Provincial Convention of New-York

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Die Veneris, 10 hora, A˙ M˙, April 21, 1775.

The Convention assembled at the Exchange, in New-York, pursuant to adjournment, Present:

CITY AND COUNTY OF NEW-YORK. — Philip Livingston, Esq˙, President, John Alsop, James Duane, and John Jay,, Esquires, and Colonel Leonard Lispenard, Messrs˙ Isaac Roosevelt, Alexander McDougall, Abraham Brasher, Francis Lewis, and Abraham Walton.

CITY AND COUNTY OF ALBANY. — Col˙ Philip Schuyler, Colonel Abraham Ten Broeck, and Abraham Yates, Jun˙, Esquire.

ULSTER COUNTY. — Charles De Witt, George Clinton, and Levy Pawling, Esquires.

ORANGE COUNTY. — Col˙ A˙ Hawkes Hay, Henry Wisner, Esquire, John Herring,, Esquire, Messrs˙ Peter Clowes, and Israel Seely.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY. — Col˙ Lewis Morris, Mr˙ Stephen Ward, Samuel Drake, Esquire, John Thomas,, Jun˙, Esquire, Robert Graham, Esquire, and Major Philip Van Cortlandt.

DUTCHESS COUNTY. — Col˙ Morris Graham, Major Robert R˙ Livingston, Junior, and Egbert Benson, Esq˙

KING' S COUNTY. — Simon Boerum, Esq˙, Captain Richard Stilwell, Messrs˙ Theodoras Polhemus, and John Vanderbillt.

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SUFFOLK COUNTY. — Colonel William Floyd, Colonel Nathaniel Woodhull, Colonel Phineas Fanning, Thomas Tredwell, Esquire, and John Sloss Hobart, Esquire.

NEWTOWN, OYSTER BAY, FLUSHING, AND JAMAICA, IN QUEEN' S COUNTY. — Colonel Jacob Blackwell, Captain Zebulon Williams, Messrs˙ John Talman, and Joseph Robinson.

Mr˙ John Talman, of Flushing, in Queen' s County, produced to this Convention a Certificate, signed by John Rodman,, Town Clerk, and by Mr˙ Stephen Van Wyck, certifying that, on the 4th day of April instant, after due notice had been given to the Freeholders of Flushing, at an annual Town Meeting, it was proposed that a Deputy should be chosen to represent the said Town at a Provincial Convention, to be held at the City of New-York on the 20th day of April instant. That after some debates the matter was put to vote, and that Mr˙ John Talman was, by a great majority, chosen their Deputy, to represent the said Town of Flushing in the said Provincial Convention.

Mr˙ Joseph Robinson produced to the Convention a Poll List of one hundred and seventy-six of the Freeholders of the Town of Jamaica, in Queen' s County; eighty-two whereof, who, though a minority of the Freeholders of the said Town who polled on that occasion, have requested him to attend this Convention, and signify their willingness to acquiesce in the choice of the Deputies who attend this Convention for the purpose of electing Delegates to represent this Colony at the next Continental Congress.

Captain Zebulon Williams produced two Certificates, signed by forty-three of the Freeholders of the Town of Oyster Bay, in Queen' s County, dated the 12th day of April instant, who, though a minority of the Freeholders who polled on that occasion, have thereby appointed him their Deputy, to attend this Convention and act on their behalf.

Colonel Jacob Blackwell produced to this Convention a Poll List of Freeholders of the Township of Newtown, whereby it appears that one hundred Freeholders in the said Town (who were all that did poll on that occasion) have elected him their Deputy to attend this Convention.

The said Certificates and Poll List being read, heard, and considered,

Resolved, That the Convention allows Colonel Jacob Blackwell, Captain Zebulon Williams, and Messrs˙ John Talman and Joseph Robinson to be present at its deliberations, and will take into consideration any advice they may offer.

