All the Gunpowder imported before 1st day of April next to be purchased by the Colony

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It is Voted and Resolved, That this Colony will purchase all the Gunpowder that shall be imported here from parts beyond sea, before the first day of April next, at the rate of three Shillings lawful money a pound.

It is Voted and Resolved, That the twenty-nine Minute-Men, raised by Mr. Andrew Waterman, proceed with him immediately to New-Shoreham, and that they all be paid according to the act for raising men for the same purpose.

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It is Voted and Resolved, That his Honour the Deputy-Governour, the Members of the Upper House who live in the County of Providence, the Deputies of the Town of Providence, Metcalf Bowler, William Bradford, John Dexter, Joseph Anthony, Daniel Mowry, Jun., and Joshua Babcock, Esquires, or the major part of them, together with such other Members of the General Assembly as may be present, be and they are hereby appointed a Committee, during the recess of the General Assembly, to act upon any sudden important emergency; with full power of taking all prudent and necessary measures for the safety of this Colony, and the Colonies in general: that they be particularly empowered to employ the two armed Vessels in the service of this Colony, or either of them, in such manner, and upon such voyage, as they shall think conducive to the publick interest: And that this Act continue in force until the next session of Assembly.

It is Voted and Resolved, That four quarter casks of Gunpowder be delivered out of the Colony' s Stores to Mr. Gideon Mumford, for the use of Fort Daniel, in the County of Kent,

It is Voted and Resolved, That Mr. Andrew Waterman be and he is hereby appointed Captain, Mr. James Aldrich Lieutenant, and Mr. Esek Sanders Ensign, of the Company of Minute-Men enlisted in the Town of Smithfield.

Whereas Messrs. Lindsey and Shaw exhibited unto this Assembly an account, by them charged against the Colony, for the freight of Gunpowder and Military Stores: And the same being duly examined, It is Voted and Resolved, That two Pounds and ten Shillings lawful money thereof, and no more, be allowed; and that the same be paid unto the said Lindsey and Shaw, out of the General Treasury.

Whereas Brigadier Nathaniel Greene hath informed this Assembly that he had to the amount of four Pounds and ten Shillings, of the lawful money bills of credit lately emitted by this Colony, washed to pieces in his breeches pocket, and destroyed: It is therefore Voted and Resolved, That the sum of four Pounds and ten Shillings, lawful money bills, be paid to the said Brigadier Greene, out of the General Treasury.

Whereas the Ensigns in the respective Companies of the Rhode-Island Forces, encamped on Prospect-Hill, represented unto this Assembly, that by a Resolve of the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts-Bay, the Ensigns of the several Battalions of that Colony were advanced, and made Second Lieutenants, and their wages enhanced ten Shillings a month; and prayed that this Assembly would, in conformity to that Resolve, make the same regulation respecting the Ensigns in the Rhode-Island Forces: On consideration whereof, If is Voted and Resolved, That the prayer of the said Petition be granted; that the said Ensigns be advanced to equal rank and station with their brethren in the Massachusetts Forces; and that their wages be increased ten Shillings a month.

Whereas Mr. Thomas Tew presented unto this Assembly an account, by him charged against the Colony, for cleaning and repairing fifteen Small-Arms; which being duly examined, It is Voted and Resolved, That the same be and is hereby allowed; and that one Pound twelve Shillings and nine Pence lawful money, being the amount thereof, be paid unto the said Thomas Tew, out of the General Treasury.

Whereas David Wilkinson, Esq., laid before this Assembly an account, by him charged against the Colony, for his attendance at Mr. Carter' s Printing Office, overseeing the press, whilst impressing paper Bills of Credit: And the same being duly examined, It is Voted and Resolved, That the same be and hereby is allowed; and that eight Pounds and eight Shillings lawful money, being the amount thereof, be paid unto the said David Wilksinson, out of the General Treasury.

Whereas Mr. Samuel Smith laid before this Assembly an account, by him charged against the Colony, for carrying the publick papers and records of this Colony from Newport to Bristol ferry: And the same being duly inquired into, It is Voted and Resolved, That the same be and hereby is allowed; and that the amount thereof, being one

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Pound four Shillings lawful money, be paid unto the said Samuel Smith, out of the General Treasury.

