Common Wealth Massachusetts In Senate Jan' 31 1783 On the Representation of the Honble Caleb Davis Esq' late Agent of the Common Wealth praying for direction Respecting the Stores in his possession belonging to this Common Wealth Resolved that Richard Devens Esq' Commissary General be & he is hereby Authorized and directed to Receive from the said Caleb Davis Esq' all such Stores as he has on hand belonging to this Common Wealth and give the said Davis Duplicate Receipts Therefor One of which to be returnd to the Committee for stating and methodizing Accounts for their Use and by them to be lodged in the Secretaries office Sent down for Concurrence S Adams Presid In the House of Representatives Jan 31st 1783 Read & concurred Approv'd Tristram Dalton Spk John Hancock Representation of Inhabts of Falmouth. To the Honorable Senate and the Honorable House of Repre sentatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts- in General Court assembled The Subscribers in the name & behalf of a Convention of Selectmen & Committees from most of the Principal Towns in the County of Cumberland in said Commonwealth beg leave to represent That from undoubted Intelligence lately received from Baggaduce We understand the Enemy there are strongly reinforced They have not only an accession of Strength by the arrival of Regular Forces, but with a view no doubt to assist them in their depredatory Operations and enlarge the extent of their possessions in that quarter, Numbers of Refugees from New York have joined them-We further learn that they are now building a large Block-house for transportation & are also making such other military Preparations as gives us the greatest reason to believe that they are meditating a Design of advancing into this County & we know not but Falmouth may be their Object Whatever their intentions may be Prudence dictates that we be upon our Guard & in readiness to oppose them wherever their Views may be directed At present we are in a Defenceless State-and although it might otherwise be thought incautious to declare it is a Truth too well known to the Enemy that we are so The County of Lincoln are also so defenceless & exposed that we cannot forbear saying we fear they will be soon too much discouraged to attempt making any further Resistance - Your Honors will not therefore judge it inexpedient or improper that in regard to the safety of the whole Eastern County and in behalf of this County in particular, we apply to your Honors for Relief for it is from your Honors only we can expect it- And as through the Smiles of Divine Providence the Southern States are freed from their late merciless oppressors we cannot but hope that a part of the Continental Forces may be spared to defend this northern State to which the attention of the Enemy now seems to be directed. And considering of what importance these two lower Counties may be to the United States & would be to the Enemy were they to be lost we apprehend your Honors will not think our conjectures are ill grounded. We therefore pray that your Honors would take our situation into your wise consideration & determine on such measures for our Protection as your Honors shall judge best And as the Militia of this Brigade have found it impossible to procure A supply of Arms & Ammunition we beg leave to propose that your Honors would order a quantity from the Public Stores to be sent to some Person or Persons in Falmouth to be sold out to such as are destitute at such Rates as your Honors shall judge reasonable We would further observe to your Honors, that a very great part of our Vessels have been captured by the Enemy & it is probable the remainder of them will be lost the ensuing Spring or Summer- unless some Naval vessel is sent to cruise upon our Coasts- We therefore humbly pray that your Honors would take this matter likewise into your consideration & order such Provision to be made to secure our Coasting Vessels & protect our Coasts as your Honors shall judge adequate to the danger to which they will be exposed Edwd Phinney Isaac Parsons Benj Titcomb Joshua Fabyan Samuel Whitmore Committee Falmouth Feb 3, 1783 Action on Foregoing. In the House of Representatives March 17th 1783— Ordered that Gen' Ward, Mr Dwight & Col° Thacher with such as the Hon. Senate may join be a Committee to consider the aforegoing representation, A & also what measures are proper to be taken to discharge Col° Mason Wheaton from his receipts to the Board of War for public Stores delivered him agreeable to the Resolve of Nov 19, 1779. B & report Sent up for concurrence Tristram Dalton Spk In Senate March 17th 1783 Read & Concurred with Amendments at A and Jedediah Preble & Jona Warner Esq' are joined at A dele from A to B Sent down for Concurrence In the House of Representatives March 18th 1783 Read and concurred S Adams Presid Tristram Dalton Spk Resolve on Petition Thomas Childs. Commonwealth of Massachusetts In Senate Feb 4, 1783 On the Petition of Thomas Childs, Agent on the Estate of Francis Waldo late of Falmouth in the County of Cumberland Esq, an Absentee, in behalf of himself & others, Creditors of said Estate, praying that the Committee for Selling Absentees Estates in said County may be impowered to sell so much of said Absentees Estate as shall be sufficient to pay the Demands upon the same Resolved, that the Prayer of said Petition be so far granted as that said Committee be & they are hereby impowered to Cause such Parts or Parcels of said Waldo's Real Estate as they shall judge most advantageous to the Commonwealth to be apprised by three good & sufficient Freeholders on Oath as shall be sufficient to satisfy said Demands & said Committee are hereby impowered to give & Execute a good & sufficient Deed or Deeds of the same any Law or Resolve to the contrary Notwithstanding Petition Selectmen of Harpswell. To the Honourable Senate and Hon House of Representetives at Boston in General Court assembled We Your Humble Petitioners Humbly Sheweth That whereas there was three men Requird of us of the Last Demands for men for the Continantal Service and we according to the Resolve of Court Divided the Inhabitance into Clases for getting said men but Cou" by no means that we Coud Use Get but one with all the offers we Coua make Neither Cou we find any that wou say they wou" Ingage for any sum as we Remember and we Always have been and [still] are Ready and willing to Obey all Requests from the Legislative Authority that Lays in our Power; But as we were too High in the Valluation which Increas our Number of men in the former Demands for men for the Continantal Services and by Reason of too High Valluation our Taxes has been Too High Since the Valluation was Taken - Therefore we Pray Your Honours to take these things into Consideration and Relinquish our fines for the Deficiency of the Two men above mentioned on account of what we have Over Paid in the former Taxes which were too Great by Reason of Too High Valluation and we advise Your Honours of the Difficulty of our Situation which Exceeds that of any Place we know off where they Pretend to make any Resistance which is such that we have Muster on the Lords day and every man Obligd to Run for his Arms; and have at some Times been Call out of our Beds, but being in Expectation of these things we have been Musterd some times through mistakes; and some time in July Last our fishing Boats were Chas into the Harbour by one Liniken who was Drove of by the Melitia who were Musterd with utmost Haste and Persud with all Resolution ye sd Linniken in a fishing Schooner Retook one of their Prizes & still Pursua with her till they over |