letters to the inhabitants of the several places, which are intituled to representation in Assembly, requesting them to chuse such representatives, and that the Assembly, when chosen, do elect counsellors; which assembly and council should exercise the powers of Government, until a Governor, of his Majesty's appointment, will consent to govern the colony according to its charter.

Ordered, that the president transmit a copy of the above to the convention of Massachusetts bay.

Upon Motion

Resolved, That this Congress will to Morrow take into consideration the ways and means of raising Money.

Resolved: That the Provincial Convention of New York be requested to convey as soon as possible to Providence in Rhode island, or to any port in the governm1 of Massachusetts bay, five thousand barrels of flour for the use of the Continental Army.

Resolved: That the Committee of correspondance at Providence and in the government of Massachusetts bay where the s flour may be carried, be desired to receive and forward it to the camp before Boston as soon as may be, and to lodge such part thereof as cannot be immediately sent thither in places of security.

Resolved: That this Congress will make provision for defraying any expence incurred for this service.

Ordered: That a copy of the above resolves be immediately transmitted by the President, to the convention of New York.

Adjourned till to Morrow at 9 o'clock.

SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 1775

The Congress met according to adjournment.

Several letters, from Massachusetts Bay, Ticonderoga, Crown Point, &c. were laid before the Congress, and

read; and the same being taken into consideration, the Congress came to the following resolutions:||

Upon motion the Congress came to the following resolutions:

Resolved: That it be, and is hereby earnestly recommended to the several Colonies of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and the interior towns of Massachusetts bay, that they immediately furnish the American army before Boston with as much powder out of their town, and other publick stocks as they can possibly spare; keeping an exact account of the quantities supplied, that it may be again replaced, or paid for by the Continent; this to be effected with the utmost secrecy and dispatch.

That it be recommended to the committees of the several towns and districts in the colonies of the Massachusetts bay, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, and the eastern division of New Jersey, to collect all the salt petre and brimstone in their several towns and districts, and transmit the same, with all possible despatch, to the provincial Convention at New York.

That it be recommended to the provincial Congress ||convention of the colony of New York, to have the powder Mills, in that colony, put into such a condition as immediately to manufacture, into gun powder, for the use of the Continent, whatever materials may be procured in the manner above directed.

That it be recommended to the committees of the western division of New Jersey, the colonies of Pensylvania, lower counties on Delaware and Maryland, that they, without delay, collect the salt petre and sulphur in their respective Colonies, and transmit the same to the committee for the city and liberties of Philadelphia; to the end, that those articles may be immediately manufactured into gun powder, for the use of the continent.

That it be recommended to the conventions and committees of the colonies of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, that they, without delay, collect the salt petre and sulphur in their respective colonies, and procure these articles to be manufactured, as soon as possible, into gun powder, for the use of the Continent.

That it be recommended to the several inhabitants of the united colonies, who are possessed of salt petre and sulphur, for their own use, to dispose of them for the purpose of manufacturing gun powder.

That the salt petre and sulphur, collected in consequence of the resolves of Congress for that purpose, be paid for out of the continental fund.

Resolved, That Mr. [Robert Treat] Paine, Mr. [Richard Henry] Lee, Mr. [Benjamin] Franklin, Mr. [Philip] Schuyler and Mr. [Thomas] Johnson, be a committee to devise ways and means to introduce the manufacture of salt petre in these colonies.

The committee for examining governor Skene's letters, &c. having communicated to Congress what they found relative to the dispute between Great Britain and these colonies;||

Resolved, That Gov' [Philip] Skene, lieutenant Moncrieffe, and Mr. Lundy be released from their present confinem', and suffered to go at large any where within eight miles of this city, between Delaware and Schuylkil, on their parole of honor, not to pass those limits, and that they will hold no correspondence with any person whatsoever, on any political subject.

That Mr. [Christopher] Gadsden be added to the committee for examining gov' Skene's papers, and that ||said committee have it in charge to execute the above resolve.|| they enlarge them upon their parole agreeable to the above resolve.

Resolved, that the order of the day be postponed until

Monday next.

Adjourned till Monday at 9 o'clock.

MONDAY, JUNE 12, 1775

The Congress met according to adjournment.

The committee, appointed for preparing a resolve for a fast, brought in a report, which, being read, was agreed to as follows:

As the great Governor of the World, by his supreme and universal Providence, not only conducts the course of nature with unerring wisdom and rectitude, but frequently influences the minds of men to serve the wise and gracious purposes of his providential government; and it being, at all times, our indispensible duty devoutly to acknowledge his superintending providence, especially in times of impending danger and public calamity, to reverence and adore his immutable justice as well as to implore his merciful interposition for our deliverance:

This Congress, therefore, considering the present critical, alarming and calamitous state of these colonies, do earnestly recommend that Thursday, the 20th day of July next, be observed, by the inhabitants of all the English colonies on this continent, as a day of public humiliation, fasting and prayer; that we may, with united hearts and voices, unfeignedly confess and deplore our many sins; and offer up our joint supplications to the all-wise, omnipotent, and merciful Disposer of all events; humbly beseeching him to forgive our iniquities, to remove our present calamities, to avert those desolating judgments, with which we are threatned, and to bless our rightful sovereign, King George the third, and [to] inspire him with wisdom to discern and pursue the true interest of all his subjects, that a speedy end may be put to the civil discord between Great Britain and the American colonies, without farther effusion of blood: And that the British nation may be influenced to regard the things that belong to her peace, before they are hid from her eyes: That these colonies may be ever under the care and protection of a kind Providence, and be prospered in all their interests; That the divine blessing may descend and rest upon all our civil rulers, and upon the representatives of the people, in their several assemblies and conventions, that they may be directed to wise and effectual meas

ures for preserving the union, and securing the just rights and priviledges of the colonies; That virtue and true religion may revive and flourish throughout our land; And that all America may soon behold a gracious interposition of Heaven, for the redress of her many grievances, the restoration of her invaded rights, a reconcilation with the parent state, on terms constitutional and honorable to both; And that her civil and religious priviledges may be secured to the latest posterity. And it is recommended to Christians, of all denominations, to assemble for public worship, and to abstain from servile labour and recreations on said day.

Ordered, That a copy of the above be signed by the president and attested by the Sec' and published in the newspapers, and in hand bills.'

On motion ordered that the letter to the Inhabitants of Canada be published in English.

The order of the day being read, after some debate the Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole to take into consideration the ways and means of raising money. After some time the president resumed the chair, and M [Samuel] Ward reported from the Committee that they had proceeded in the business referred to them but not having come to a conclusion desired him to move for leave to sit again.

Resolved that the Congress will to Morrow resolve itself into a committee of the whole to take into consideration the ways and means of raising money, and also the state of America.

Adjourned till to Morrow at 9 o'clock.

TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1775

The Congress met and agreeable to the order of the day resolved itself in a committee of the whole to take 1It was printed in the Pennsylvania Packet, 19 June, 1775. A portion of one of the original broadside issues is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 23, folio 5. The entry in the Journal of this resolve is in the writing of Timothy Matlack.