the committee of claims. Resolved, That an addition of 34 dollars a month be added to the pay of Joseph Reed, esq. secretary to general Washington, on account of the extraordinary sevices at present attending that office, by reason of the general's direction of the naval department. Resolved, That this Congress will, to-morrow, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the letter of general Washington, of the 14th, with the papers enclosed. Resolved, That the secret committee be directed to treat with the owners of some medicines lately imported, and to purchase the same on the most reasonable terms for the use of the continent. Resolved, That major-general Lee be appointed to take the command of the continental forces in the southern department. The Congress proceeded to the election of six brigadier-generals, and the ballots being delivered in and examined, the following gentlemen were chosen: John Armstrong, esq. James Moore, esq. The right hon. William, earl of Sterling. Resolved, That brigadier-general Armstrong be directed to repair to SouthCarolina, brigadiers Lewis and Howe to Virginia, and brigadier Moore to North-Carolina, and to take the command of the forces in those respective colonies, until they receive further orders from Congress or a superior officer. Resolved, That brigadier-general Thompson be directed to repair to New York. The orders of the day being postponed, MONDAY, March 4, 1776. Resolved, That Mr. Alsop be appointed a member of the committee of claims, in the room of Mr. Lewis, who is absent, and Mr. Whipple in the room of Mr. Bartlett, who desires to be excused from that service. Resolved, That in case of the absence of any standing member of the committee of claims, the delegates of the colony to which he belongs, be empowered to nominate one of their members to act in the stead of the absent member, till his return. Sundry letters and papers were received and read, viz. A letter from the convention of New-York, of the 28th February, enclosing a recommendation of gentlemen for field-officers of the four battalions ordered to be raised in that colony : Resolved, That the same be referred for consideration till to-morrow. A memorial from sundry merchants of Montreal, respecting the Indian trade: A resolution of the committee of inspection for the county of Accomac : Two letters from brigadier-general Wooster of the 11th and 18th February, with seven papers enclosed : Two from brigadier-general Arnold, one of the 1st, and the other of the 12th of February: Four from general Schuyler, dated the 15th, 20th, 21st, and 23d of the same month: One from general Lee of the 29th : One from the convention of New-Hampshire, of the 8th: F Resolved, That the memorial from the merchants of Montreal be referred to a committee of five : The members chosen, Mr. Wilson, Mr. J. Adams, Mr. W. Livingston, Mr. L. Morris, and Mr. Tilghman. That the resolution from the committee of Accomac, be referred to the committee of the whole Congress. That the letters from major-generals Lee and Schuyler, and from brigadiergenerals Wooster and Arnold, be referred to the committee appointed to prepare instructions for the commissioners going to Canada. 'That the other letters be referred for consideration till to-morrow. The committee appointed to examine and report the number and circumstances of the permits granted for exporting produce, &c. brought in their report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon, Resolved, That the restraint be taken off, which, by a resolve of the 26th of last month, was laid upon vessels loading or loaded with produce for GreatBritain, Ireland, or the British West-Indies, in consequence of permissions granted for arms and ammunition, imported into these colonies. Resolved, That the secret committee be directed, with all possible expedition, to send, under a guard, ten tons of powder to Cambridge, for the use of the army under the command of general Washington. The committee, to whom the memorial from sundry inhabitants of Northumberland, and the petition from the inhabitants near Pittsburg, were referred, brought in their report, which was read: Ordered, To lie on the table for the perusal of the members. Resolved, That colonel Beletre, major Longeuil, and captain Lotbiniere, three of the Canadian prisoners who are at Bristol, in Pennsylvania, be permitted to come to Philadelphia, to confer with the committee on prisoners. The order of the day being renewed, Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. TUESDAY, March 5, 1776. Two letters from general Schuyler, dated the 26th and 27th of February, with four papers enclosed, among which was a letter from James Deane to general Schuyler, of the 24th of the same month, were received and read: Resolved, That the letter from James Deane be referred to a committee of three. The members chosen, Mr. Rutledge, Mr. Wythe, and Mr. W. Livingston. The Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on the memorial from the inhabitants of Northumberland, &c. Whereupon, Resolved, As the said memorial relates merely to disputes between the memorialists and other inhabitants of said county, and to complaints against justices of the peace of the said county, and as the common courts of judicature, and especially the legislature of the colony of Pennsylvania, are altogether competent for remedying the grievances complained of, that the said memorial with the papers therewith delivered, be transmitted to the assembly of said colony. The Congress then resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the letter from general Washington of the 14th of February, and the papers enclosed, and after some time the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Harrison reported, that the committee have had under consideration the letter and papers to them referred, but have come to no resolution thereon. Resolved, That the letter from general Washington, so far as it has not been considered by the committee of the whole, be referred to the committee to whom his other letters of the 24th and 30th of January were referred. The order of the day being renewed, Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow. |