New Provincial Congress to be chosen on the 21st day of September

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Saturday, August 12, 1775.

Whereas, it is highly expedient, at a time when this Province is likely to be involved in all the horrours of a civil war, and when it has become absolutely necessary to increase the burden of Taxes already laid upon the good people of this Colony for the just defence of their invaluable rights and privileges, that the inhabitants thereof should have frequent opportunities of renewing their choice and approbation of the Representatives in Provincial Congress: It is therefore Resolved, That the inhabitants in each County, qualified to vote for Representatives in General Assembly, do meet together at the places herein after mentioned, on Thursday the twenty-first day of September, next, and then and there, by plurality of voices, elect and appoint any number not exceeding five substantial freeholders as Deputies, with full power to represent such County in Provincial Congress, to be held at Trenton, in the County of Hunterdon, on Tuesday the third day of October next: And that the places of meeting for the election in each County shall be, for the County of Bergen, at the Court-House in New-Barbados; County of Essex, at the Court-House in Newark; County of Middlesex, at the Court-House in New-Brunswick; County of Somerset, at the Court-House in Hillsborough; County of Morris, at the Court-House in Morris Town; County of Monmouth, at the Court-House in Freehold; County of Hunterdon, at the house of John Ringo in Amwell; County of Sussex, at the Court-House in New-Town; County of Burlington, at the Court-House in the City of Burlington; County of Gloucester, at the Court-House in the Town of Gloucester; County of Salem, at the Court-House in the Town of Salem; County of Cumberland, at the Court-House in Bridgetown; County of Cape-May, at the Court-House in Middle Precinct.

And that the Deputies so elected shall receive a Certificate of their election, in the words following, to wit:

We do hereby certify, that on the day of the date hereof, A, B, C, &c˙, were duly elected Deputies for the County of ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ in the Province of New-Jersey, with full power to represent the said County in Provincial Congress, to be held at Trenton, in the County of Hunterdon, on the third day of October next; as witness our hands and seals this ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ day of ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ A˙ D˙ 1775.

Which Certificate, under the hands and seals of the President or Chairman chosen to preside at such election, together with five or more freeholders of the said County, shall be sufficient evidence of such election.

Resolved, That during the continuance of the present unhappy disputes between Great Britain and America, there be a new choice of Deputies in every County of this Province yearly, on the third Thursday in September.

Resolved, That on the said third Thursday in September in every year the inhabitants in each County, qualified as aforesaid, do elect, by plurality of voices, a sufficient number of freeholders to constitute a County Committee of Observation and Correspondence, with full power as well to superintend and direct the necessary business of the County, as to carry into execution the resolutions and orders of the Continental and Provincial Congresses.

Resolved, That the inhabitants of each Township, qualified as aforesaid, do immediately choose (where it is not already done) a sufficient number of freeholders to constitute a Township Committee: and that on the second Tuesday in March, in every year hereafter, they do proceed anew in like manner to choose such a number of freeholders as shall be thought necessary to constitute Committees to act as Committees of Observation and Correspondence in each Township, with power to transact the business referred to them by the Continental and Provincial Congresses, and the County Committees.