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dence, put down in a condensed, logical statement, her unanswerable reasons for so doing.

To fulfil her wishes, to carry out the plans which she had thus commenced, Rhode Island selected as her representatives, her former delegate, governor Hopkins, and WILLIAM ELLERY, the subject of this notice. Ever since Mr. Ellery had been engaged in the practice of the law, he had been very prominent in the vigorous and patriotic measures, adopted to resist the British government; there was scarcely an important transaction of the time in which he had not borne a leading part; and we have greatly to regret that we have been unable to obtain any thing more, than a few public notices of a man, whose private history and opinions would have done honour to himself, and adorned the annals of his country. Fully impressed with the solemn trust delegated to him, and prepared to assert and support in their fullest extent, the wishes and views of his constituents, he took his seat in congress on the fourteenth of May, 1776; being authorized and empowered to consult and advise with the other delegates, upon the most proper measures for promoting and confirming the strictest union and confederation between the said United Colonies, for exerting their whole strength and force to annoy the common enemy, and to secure to the said colonies their rights and liberties, both civil and religious, whether by entering into treaties with any prince, state, or potentate, or by such other prudent and effectual ways and means as should be de

vised and agreed on; and, in conjunction with the delegates from the said United Colonies, or the major part of them, to enter into and adopt all such measures, taking the greatest care to secure to the colony, in the strongest and most perfect manner, its established form, and all the powers of government, so far as related to its internal police and conduct of its own affairs, civil and religious. They were also instructed and directed, to exert their utmost abilities, in carrying on the just and necessary war, in which they were engaged against cruel and unnatural enemies, in the most vigorous manner, until peace should be restored to the colonies, and their rights and liberties secured upon a solid and permanent basis.

By referring to the journals of congress, we find that while Mr. Ellery remained in that body, he was a member of many important committees, and it is well known that he was a very active and influential member of the house. He was on the committee appointed to consider the ways and means of establishing expresses between the several continental posts; on that to consider what provision ought to be made for such as are wounded or disabled in the land or sea service; on the treasury committee; on a grand committee, consisting of one delegate from each state, who had authority to employ proper persons to purchase, in their respective states, a sufficient number of blankets and woollens fit for soldiers' clothes, and to take the most effectual and speedy methods for getting such woollens made up, and dis

tributed among the regular continental army, in such proportion as would best promote the public service: and also to purchase all other necessary clothing for the soldiers, in such proportion, as they judged, upon the best information, would be wanted; on the committee on marine affairs, of which he was always a particularly useful and active member.Indeed, it was the wish of his state, that in this respect her delegates should take a high ground in congress, and urge on that body the propriety, and in. their present circumstances, the evident advantage of giving to the war a naval cast. Distinguished for her commercial marine, and for the enterprize and intrepidity of her mariners, she felt the necessity and urged the expediency of a naval military exertion. The first little fleet, the germ of our present naval character and fame, was commanded by a native RhodeIslander, commodore Ezek Hopkins, who surprized New Providence, captured the governor, lieutenant governor, and other officers of the crown, seized a hundred pieces of cannon, and carried off all the munitions of war from the island.

It was during this session of congress, too, that Mr. Ellery affixed his name to the declaration of independence; and his fine bold signature is in striking contrast with the tremulous characters of his colleague, whose limbs trembled with age and illness, while his spirit was as bold and his intellect as vivid as any of those around him. He was fond, in his later years, of relating the events and characteristic

anecdotes of the times about which we are speaking, and had they been preserved, they would have afforded a rich fund of interest to our own and future generations; but unfortunately, even tradition berself has retained but few of them, and, as in many other instances, we are left to cold generalities, where it would be delightful to dwell on minute incidents. He often spoke of the signing of the declaration; and he spoke of it as an event, which many regarded with awe, perhaps with uncertainty, but none with fear. "I was determined," he used to say, "to see how they all looked, as they signed what might be their death warrant. I placed myself beside the secretary, Charles Thomson, and eyed each closely as he affixed his name to the document. Undaunted resolution was displayed in every countenance.”

During the year 1777, we find Mr Ellery still a member of congress, not less useful than before. Following up the peculiar wishes and views of his state, he continued to pay great attention to naval affairs, and early in the year we find him appointed on a committee, to which seem to have been intrusted all the admiralty transactions of the government; they were appointed to hear and determine upon appeals brought against sentences passed on libels in the courts of admiralty in the respective states, agreeably to the resolutions of congress; and the several appeals, when lodged with the secretary, were to be by him delivered to them for their final determination. Among other duties assigned him this year, we may mention that

of devising ways and means to support the continental currency and replenish the exhausted treasury; that of affording aid and assistance to officers who had been taken prisoners and released on parole; superintending the commercial affairs of the country; investigating the unfortunate occurrences which attended the capture of Ticonderoga; preventing the admission into offices of trust of persons secretly hostile to the government; and various others, requiring great attention and industry. To these we may add a plan relative to his own state, brought forward by the marine committee, of which we have seen he was a member, and no doubt at his instance. It is thus set forth in the journals of congress: "If upon due consideration jointly had by the navy board for the eastern department, and the governor and council of war for the state of Rhode Island, and for which purpose the said navy board are directed to attend upon the said governor and council of war, the preparing fire-ships be judged practicable, expedient and advisable, the said navy board immediately purchase, upon as reasonable terms as possible, six ships, or square-rigged vessels at Providence, in the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, the best calculated for fire-ships; that they employ proper persons to fit and prepare the said fire-ships with all possible expedition; that the said navy board provide proper materials for the same, and employ a proper captain or commander, one lieutenant and a suitable number of men for each of the said ships or vessels,

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