at law of the said Deed in such Proportion as they would have been intitled to had not the same been Exchanged

Commonwealth of Massachusetts To the Honble the Senate & the Honble House of Representatives of said Commonwealth in General Court assembled

The Petition of Joseph McLellan of Falmouth in the County of Cumberland - humbly sheweth

That your Petitioner was appointed to a Lieutenancy, & served in that capacity under Brigadier General Wadsworth at the eastward in 1780: that during the General's command there, Charles Cushing Esq' Brigadier of the County of Lincoln was taken out of his bed, from the tender partner of his bosom, in the Silent hour of the Night, by a party of Refugees & carried prisoner to Bagwaduce, where he remained several Weeks, & at the same time many others who discovered a friendly attachment to the cause of their Country, were threatned by the Tories with a similar fate this alarmed the fears & apprehensions of the virtuous & well disposed Inhabitants, & every one became anxious for the security of himself his family & property-in this situation of danger and distress, the General received well attested information that Francis Rittal, Thomas Town & others, inhabitants of Kennebec River, had been guilty of treasonable & inimical

Practices against the United States, & Town was strongly suspected of being privy to & connected in the Capture of Brigadier Cushing; in consequence of this Information the General, from an apprehension that the limits prescribed for the opperation of the Martial Law, then established in part of the County of Lincoln, included the residence of said Persons, issued an Order dated the 25th of September 1780 for the apprehending said Rittal, Town & others, & directed the same to your Petitioner, by virtue of which he took said Rittal & Town who were soon after committed to Falmouth Goal by the General's particular order-here they continued some time & were then liberated on their giving security for their future good behaviour; & thus matters rested untill the 26th of August last, when the said Rittal, too sensible of a growing disaffection among many of the Inhabitants of said County, occasioned by an uninterupted intercourse with the British Garrison at Bagwaduce, & hoping to avail himself of that circumstance in order to wreak his vengeance against your Petitioner by a tryal at Law, brought his action of assault, battery & false imprisonment against him, at the Court of Common Pleas held within & for said County of Lincoln last September, which action is now depending & stands continued to next June Term-your Petitioner is therefore compelled though reluctantly to address the Justice & benevolence of this Honourable Court to prevent the ruinous consequences that must result to himself & family by a prosecution of said Action, & others which will shortly be commenced against him, & for which, he is well assured Rittal's action is intended to pave the way, & he is the rather incouraged to hope for the favourable interposition of the Honourable Court in this instance, as his conduct throughout the whole transaction was influenced by the purest principles of duty to his Country & obedience to the Command of his General, & as he can at once produce the most ample attestations of the inimical prin

ciples & practice of said Persons & of the extensive beneficial consequences that evidently resulted to the public from their apprehension & committment & your Petitioner as in duty bound will ever pray

Feby 6th 1783

Joseph Mclellan

Resolve to Tax County of Cumberland.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the House of Representatives Feb 7th 1783

on the Representation of the Justices of the Court of General Sessions of the Peace for the County of Cumberland that the sum of three Hundred and Sixty pounds will be necessary for Defraying the Charges of said County for one year next Ensuing

Resolved that there be and hereby is granted a tax of three hundred and Sixty pounds to be apportioned and assessed on the Rateable Polls and Estates in said County and the Same be Colected and paid into the treasury thereof and applied for the use of said County agreeable to the Laws of this Commonwealth

Sent up for concurrence

In Senate Feb 7th 1783—

Tristram Dalton Spk

Read & Concurred with Amendment at A

Sent down for Concurrence

at A insert, "by the Clerk of the peace for the County of Cumberland upon the several Towns within the same."

In the House of Representatives February 7th 1783

Read and concurred

Approv'd

Tristram Dalton Speaker.

John Hancock.

At a Court of General Sessions of the Peace for the County of Cumberland begun and holden at Falmouth in said County on the last Tuesday of October A. D. 1782

Ordered that the Clerk transmit to the General Court the following

Estimate of the Sums necessary to be raised to defrey the Charges of said County the year ensuing - viz—

For paying the Charges that may attend the holding said Court the present Term £80. Ditto next May Term £130. Ditto next October Term £80 Ditto for the Supream Judicial Court next June £30 For repairing the Goal £20 For laying out Roads £20 amounting in the whole to £360Sam Freeman

Att

Cler.

Allowance to Collectors of Excise.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In Senate Feb 6th 1783

Ordered that Aaron Wood & Caleb Davis Esq" with such as the Honble House may be a Committee to take into consideration and report the proper Allowance to be made to the Collectors of Excise in this Commonwealth

Sent down for Concurrence

S Adams Presid

In the House of Representatives Feb 7th 1783

Read and concurred and Cap' Wales Mr Frazier & D' Hall

are joined

Tristram Dalton Spk

Message of Governor.

Gentlemen of the Senate & Gentlemen of the House of Representatives

I have this moment receiv'd a Letter from Col° Lithgow by two Indians of the Penobscot Tribe, these Indians are

come to make application for Sundry Articles for the use of the Tribe. The Letter with a Commission given one of these Indians by Brig Gen' Lovell, I have directed the Secretary to lay before you-I have given Orders that these Indians should be taken Care of this Night & have become responsible for their Expences-I cannot but recommend these Papers & the Case of these Indians to your Consideration, & your Determination Shall be communicated to them immediately upon my receiving it,

Council Chamber Boston 7th Feb 1783

In Senate February 7th 1783

John Hancock

Read and thereupon Orderd that Jedidiah Preble Esq' with such as the Honble House shall join be a Committee to take this Message together with the papers accompanying the same into Consideration and make report what may be proper to be done thereon

Sent down for Concurrence

S Adams Presid

In the House of Representatives February 8th 1783

Read and concurred and Col° McCobb & Col° Grow are joined

Tristram Dalton Spk'

Petition Inhabts Town of Arundel.

To the honorable Senate; and the honorable House of Representatives in General Court assembled.

May it please your Honors.

We your Petitioners Inhabitants of the Town of Arundel beg Leave to represent our Situation to you and intreat your Attention to it. The Calamities of War have spread Difficulties and Scattered various Distresses thro' the County in

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