Colonel Morris Graham, Major Robert R˙ Livingston, Junior, and Egbert Benson, Esquire, laid before the Convention a Certificate, signed by the respective Committees of the Precincts of Rumbout, Northeast Amenia, and Rynbeck, in the said County of Dutchess, at a meeting held by them at Charlotte Precinct, in the said County, on the 14th day of April instant, certifying that they, the said Morris Graham, Robert R˙ Livingston, Junior, and Egbert Benson, were elected Deputies to represent the said County in the Provincial Convention at the City of New-York,, on the 20th day of April instant; or to represent the respective Precincts who had sent Committees to that meeting, as this Convention, from a state of facts to be laid before them, should determine.

The same gentlemen from Dutchess County then laid before the Convention the said state of facts, which are in the words following, to wit;

1st, That at a meeting in August last, held for the purpose of nominating Delegates to represent the County of Dutchess in the last Continental Congress, Committees attended from seven Precincts.

2d. That shortly after, a Committee was chosen in another Precinct, who approved of the proceedings of this meeting, and wrote to the Committee of Correspondence, informing them of the same.

3d. That at this meeting Messrs˙ Anthony Hoffman, John Van Ness, and Egbert Benson were constituted a Standing Committee of Correspondence for the whole County, with directions to communicate to the other Committees whatever intelligence should, from time to time, be received, with a power to call a meeting of the other Committees, when they should think it expedient; and for that

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4th. That immediately upon the receipt of the Letter from the Committee of the City of New-York, of the 16th of March last, Circular Letters were despatched to the several Precincts in the County, mentioning the time when another meeting would be held at the place appointed, as above.

5th. That Town Meetings, for the purpose of taking the sense of the Inhabitants with respect to sending Deputies to attend this Convention, have been held in only six Precincts.

6th. That taking the six Precincts throughout, of the persons who actually appeared and gave their voices, either for or against the measure, a majority were in favour of it.

And the said Certificate and stale of facts having been read and heard, and duly considered, they were accepted of by this Convention, and filed with the Secretary.

The Secretary being then called on for that purpose, reported to the Convention that, in pursuance of their order, he yesterday evening waited on Mr˙ Low, who, in substance, informed him that, as he could not attend the Committee when the measure of having eleven Deputies for the City and County of New-York was in agitation, he got a friend to signify to the Committee his disapprobation of the measure, and that if he was nominated he should think himself obliged to refuse to serve; that he had afterwards published a declaration that he would not serve as a Deputy, that the City might have an opportunity to supply his place, if it was thought necessary to have eleven Deputies, and that, therefore, the Convention are not to consider him as a Member.

Resolved unanimously, That this Convention, sensible of the services of the Delegates from this Colony who attended the Continental Congress, in order to express their approbation of their conduct, and as a mark of the confidence reposed in them, have unanimously re-elected all of them Delegates to attend the next Continental Congress at Philadelphia, except Mr˙ Isaac Low, who had previously declared that the Convention was not to consider him as a Member of this Convention, and is therefore ineligible.

John Herring, Esquire, declined attending at the next Continental Congress as a Delegate, and assigned his reasons to the Convention, which are approved of, and he is therefore excused.

Resolved unanimously, That five gentlemen be added, as Delegates, to those who attended the last Continental Congress, and re-elected by this Convention, and that they be chosen by ballot.

And the following gentlemen were then elected by ballot, nemine contradicente, viz: Colonel Philip Schuyler, George Clinton, Esquire, Colonel Lewis Morris, Robert R˙ Livingston, Junior, Esquire, and Francis Lewis, Esquire.

Resolved, therefore, unanimously, That Philip Livingston, James Duane, John Alsop, John Jay, Simon Boerum, William Floyd, Henry Wisner, Philip Schuyler, George Clinton, Lewis Morris, Francis Lewis, and Robert R˙ Livingston, Junior, Esquires, be Delegates to represent this Colony at the next Continental Congress to be held at the City of Philadelphia on the 10th day of May next, with full power to them, or any five of them, to meet the Delegates from the other Colonies, and to concert and determine upon such measures as shall be judged most effectual for the preservation and re-establishment of American rights and privileges, and for the restoration of harmony between Great Britain and the Colonies.

The Convention then adjourned till to-morrow morning, eleven o' clock.