Whereas Job Bennet, Esq., exhibited unto this Assembly an account, by him charged against the Colony, for materials and for making a Flag for Fort-George: And the said account being duly considered, It is Voted and Resolved, That the same be and hereby is allowed ; and that the amount thereof, being seven Pounds fourteen Shillings and Ninepence lawful money, be paid unto the said Job Bennet, out of the General Treasury.

Whereas Captain George Cornel exhibited unto this Assembly an account, by him charged against the Colony, for his wages as Captain of Fort-George, &c.: And the said account being duly examined, It is Voted and Resolved, That the same be and hereby is allowed; and that the amount thereof, being nine Pounds five Shillings and Ninepence lawful money, be paid unto the said George Cornel, out of the General Treasury.

It is Voted and Resolved, That the Gentlemen mentioned in the following list, be and they are hereby chosen to serve in the offices to their names respectively ascribed, to wit:

Joseph Belcher, Esq., Colonel, John Cooke, Esq., Lieutenant-Colonel, and William Channing, Esq., Major of the Regiment of Militia in the County of Newport.

Charles Drye, Esq., Major of the Regiment of Militia in King' s County.

William Barton, Esq., Adjutant of the First Regiment of Militia in the County of Providence.

Samuel Pearce, Jun., Captain, William Allen (Son of William) Lieutenant, and George Allen Ensign of the Second Company of Militia in Portsmouth.

William Taylor, Captain, John Cole, Lieutenant, and James Albro Ensign of the Second Company of Militia in North-Kingstown.

William Arnold, Esq., Major of the Regiment of Militia in the County of Kent.

Benjamin Underwood, Captain, John Carr, Lieutenant, and Benjamin Carr, Jun., Ensign of the Company of Militia in Jamestown.

Samuel Hill, Captain, Thomas Jenckes, Lieutenant, and Samuel Day Ensign of the First Company of Militia in Smithfield.

James Smith Lieutenant of the Third Company of Militia in Smithfield.

Joseph Whipple, Captain, Joseph Kinyon, Lieutenant, and Asaph Bennet Ensign of the Fourth Company of Militia in Coventry.

Thomas Peckham, Captain, Samuel Baley, Lieutenant, and Elisha Barker Ensign of the Company of Militia in Middletown.

Ezra Ormsbee Captain of the Company of Militia in Warren.

Vial Allen, Lieutenant, and Daniel Kinnicut, Ensign of the Company of Militia in Barrington.

Whereas the Committee appointed for signing the lawful Money Bills made a report unto this Assembly, in the following words:

In pursuance of an Act passed at the session held at East-Greenwich, on the second Monday in June last, for emitting Ten Thousand Pounds lawful money, in Bills of Credit, we the subscribers have signed the said Bills, which are of the following denominations, to wit:

1,000	Bills of Forty Shillings each,	£2,000
2,000	of Thirty Shillings each,	3,000
2,000	of Twenty Shillings each,	2,000
2,000	of Ten Shillings each,	1,000
2,000	of Five Shillings each,	500
2,000	of Four Shillings each,	400
2,000	of Three Shillings each,	300
3,000	of Two Shillings each,	300
5,000	of One Shilling each,	250
4,000	of Nine Pence each,	150
4,000	of Six Pence each,	100
		£10,000

In pursuance of another Act passed by the General Assembly, at the session held at Providence, on Wednesday the twenty-eighth of June last, for emitting a further sum

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of Ten Thousand Pounds lawful money, in Bills of Credit, we the subscribers have signed the said Bills, being of the same denominations as those above mentioned.

We have delivered the said Bills, amounting to Twenty Thousand Pounds, to the General Treasurer, of whom we have taken a receipt in the eighth Book of the Colony Records, in the Secretary' s Office; in which book we have also registered an exact account of the order of signing the same.

METCALF BOWLER,
JOHN COLE,
THOMAS GREENE,
HENRY WARD,
JOSEPH CLARKE.

