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JOURNALS OF CONGRESS,

1774.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1774.

A NUMBER of the delegates, chosen and appointed by the several colonies and provinces in North-America, to meet and hold a Congress at Philadelphia, assembled at the Carpenter's Hall:

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The Congress proceeded to the choice of a President, when the hon. Peyton Randolph, esq. was unanimously elected.

Mr. Charles Thomson was unanimously chesen Secretary.

The gentlemen from the several colonies produced their respective credentials, which were read and approved as follows:

PROVINCE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE:

At a meeting of the deputies appointed by the several towns in this province, held at Exeter, in the county of Rockingham, 21st July, 1774, for the election of delegates, on behalf of this province, to join the General Congress proposed:

Present 85 members:

The hon. JOHN WENTWORTH, esq. in the chair.

Voted, that major John Sullivan, and col. Nathaniel Folsom, esqrs. be appointed and empowered, as delegates, on the part of this province, to attend and assist in the General Congress of delegates from the other colonies, at such time and place as may be appointed, to devise, consult, and adopt such measures, as may have the most likely tendency to extricate the colonies from their present difficulties; to secure and perpetuate their rights, liberties, and privileges, and to restore that peace, harmony, and mutual confidence, which once happily subsisted between the parent country, and her colonies.

J. WENTWORTH, Chairman.

PROVINCE OF MASSACHUSETTS-BAY:

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, June 17, 1774.

This house having duly considered, and being deeply affected with the unhappy differences, which have long subsisted, and are increasing, between Great Britain and the American colonies, do resolve: that a meeting of committees from the several colonies on this continent, is highly expedient and necessary, to consult upon the present state of the colonies, and the miseries to which they are and must be reduced, by the operation of certain acts of parliament respecting America, and to deliberate and determine upon wise and proper measures, to be by them recommended to all the colonies, for the recovery and establishment of their just rights and liberties, civil and religious, and the restoration of anion and harmony between Great Britain and the colonies, most ardently desired by all good men: Therefore, resolved, that the hon. James Bowdoine, esq. the hon. Thomas Cushing, esq. Mr. Samuel Adams, John Adams and Robert Treat Paine, esqrs. be, and they are hereby appointed a committee on the part of this province, for the purposes aforesaid, any three of whom to be a quorum; to meet such committees or delegates from the other colonies, as have been or may be appointed, either by their respective houses of burgesses, or representatives, or by convention, or by the committees of correspondence appointed by the respective houses of assembly, in the city of Philadelphia, or any other place that shall be judged most suitable by the committee, on the 1st day of September next; and that the speaker of the house be directed, in a letter to the speakers of the houses of burgesses or representatives in the several colonies, to inform them of the substance of these resolves.

RHODE-ISLAND:

SAMUEL ADAMS, Clerk.

By the hon. Joseph Wanton, esq. governor, captain-general, and commander in chief of and over the English colony of Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, in New-England in America.

To the hon. Stephen Hopkins, esq. and the hon. Samuel Ward, esq. Greeting: Whereas the general assembly of the colony aforesaid, have nominated and appointed you, the said Stephen Hopkins and Samuel Ward, to represent the people of this colony in General Congress of Representatives from this and the other colonies, at such time and place as should be agreed upon by the

major part of the committees appointed, or to be appointed by the colonies in general; I do therefore hereby authorize, empower, and commissionate you, the said Stephen Hopkins and Samuel Ward, to repair to the city of Philadelphia, it being the place agreed upon by the major part of the colonies; and there, in behalf of this colony, to meet and join with the commissioners or delegates from the other colonies, in consulting upon proper measures to obtain a repeal of the several acts of the British parliament, for levying taxes upon his majesty's subjects in America, without their consent, and particularly an act lately passed for blocking up the port of Boston, and upon proper measures to establish the rights and liberties of the colonies, upon a just and solid foundation, agreeable to the instructions given you by the general assembly.

