Thursday, June 12, 1777

Mr. Gray 1 went up with a Message to the Honorable Board to inform them that the House are ready, agreeable to the Order of the Day, to proceed to the Choice of an Attorney General.

Whereupon, Joseph Palmer, Esq; came down and informed the House that the Board were ready likewise.

Mr. Lewis, Major Clap and Mr. Hastings 2 were then appointed a Committee to collect the Votes of the House, who having carried them to the Honorable Board, reported that the Hon. Robert Treat Paine, Esq; was chosen.

Tuesday, June 17, 1777

The Report of the Committee appointed to revise the Commission of the Board of War was read, and thereupon, Ordered, That Mr. Davis, Col. Porter, Mr. Paine, Mr. Greenleaf, and Mr. Partridge,3 be a Committee to revise the Commission of the Board of War and the Resolves subsequent to their former Commission, and report such Amendments as shall appear necessary or proper.4

Wednesday, June 18, 1777

John Taylor, Esq; brought down a Letter from the Chiefs of the Penobscott Tribes, dates Penobscott-Falls, May 3, 1777, with the following Vote of Council thereon, viz.

In Council, June 18, 1777. Read and Ordered that John Taylor, Esq; with such as the Honorable House shall join, be a Committee to consider the above Letter, and report what is best to be done thereon. Sent down for Concurrence.

Read and concurred, and Brigadier Preble and Mr. Paine are joined.5

Thursday, June 19, 1777

The Hon Timothy Danielson, Esq; being called upon by the Speaker, declared his Acceptance of a Seat at the Honorable Board Whereupon,

377

Ordered, That Brigadier Preble, Mr. Paine, Mr. Pickering, Col. Porter and Mr. Sumner,6 be a Committee to wait upon him to the Board. . . .

Ordered, That Mr. Paine, Mr. Crane and Mr. Wendell 7 be a Committee to consider what is proper to be done with respect to the counterfeit Money in this State, and to consider whether it be proper for the Committee appointed the last Session of the General Court to procure Paper and Plates for a new Emission to proceed, and report. . . .

The House agreeable to the Order of the Day, took into Consideration the Report of the Committee appointed to revise the Acts against Monopoly and Oppression, and after Debate thereon, it was Voted, That a Committee be appointed to consider the whole matter at large, and Report what is proper to be done; and the Question being put, it pass’d in the Affirmative.

Voted, That this Committee consist of Seven. The Members appointed were Mr. Gray, Mr. Paine, Major Goodman, Mr. Singletary, Capt. Stone, Col. Bliss and Col. Porter,8 ...

Friday, June 20, 1777

Ordered, That a Message go to the Honorable Board to infom them that the House are ready agreeable to the Order of the Day to proceed to the Choice of a Board of War.

Richard Derby Esq; came down from the Honorable Board and informed the House that the Board were not ready to proceed to the Choice of a Board of War, as the Powers with which that Board are to be vested were not adjusted; and at the same time delivered the Speaker the following Vote of Council, viz. Council Chamber, June 20, 1777,

Ordered, That Walter Spooner, Esq; Thomas Cushing, Esq; and Timothy Danielson, Esq; be a Committee, with such as the Honorable House shall join, to confer upon the subject Matter of the Powers to be given to the Board of War. Sent down for concurrence.

Read and concurred, and Mr. Speaker, Mr. Paine and Mr. Partridge are joined. . . .

Ordered, That Mr. Paine, Mr. Gray, Mr. Partridge, Col. Johnson 9 and Col. Bliss be a Committee to wait upon the Hon Jedediah Preble, Esq; to the Honorable Board.

Friday, June 27, 1777

Benjamin Austin, Esq; brought down a Letter from General Pickering to his Brother Mr. John Pickering, dated Peeks-Kill, June 14, 1777, with the following Vote of Council thereon, viz.

In Council, June 27, 1777. Read and thereupon Resolved, That Joseph Palmer, Esq; with such as the Honorable House shall join, be a Committee to take the above Letter into Consideration, with the Letter of June 15th Instant, accompanying the same, from said General Pickering, and report what is proper to be done thereon. Sent down for concurrence.

Read and concurred, and Mr. Paine and Mr. Partridge are joined. . . .

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker Paine, and Mr. Wetmore,10 with such as the Honorable Board shall join,11 be a Committee to prepare a Letter to Congress, informing them of the proposed Conference of Committees from the State of New-York and the several New-England States.

Saturday, June 28, 1777

Oliver Prescott, Esq; brought down a Letter from the Council of Safety of New-York, dated Kingston, June 20, 1777. Read, and thereupon Ordered, That Mr. Speaker Paine, Mr. Wetmore and Capt. Hosmer,12 with such as the Honorable Board shall join, be a Committee to take the same into consideration, and report what is proper to be done thereon. Sent up for concurrence.

Monday, June 30, 1777

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker Paine, and Mr. Gray, with such as the Honorable Board shall join be a committee to consider a suitable Method of commemorating the Anniversary of American Independency. Sent up for Concurrence.13

Printed in the Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts, 1777, 53, pt. 1:23, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 40, 41, 42 .

1.

Ellis Gray of Boston. For biographical data on the various legislators, see Schutz, Legislators of the Mass. General Court.

2.

John Lewis of North Yarmouth; Daniel Clap of Rutland; and John Hastings of Hatfield.

3.

Davis is not identifiable among the several by that name in the General Court at this time; Elisha Porter of Hadley, RTP; Jonathan Greenleaf of Newburyport; and George Partridge of Duxbury.

379 4.

The House considered and passed the commission for a new Board of War on June 20 (Journals of the House of Representatives, 53, pt. 1:32).

5.

Stephen Sewall of Cambridge replaced Preble when the latter was advanced to the Council (Journals of the House of Representatives, 53, pt. 1:36).

6.

Increase Sumner of Roxbury.

7.

Thomas Crane of Stoughton; Oliver Wendell of Boston.

8.

Ellis Gray of Boston; RTP; Noah Goodman of South Hadley; Amos Singletary of Sutton; Isaac Stone of Oakham; John Bliss of Wilbraham; Elisha Porter of Hadley.

9.

Samuel Johnson of Andover.

10.

William Wetmore of Salem.

11.

Thomas Cushing joined the committee from the Council, June 30 (Records of the Massachusetts Council, microfilm copy at MHS).

12.

Joseph Hosmer of Concord.

13.

The committee returned its report the next morning (Journals of the House of Representatives, 53, pt. 1:44). The House met as usual on that day, and RTP noted simply in his diary “Anniversary of the Declaration of Independency Solemnized, dind at Mr. John Browns.” The Rev. Dr. William Gordon, minister of the Third Church in Roxbury, preached an anniversary sermon before the legislature, there were cannon salutes fired throughout the town, and in the evening there were fireworks on the Common. The Independent Chronicle published a description of the day’s events, July 10, 1777.