Constables and Collectors Required to Pay Publick Moneys

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Afternoon.

The Committee on the State of the Province reported a Resolve relative to the payment of the Publick Moneys immediately to Mr˙ Gardner. Read and accepted, and

Ordered, That it be printed in Handbills, and a copy thereof sent to each Town, directed to the Committee of Correspondence, if any, if not, to the Selectmen, to be laid before the several Towns.

In Provincial Congress, Concord, March 31, 1775.

Whereas, this Congress is informed that many Collectors and Constables, having in their hands considerable sums of publick money of this Colony, have hitherto neglected to pay the same to Henry Gardner, Esquire, of Stow; and the Congress earnestly attentive to the ease of the inhabitants of the Colony, are desirous of completing the preparations so essentially necessary to the publick safety, without calling on them for other moneys than such as are now due to the Colony; it is therefore

Resolved, that the Constables and Collectors aforesaid ought by no means to be longer indulged in their unreasonable neglect of complying with the most important plans of this Colony; and it is hereby strongly recommended to the several Towns and Districts of the same, that they oblige said Constables and Collectors forthwith to pay the balances aforesaid due from them respectively, to the Receiver General; and it is also most earnestly recommended to the Towns and Districts having any publick moneys belonging to the Colony yet uncollected, that they do not fail to hire and pay the same to the said Henry Gardner, Esquire, without delay; and that they vigorously exert themselves to suppress every opposition to measures recommended by the Continental and Provincial Congresses, as they regard the freedom and happiness of themselves and future generations.

Ordered, That Mr˙ Gorham, Mr˙ Devens, and Mr˙ Watson, be a Committee to forward the Handbills to the several Towns, &c.

Resolved, That each Member be desired to urge the Town of which he is a Representative, if they have not paid their money to Henry Gardner, that they would immediately pay it, and if it cannot be soon collected, that they be desired to borrow it; and if there is any Town which does not incline to pay their publick money to Mr˙ Gardner, they are desired to give their reasons for such refusal to this Congress, at the next session thereof.

Adjourned to nine o' clock to-morrow morning.