GIVEN under my hand and the seal of the said colony, this 10th day of August, in the year of our Lord 1774, and the 14th of the reign [L. S.] of his most sacred majesty George the third, by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, &c.

By his honour's command,

HENRY WARD, Secretary.

CONNECTICUT:

J. WANTON.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COLONY OF CONNECTICUT,

June 3d, 1774.

Whereas a Congress of commissioners from the several British colonies in America, is proposed by some of our neighbouring colonies, and thought necessary; and whereas it may be found expedient that such Congress should be convened before the next sessions of this assembly:

Resolved, by this house, that the committee of correspondence be, and they are hereby empowered, on application to them made, or from time to time, as may be found necessary, to appoint a suitable number to attend such Congress, or convention of commissioners, or committees of the several colonies in British America, and the persons thus to be chosen shall be, and they are hereby directed, in behalf of this colony, to attend such Congress; to consult and advise on proper measures for advancing the best good of the colonies, and such conferences, from time to time, to report to this house. A true extract and copy from the Journal of the House.

WILLIAM WILLIAMS, Clerk.

Colony of Connecticut, ss.

NEW-LONDON, July 13th, 1774.

At a meeting of the committee of correspondence for this colony:

The hon. EBENEZER SILLIMAN, esq. in the chair:

The hon. Eliphalet Dyer, the hon. William Samuel Johnston, Erastus Wolcott, Silas Deane, and Richard Law, esqrs. were nominated, 'pursuant to the act of the hon. House of Representatives of the said colony, at their sessions in May last, either three of which are hereby authorized and empowered, in behalf of this colony, to attend the General Congress of the colonies, proposed to be held at Philadelphia, on the first day of September next, or at such other time and place as shall be agreed on by the colonies, to consult and advise with the commissioners or committees of the several English colonies in America, on proper measures for advancing the best good of the colonies.

Signed, Ebenezer Silliman, William Williams, Benjamin Payne, Erastus Wolcott, Joseph Trumbull, Samuel H. Parsons, Nathaniel Wales, jun. Silas Deane.

HARTFORD, August, 1774.

At a meeting of the committee of correspondence for this colony:

ERASTUS WOLCOTT, Chairman.

The hon. William Samuel Johnston, Erastus Wolcott, and Richard Law, esqrs. nominated by this committee at New-Loudon, on the 13th of July last, as persons proper to attend the General Congress, to be held at Philadelphia, on the first of September next, as by said appointment, being unable, by reason of previous engagements and the state of their health, to attend said Congress, on behalf of this colony; the hon. Roger Sherman, and Joseph Trumbull, esqrs. were nominated in the place of the aforesaid gentlemen, as persons proper to attend said Congress, in behalf of this colony, either of which are empowered, with the hon. Eliphalet Dyer, and Silas Deane, esqrs. for that purpose.

Signed, William Williams, Benjamin Payne, Joseph Trumbull, Nathaniel Wales, jun. Samuel H. Parsons, Samuel Bishop.

NEW-YORK:

By duly certified polls, taken by proper persons, in seven wards, it appears that James Duane, John Jay, Philip Livingston, Isaac Low, and John Alsop, esqrs. were elected as delegates for the city and county of New-York, to attend the Congress at Philadelphia, the first day of September next; and at a meeting of the committees of several districts in the county of West-Chester, the same gentlemen were appointed to represent that county; also by a letter from Jacob Lansing, jun. chairman, in behalf of the committee for Albany, it appears, that that city and county had adopted the same for their delegates. By another letter, it appears, that the committee from the several districts in the county of Duchess, had likewise adopted the same as delegates to represent that county in Congress, and that committees of other towns approve of them as their delegates.

By a writing duly attested, it appears, the county of Suffolk, in the colony of New-York, have appointed colonel William Floyd, to represent them in Congress.

