Major, Captains, and Lieutenants of Marines appointed, Declaration of the Deputies of Pennsylvania, met in Provincial Conference, in favour of Independence, laid before Congress, Number of men to be sent to the Northern Department, to be augmented to four thousand, Colonel Dubois instructed to raise a Regiment to serve for three years, or during the war, Colonies from whence Regiments of Militia have been requested, earnestly pressed to be expeditious in raising and equipping their troops

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Tuesday, June 25, 1776.

A Letter of the 23d, from General Washington, with sundry Letters from Major-General Schuyler, Brigadier-General Sullivan, Brigadier-General Arnold, and others, were laid before Congress, and read.

Resolved, That the same be referred to the Board of War and Ordnance; who are directed to sit immediately, and report thereon as soon as possible.

A Memorial from Captain Stephen Rowe Bradley was presented to Congress, and read, together with sundry Accounts.

Resolved, That the same be referred to the Committee on the Treasury.

The Marine Committee having recommended Captain Samuel Nichols to be promoted to be Major of Marines; Andrew Porter, Joseph Hardy, Samuel Shaw, Benjamin Deane, and Robert Mullin, to be Captains of Marines; Daniel Henderson, David Love, Franklin Reed, and Peregrine Brown, to be First Lieutenants of Marines; James McClure, William Gilmore, Abel Morgan, and Hugh Montgomery, to be Second Lieutenants of Marines; John Stewart to be Captain; Thomas Pownal First Lieutenant, and Richard

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John Langdon, Esq˙, to be Agent of Prizes for the Colony of New Hampshire:

Resolved, That they be approved, and that Commissions be granted to them accordingly.

Resolved, That the Secret Committee be directed to sell to John Maxwell Nesbit & Co˙ one hundred and twenty-five pounds of Powder, for the use of the Privateer they are fitting out.

Resolved, That the Committee appointed to contract for making Muskets, be directed to consider the propriety of granting a bounty, or other means, for encouraging the making of Muskets.

Adjourned to four o' clock.

EODEM DIE, P˙ M.

A Declaration of the Deputies of Pennsylvania, met in Provincial Conference, was laid before Congress, and read; expressing their willingness to concur in a vote of Congress, declaring the United Colonies Free and Independent States.

The Board of War and Ordnance, to whom the several Letters received this morning were referred, brought in their Report; which was taken into consideration:

Whereupon, Resolved, That the number of men destined for the Northern Department be augmented to four thousand.

That a Colonel' s Commission be immediately issued to Major Dubois, with instructions forthwith to raise a Regiment to serve for three years, or during the war, and that the corps of Officers be composed of such as have served with credit in Canada; no Officer to receive his Commission until his Company be raised and armed; the Arms of the people inlisting themselves to be valued by the Committees of the Counties where the Companies are raised, and paid for by the Continent on their being mustered.

That it be earnestly recommended to the Colony of New Hampshire, to send immediately one Regiment of their Militia to Massachusetts Bay, two Regiments of their Militia to Connecticut, and one Regiment of their Militia to augment the Troops destined for the Northern Department.

That Letters be sent to the General Assemblies of the Colonies from whence the several Regiments of Militia are and have been requested, earnestly pressing them to be expeditious in raising and equipping their Troops, and requesting the several Assemblies to take upon themselves the care of providing the said Troops with Clothes, Tents, and all necessary Camp-Equipage, and assuring them that the United Colonies will be answerable for the expense of the same.

That a Regimental Paymaster, who is not to be an officer of the Army, be appointed by the said Colonies to each of the said Battalions, who shall keep all the Accounts of his respective Battalion, and to whom particular returns shall be made of the expense of clothing said Battalion, in order that the same may be deducted out of the pay of the Soldiers for whom the articles shall have been provided.

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed immediately to repair to New York, and confer with General Washington, and the other Generals there, with power to agree upon and take the proper steps for carrying into execution such further measures as, on consideration of all circumstances, shall be judged most advisable in the present situation of affairs in Canada and the neighbourhood of the Lakes.

The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,

Adjourned to nine o' clock, tomorrow.