To which Report they subjoined an account by them charged against the Colony, for the said service: All which being duly considered, It is Voted and Resolved, That the foregoing Report be and the same is hereby accepted; that the said account be and it is allowed; and that the amount thereof, being one hundred Pounds, be paid unto the said Metcalf Bowler, Thomas Greene, Joseph Clarke, John Cole, and Henry Ward, out of the General Treasury.

Whereas Mr. Caleb Gardner exhibited unto this Assembly an account, by him charged against the Colony, for thirty-six pounds of Gunpowder, by him furnished for Fort-George: And the said account being duly examined, It is Voted and Resolved, That the same be and hereby is allowed; and that the amount thereof, being three Pounds one Shilling and six Pence lawful money, be paid unto the said Caleb Gardner, out of the General Treasury.

It is Voted and Resolved, That two Row-Gallies be forthwith built and equipped at the expense of this Colony, for its protection and defence: That they be of a suitable bigness, to carry sixty men each, to row with fifteen oars on a side, and to mount one eighteen-pounder in the bow, and a number of swivel guns; and that they be built in such further and particular form, model and construction, as shall be judged most suitable and fitting by the Committee hereafter named, for answering the design and purpose of their building: And that Ambrose Page, Esq., be the person for the above purpose, and that he be empowered to draw out of the General Treasury a sum not exceeding three hundred Pounds, to enable him to prosecute the building.

It is Voted and Resolved, That Mr. John Lasell, who is appointed Western Post-Rider, be paid weekly for his service by the General Treasurer of the Colony.

Whereas Capt. George T. Cornel exhibited unto this Assembly an account, by him charged against the Colony, for materials furnished, divers things done, bills paid, and wages due, in and about Fort-George: And the same being duly examined, It is Voted and Resolved, That the same be allowed; and that the sum of eight Pounds fifteen Shillings and eight Pence lawful money, being the amount thereof, be paid unto the said George T. Cornel, out of the General Treasury.

If is Voted and Resolved, That Mr. John Earl be and hereby is appointed Captain, Mr. James Peckham, Lieutenant, and Mr. Cook Wilcocks Ensign of the Company of Minute-Men for the Town of Portsmouth.

Whereas the Post-Rider hath been stopped by the Ships-of-War in the harbour of Newport, and the mail hath been actually taken from him by violence, which renders it necessary that the route be altered: It is therefore Voted and Resolved, That Mr. John Lasell be employed as a Post-Rider, to go the old post road, from Providence to New-London: That he set out from Providence for New-London on every Tuesday, immediately upon the arrival of the post from Cambridge, and return as soon as possible: That he be allowed from this Colony at the rate of one hundred and eighty-five Dollars a year, and in that proportion for any lesser time, he finding good horses, and paying his own expenses: That Mr. Benjamin Mumford be employed as a Post-Rider from Newport to Cambridge: That he set out from Newport on Monday afternoon at three o' clock, to carry the Newport mail for the westward to Providence, and proceed immediately to Cambridge with the mails for that Post-Office, and set off from thence on Thursday in the afternoon for Providence, and there

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take the mail from the westward, and proceed immediately to Newport: That he be allowed for his services at the same rate as hath heretofore been allowed to the Post-Rider between Newport and Boston; and that the Post-Rider pay the post of every letter to such office nearest to which he shall receive it, and be under oath for the faithful performance of his trust: That this Act continue in force until further orders from this Assembly: That his Honour the Deputy Governour be requested to write to and transmit a copy of this Act to the Governour of Connecticut, and Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Massachusetts-Bay, requesting them to pay their proportions of the expense of the Post-Riders, as usually practised.

Whereas Mr. Thomas Lindsey presented unto this Assembly an account, by him charged to the Colony, for the use of his Packet for carrying the Colony Committee to New-Shoreham, and bringing them back: Which being duly examined, It is Voted and Resolved, That eight Pounds and eight Shillings, to wit, the first article of his charge, be and hereby is allowed; and that the same be paid to him out of the General Treasury.

