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Town of Natick Excused from Supplying

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Tuesday, December 5, 1775,

On a motion, Ordered, That the Town of Natick be excused from furnishing the proportion of Men voted the 1st instant, and that Mr˙ Gardner be appointed to bring in a Resolve for that purpose.

On a motion, Ordered, That one cord of Wood be taken off from the Town of Natick, and apportioned on the Town of Dedham-Parish, called Springfield, and that Mr˙ Gardner be appointed to bring in a Resolve for that purpose.

Mr˙ Gardner, agreeable to order, reported a Resolve for excusing the Town of Natick from supplying the American Army with nine Men, also excusing said town from supplying one cord of Wood, to be apportioned on the Town of Dedham. Read, and accepted.

Resolved, That the Commanding Officer of the Town of Natick be excused from calling together the Military Company in said Natick under his command, in order to inlist nine soldiers to join the American Army at Cambridge, to serve until the 15th day of January next, the Resolve of the two Houses of the 1st of December instant, notwithstanding.

And, whereas, the said Town of Natick were directed by the Assembly of this Province in their present session, to supply the Army at Cambridge with three cords of Fire-Wood per day,

Resolved, That the Town of Natick be held to supply

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with two cords of Fire-Wood per day only; and that the Town of Dedham be henceforth directed to supply the Army at Cambridge, with one cord of Fire-Wood per day, for the time and on the condition that the Town of Natick were originally ordered to do, in addition to three cords already ordered they should supply to the camp at Roxbury.

A Petition from the Committee of Inspection for the East Precinct of the Town of Pownalborough, that the Committee of Correspondence of said town might be called to account for their conduct, and that Abiel Wood, and one Williamson, might be removed from the town. Also, a Petition from a number of the Inhabitants praying for the same.

Read, and committed to Mr˙ Wood, Mr˙ Gardner, and Mr˙ Cushing, with such as the honourable Board shall join, to take the same into consideration, and report what is proper to be done.

A Petition from the Indiansin Grafton praying for relief.

Read, and committed to Mr˙ Crane, Deacon Batchelder, Mr˙ Perry, Mr˙ Putnam, and Mr˙ Fairfield.

A Petition from the Selectmen of the Town of Boxford, praying allowance for sixteen men in the service of the Colony at Cape-Ann, for fourteen days; also for ten men for the same term of time.

Read, and committed to Mr˙ Hall, Captain Batchelder, and Mr˙ Pilsbury.

Jabez Fisher, Esquire, brought down from the honourable Board the following Vote of Council, viz:

In Council, December 5, 1775: On motion, Ordered, That Walter Spooner, Charles Chauncy, and Joseph Palmer: Esquires, with such as the honourable House shall join, be a Committee to take into consideration the circumstances of the Sea-Ports of this Colony, and where it will be necessary to keep Forces during the winter season, and to wait on his Excellency General Washington, and represent to him the exposed situation of such place, or places, as they may judge necessary to be guarded, and to request his protection of them, and make report.

Read, and concurred, and Mr˙ Sullivan, Colonel Orne, Colonel Levell, and Captain Tobey, are joined.

Samuel Holten, Esq˙, brought down from the honourable Board, a draft of a Letter to the Continental Congress, relative to paying the Troops of his Colony by the lunar month, with the following Vote of Council thereon, viz:

In Council, December 5, 1775: Ordered, That a fair draft of the above Letter be signed by, in the name, and by order of the whole Court, and sent down to the Delegates of this Colony in American Congress, to be by them communicated. Read, and concurred,

And the President of the Council is directed to sign, and send forward the above Letter, agreeable to the vote of Council.

Ordered, That Mr˙ Sullivan, Colonel Orne, and Colonel Williams, be a Committee to take under consideration the several Tavernkeepers' accounts for billeting Colonel Phinney' s Regiment to Head-Quarters from Falmouth.

Afternoon.

On a motion, Ordered, That Mr˙ Cooper, Captain Batchelder, and Colonel Lovell, be a Committee to inquire into the state of the Treasury, and report what sums are in the Treasury,

On a motion. Ordered, That Mr˙ Sullivan, Mr˙ Wood, Mr˙ Cushing, Mr˙ Gerry, and Mr˙ Cooper, with such as the honourable Board shall join, be a Committee to prepare, and bring in a bill to regulate the Militia of this Colony.

A Letter from Joseph Greenleaf, Esquire, containing accounts of experiments in refining Sulphur.

Read, and committed to Mr˙ Pitts, Major Moody, and Mr˙ Hobart.

A Petition of Joseph Greenleaf, Esquire, representing that he, together with Doctor Jonathan King, and Captain Phineas Upham, had discovered the method of manufacturing Copperas and Alum; also. Oils of Vitriol and Sulphur, Spirits and Balsam of Sulphur, and praying for

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an exclusive privilege of manufacturing said articles for the term of ten years.

Read, and committed to Mr˙ Low, Mr˙ Rawson, and Colonel Thompson.

On a motion. Ordered, That Dummer Jewel, Esq˙, apply to Doctor Calef, of Ipswich, and require of him such information relative to a new Ship lately built by his direction at the New-Mills, as he can confirm, when called upon, on oath, and that he be desired to furnish them with a copy of all the papers relative to this matter, which he has received from the person or persons by whose order said Vessel was purchased or built.

Ordered, That Elbridge Gerry, William Cooper, and William Story, Esquires, be a Committee to bring in a Bill for the further emission of Bills of publick Credit.

The House then adjourned, to ten o' clock, to-morrow morning.

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