In Council

v4:1440

Friday, February 9, 1776.

Ordered, That a message be sent to the honourable Board, to desire them to send down the Report of the Committee appointed to view the Harbour of Dartmouth, if not passed upon by the Board.

Moses Gill, Esq˙, brought it down accordingly. Read, and committed to Captain Toby, Mr˙ Walker, and Captain Goodman, to, bring in a Resolve for the purpose expressed in said Report.

Walter Spooner, brought down a number of Resolves of the honourable Continental Congress, and a Letter from the Honourable John Hancock, Esq˙, brought by Mr˙ Fessenden, express. Read, and committed to Captain Stone, Mr˙ Partridge, Mr˙ Batchelder, Mr˙ Rice, and Colonel Lovell.

The House assigned three o' clock, in the afternoon, to hear a Petition of the Committee on Accounts, and several other Committees of the Court.

James Prescott, Esq˙, brought down the list of Brigadiers, as chosen by the House the 30th January last, with the following Vote of Council thereon, viz:

In Council, February 8, 1776: Read, and concurred with the amendment at A, B, C, viz: At A, dele "Generals;" at B, dele "for the County of Middlesex, John Cummings, Esq˙; "and at C, dele" for the County of Lincoln, Arthur Noble, Esq."

Read, and concurred.

The Bill for encouraging the fixing out of Armed Vessels, read a third time, and passed to be engrossed, with amendments.

John Taylor, Esq˙, brought down the following Resolve, viz:

In Council, February 9, 1776: Whereas, Accounts have been presented to this Court for payment by several towns in this Colony, for Provisions supplied the men who marched from such towns, respectively, on the alarm on the 19th of April last, and after, and no sufficient vouchers are lodged with such Accounts whereby it may be made evident that the publick had the benefit of such Provisions: And whereas, this Colony allowed to each man so marching, one penny per mile to refund his expense in travelling into camp, &c˙:

Therefore, Resolved, That each Town who have presented their Accounts to this Court for payment, and yet remain unpaid, and those who shall in future present such Accounts for payment, shall lodge with them, before they shall be passed on, a Certificate from the Officer who commanded such men on the alarm aforesaid, that no part of the Provisions mentioned in such Accounts were expended in their march to Head-Quarters, and a certificate from the Commissary what number of days such Company were in camp, and did not draw their allowance from the publick stores. Read, and concurred.