certain paragraphs being omitted. On the fly leaf of the first volume is written the following: N. B. The passages and resolutions which in this and the following books are crossed were all passed by Congress; But a com[mittee] having been appointed to revise the Journals for publication; such parts as the house determined, on the report of their com[mittee] should not be published, were ordered to be crossed or marked so as not to be transcribed for publication. As the crossing defaced the minutes another mark was introduced, which was by dots in the margin. CHA. THOMSON Secy It would be neither convenient nor necessary to attempt to give all the variations in the two series of Journals. The double entries would only confuse, and the entries in the original Journal were full and suffered no editing or excision. It is to be understood that the text of this reissue is that of the original Journals; any marked difference is noted by the insertion of parallels, thus, ||-||, which include matter taken from the "Corrected Journal," not appearing in the original Journals. Should the reader still entertain a doubt, any one of the earlier printed editions of the Journals may be consulted, as they followed the text of this "Corrected Journal." No suggestion of a removal from Philadelphia to a place nearer the center of disturbance, Boston, is found on the Journals or in the Papers of the Continental Congress. Yet it is known that such an idea was entertained and discussed almost from the first assembling of the Congress, and before it was fully organized for business. On May 21, 1775, Deane could write. "I mentioned adjourn ing to Hartford, but no motion has as yet been stirred or made public on the subject, and all is uncertainty." Three days later he added, "Our discourse about adjourn ing is somewhat abated;" but the heat of the summer again brought forward a plan for a Committee to sit at Hartford or elsewhere near the scene of action, during the adjournment of Congress, and for the reassembling of Congress at the place chosen. Deane, on June 16, returns to the subject in a manner expressive of its increased importance. "Mr. Lynch of South Carolina, desires me this day to engage him lodgings for himself, lady and daughter, near Hartford, conditionally. . The members talk more and more every day of a removal to Connecticut. Probable it is to me, and I think it necessary, and shall in due time move it, that a part of the Congress remove to Hartford, as a Committee of the Whole, to direct and superintend the movements." No decision was reached before the adjournment, and while the matter of adjourning to Hartford or Albany was again mentioned late in September, the removal was not seriously discussed. WORTHINGTON CHAUNCEY FORD Editor HERBERT PUTNAM Librarian of Congress JOURNALS OF THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 1775 PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, 10 May, 1775 A number of delegates from the Colonies of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, agreeable to their appointment and the orders received from their respective Colonies, met at Philadelphia, viz, from New Hampshire: Mr. John Sullivan and Mr. John Langdon. Massachusetts: Mr. John Hancock, Mr. Thomas Cushing, Mr. Samuel Adams, Mr. John Adams and Mr. Robert Treat Paine. Connecticut: Mr. Eliphalet Dyer, Mr. Roger Sherman and Mr. Silas Deane. New York: Mr. Philip Livingston, Mr. James Duane, and Mr. John Alsop. New Jersey: Mr. James Kinsey, Mr. Stephen Crane, Mr. William Livingston, Mr. John De Hart, and Mr. Richard Smith. 11 |