It is Voted and Resolved, That Messrs. Nathaniel Mumford, Thomas Greene, Carder Hazard, Nathan Miller, and Gideon Mumford, be, and they or the major part of them are hereby appointed a Committee to audit the accounts of the Committee of Safety, who are hereby directed to pay off the Troops to the last day of this month, and to close their accounts on the eighth day of September next: That the Committee hereby appointed meet at Providence on the fifteenth day of September, to proceed upon the said business, and make report to this General Assembly at the then next succeeding session: And that his Honour the Deputy-Governour transmit the said accounts, as soon as may be after they shall be audited, to the Honourable the Continental Congress.

Whereas notwithstanding the humble and dutiful Petition of the last Congress to the King, and other wise and pacifick measures taken for obtaining a happy reconciliation between Great Britain and the Colonies, the Ministry, lost to every sentiment of justice, liberty and humanity, continue to send Troops and Ships-of-War into America, which destroy our Trade, plunder and burn our Towns, and murder the good people of these Colonies:

It is therefore Voted and Resolved, That this Colony most ardently wish to see the former friendship, harmony and intercourse between Britain and these Colonies restored, and a happy and lasting connection established between both Countries, upon terms of just and equal liberty; and will concur with the other Colonies in all proper measures for obtaining those desirable blessings: And as every principle, divine and human, require us to obey that great and fundamental law of nature, self-preservation, until peace shall be restored upon constitutional principles, this Colony will most heartily exert the whole power of Government, in conjunction with the other Colonies, for carrying on this just and necessary war, and bringing the same to a happy issue. And amongst other measures for obtaining this most desirable purpose, this Assembly is persuaded that the building and equipping an American Fleet, as soon as possible, would greatly and essentially conduce to the preservation of the lives, liberty and property of the good people of these Colonies; and therefore instruct their Delegates to use their whole influence, at the ensuing Congress, for building, at the Continental expense, a Fleet of sufficient force for the protection of these Colonies, and for employing them in such manner and places as will most effectually annoy our enemies, and contribute to the common defence of these Colonies: And they are also instructed to use all their influence for carrying on the war in the most vigorous manner, until peace, liberty and safety be restored and secured to these Colonies upon an equitable and permanent basis.

It is Voted and Resolved, That the Delegates for this Colony to the Congress, to be holden by adjournment at Philadelphia on the fifth day of September next, be and they are hereby fully authorized and empowered to receive of the Continental Treasurer the money due from the United Colonies to this Colony, for the several sums of

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money advanced for raising of forces, purchasing arms, tents, provisions, clothing and warlike stores, for the defence of the said United Colonies; and transmit the same to the General Treasurer of this Colony, by such faithful person or persons as they can trust, and under such guard as they shall judge expedient and necessary.

Whereas the Honourable Samuel Ward, Esq., one of the Delegates from this Colony to the Congress, held at Philadelphia on the tenth day of May last, hath made a report unto this Assembly of many of the Proceedings and Resolves of the said Congress, consisting of measures by them taken for defending the United Colonies against the attacks of our cruel and unnatural enemies, measures for the security of the frontiers, the preservation of peace and friendship with the people of Canada and the Indian Nations, the emission of a Continental Currency for defraying the expenses of the war, a Petition to the King, an Address to the People of England, an Address to the People of Ireland, a Letter to the Lord Mayor of London, a Letter to the Assembly of Jamaica, the establishment of a General Post-Office, and some occasional Resolutions:

It is thereupon Voted and Resolved, That the said Report be and the same is hereby accepted and approved, and that the thanks of this Assembly be given to the Delegates of the Continental Congress in general, and to the Delegates of this Colony in particular, for their wise, spirited and faithful discharge of the important trust reposed in them.

It is Voted and Resolved, That the Delegates from this Colony to the Congress, to be holden at Philadelphia by adjournment on the fifth day of September next, be and they are empowered to apply to their own respective uses two Hundred Dollars each, of the money which they may receive of the Continental Treasurer in behalf of this Colony, on account of their expenses and services at the Congress, and that they be severally accountable to the Colony therefor.