NEW-JERSEY:

To James Kinsey, William Livingston, John Dehart, Stephen Crane, and Richard Smith, esqrs. each and every of you:

The committees, appointed by the several counties of the colony of NewJersey, to nominate deputies, to represent the same in General Congress of deputies, from the other colonies in America, convened at the city of NewBrunswick, have nominated and appointed, and do hereby nominate and appoint you, and each of you, deputies, to represent the colony of New-Jersey, in the said General Congress.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, the chairman of the said several committees here met, have hereunto set their hands, this twenty-third day of July, in the fourteenth year of the reign of our sovereign lord king George the third, and in the year of our Lord 1774.

Signed, William P. Smith, Jacob Ford, John Moores, Robert Johnson, Robert Field, Robert Friend Price, Peter Zabriskie, Samuel Tucker, Edward Taylor, Hendrick Fisher, Archibald Stewart, Thomas Anderson, Abia Brown, Mark Thompson.

PENNSYLVANIA:

Extract from votes of assembly.

FRIDAY, July 22d, 1774, A. M.

The committee of the whole house, taking into their most serious consideration, the unfortunate differences which have long subsisted between Great

Britain and the American colonies, and being greatly encreased by the operation and effects of divers late acts of the British parliament:

Resolved, N. C. D. That there is an absolute necessity that a Congress of deputies from the several colonies, be held as soon as conveniently may be, to consult together upon the present unhappy state of the colonies, and to form and adopt a plan for the purposes of obtaining redress of American grievances, ascertaining American rights upon the most solid and constitutional principles, and for establishing that union and harmony between GreatBritain and the colonies, which is indispensably necessary to the welfare and happines of both.

EODEM DIE, P. M.

'The house resumed the consideration of the resolve from the committee of the whole house, and, after some debate thereon, adopting and confirming the

same,

Resolved, N. C. D. That the hon. Joseph Galloway, speaker; Samuel Rhoads, Thomas Mifflin, Charles Humphreys, John Morton, George Ross, and Edward Biddle, esqrs, be and they are hereby appointed a committee, on the part of this province, for the purposes aforesaid, and that they, or any four of them, do meet such committees or delegates from the other colonies, as have been or may be appointed, either by their respective Houses of Representatives, or by convention, or by the provincial or colony committees, at such time and place, as shall be generally agreed on by such committee.

THE THREE COUNTIES NEW-CAstle, Kent, and SUSSEX, ON Delaware: August 1, 1774, A. M.

The representatives of the freemen of the government of the counties of New-Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, met at New-Castle, in pursuance of circular letters from the speaker of the house, who was requested to write and forward the same to the members of assembly, by the committees of correspondence for the several counties aforesaid, chosen and appointed for that among other purposes, by the freeholders and freemen of the said counties respectively and having chosen a chairman, and read the resolves of the three respective counties, and sundry letters from the committees of correspondence along the continent, they unanimously entered into the following resolution, viz: We, the representatives aforesaid, by virtue of the power delegated to us, as aforesaid, taking into our most serious consideration the several acts of the British parliament, for restraining manufactures in his majesty's colonies and plantations in North America,-for taking away the property of the colonists without their participation or consent,-for the introduction of the arbitrary powers of excise into the customs here, for the making all revenue causes triable without jury, and under the decision of a single dependent judge,-for the trial, in England, of persons accused of capital crimes, committed in the colonies, for the shutting up the port of Boston,-for new-modelling the government of the Massachusetts-Bay, and the operation of the same on the property, liberty, and lives of the colonists; and also considering, that most eligible mode of determining upon the premises, and of endeavouring to procure relief and redress of our grievances, would have been by us assembled in a legislative capacity, but that as the house had adjourned to the 30th day of September next, and it is not to be expected, that his honour the governor would call us, by writs of summons, on this occasion, having refused to do the like in his other province of Pennsylvania; the next most proper method, of answering the expectations and desires of our constituents, and of contributing our aid to the general cause of America, is to appoint commissioners or deputies in behalf of the people of this government, to meet and act with those appointed by the other provinces, in General Congress; and we do, therefore,

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