It is Voted and Resolved, That the Continental Currency emitted by the Congress, at their last session in Philadelphia, on the tenth day of May last, be and it is hereby made a lawful tender, at the rate of six Shillings lawful money a Dollar, and in the same proportion as to Gold and Silver, in all payments whatsoever, whether of a publick or private nature, and whether due in lawful money, Dollars, Gold or Silver coin, Sterling money, Bills of Exchange, or any other currency whatsoever. And it is further Voted and Resolved, That whosoever shall counterfeit the said Continental Currency or Bills, or pass the same in this Colony, knowing the same to be counterfeit, such person or persons, upon legal conviction thereof, shall be liable to and suffer the same pains, penalties and punishments, as by law persons counterfeiting the lawful money bills of this Colony are liable to.

It if Voted and Resolved, That eight Fieldpieces be provided and prepared For the use of the Colony; and that Mr. Nicholas Power be and he is hereby appointed to provide and prepare six of said Fieldpieces, and Mr. Jacob Greene the other two; and that the said Nicholas Power put in order the Carriages of the Colony Guns placed in the Providence Battery.

It is Voted and Resolved, That a bounty of three Shillings a pound be allowed, and paid out of the General Treasury, on every pound of Saltpetre that may be made in this Colony by the twenty-sixth day of August, A. D. 1776, suitable to be manufactured into Gunpowder, and three Shillings a pound for every pound of such Saltpetre, exclusive of said bounty; and that Mr. Joseph Brown, Jabez Bowen, Esq., and the Secretary of this Colony, be and they are hereby appointed inspectors and provers of the quality thereof; and that no person be entitled to said bounty and value until be shall have first made oath befor the Secretary that the Saltpetre offered for inspection was actually made in this Colony; and that in order to its being so proved, that the manufacturers thereof convey the same to the Town of Providence, and that the same be delivered to and deposited with the General Treasurer.

It is Voted and Resolved, That his Honour the Deputy Governour be requested to write a Letter to his Excellency General Washington, informing him of the steps this

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Colony have taken to secure the Stock upon the Islands lying within this jurisdiction; and to request his Excellency to use his authority that such of said Stock as may be fit for market be received by the Commissary General, for the use of the Army.

It is Voted and Resolved, That the monthly wages of Abraham Whipple, Captain of the Colony Sloop, be raised from seven Pounds ten Shillings to nine Pounds, from the time he entered on board said Sloop.

It is Voted and Resolved, That Messrs. James Rhodes, Gideon Hoxie, George Sheffield, Joshua Babcock, Abel Tanner, Joseph Hoxie, and William Potter, be and they or any three of them are hereby appointed a Committee to take possession of the Stock that may be brought off from New-Shoreham, by order of this Assembly; and such of said Stock as may be fit for a market, immediately to send to the Army; that such of said Stock as may not be fit for a market they immediately sell and dispose of to the best advantage, either at publick or private sale, unless the owners of said Stock shall choose to take their own Stock into possession at their own risk; and that they make report thereof to the next General Assembly.

All the Gunpowder imported before 1st day of April next to be purchased by the Colony, Committee of Safety appointed to act on any emergency during the recess of the Assembly, Officers of the Minute-Men in the Town of Smithfield, Officers of the Militia appointed, Two Row-Gallies to be built forthwith, for the protection and defence of the Colony, Post-Riders appointed, and Mail Routes established, Delegates in the Continental Congress instructed to use their whole influence for building and equipping an American Fleet, Report of the Proceedings of the continental Congress, presented by Mr. Ward, one of the Delegates, accepted and approved, The Continental Currency made a lawful tender, in all payments whatsoever, whether of a publick or private nature, Bounty of three Shillings a pound to be paid on every pound of Saltpetre made in the Colony by the 26th of August, 1776, Pay of Abraham Whipple, Captain of the Colony Sloop, fixed at nine Pounds a month. [1775-08-21] Rhode-Island, General Assembly; Bowler, Metcalf. [S4-V3-p0227] [Document Details][Complete Volume]