Resolves in re Military Affairs. The Committee of both Houses to whom was referred the Consideration of the Memorial of joynt Selectmen & Committees in the County of Cumberland, have attended the service assigned them, & ask leave to report the following Resolves On the Representation of Joynt Selectmen and Committees in the County of Cumberland Resolved, that the Governor be requested to issue Orders to the Commanding Officers of the Counties of York and Cumberland, to Detach from the aforesaid Counties, Five hundred Men, with proper Officers to Command the same, for the term of Four months from the time of their Arrival at the place of Rendezvous unless sooner discharged, the said Officers and Privates to be on the same Establishment as those are in the Continental Army to rendezvous at Falmouth or such other place as the Officers Commanding shall direct, and be under the Command of such Officers as the Governor shall appoint; to be employed for the Defence of the Counties of Cumberland and Lincoln as Occasion shall require. Be it further Resolved, That the Governor be requested to give such Orders as he shall judge necessary to the Commissary General, to supply the said Men with Military Stores and provisions the issuing Commissary of the said Stores and provisions to be accountable to the Commissary General for the Expenditure of the same Resolved, that the Governor be requested to give Orders to the Commissary General to send to Falmouth, two hundred and fifty Stands of Fire Arms, three hundred weight of Powder, nine hundred weight of Musquet Ball, and One Thousand Flints to be delivered to Samuel Freeman Esq' at the said Falmouth, to be by him disposed of to the Inhabitants of the Eastern Counties at the Current price they are now sold for the said Samuel Freeman to be accountable to the Commissary General for the proceeds of the same And it is further Resolved that the Governor be and he hereby is requested to appoint Brigadier Wadsworth to Command the aforesaid Men and such of the Militia of the Counties as may be called forth for the Defence thereof. Resolved, that the Governor be further requested to give Orders that the Militia in the said Eastern Counties hold themselves in Readiness to march for the Defence of the same upon the first Notice given to the Brigadier of the said Counties respectively, by the Officer to be appointed as aforesaid of the Necessity thereof Sent down for Concurrence S Adams Presid In the House of Representatives March 22a 1783 Read and concurred as taken into a new Draft Sent up for concurrence In Senate March 24th 1783 Tristram Dalton Spk Read & Non Concurred & the Senate adhere to their own Vote Sent down S Adams Presid In the House of Representatives March 24th 1783 Read and Non-concurred & the House adhere to their own Tristram Dalton Spk vote In Senate March 26 1783 Read again & the Senate reconsider their Vote of the 24th of March and propose to the Honorable House a further Con sideration of the foregoing Resolves connected with others or Papers. Sent down S Adams Presid In the House of Representatives March 26, 1783 In Senate March 26 1783 Tristram Dalton Spkr. Read and reconsidered & the Senate Concurr with the Hon House in their new Draft Approv'd S Adams Presid John Hancock Petition of General Heath. To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in General Court Assembled, March 1783 The Petition of William Heath, Major General in the Army of the United States of America Humbly sheweth, That in the Year 1778, your petitioner then having the honor to Command the Eastern department, from the exhausted state of the Continental pay office and Quarter Master department, and the pressing exigencies of the Public service at that time particularly requiring the forwarding of clothing &c to the Main Army supplying the Convention Troops with fuel and the building of Temporary barracks at Rutland, was constrained to apply to the Honorable Council for an aid of money, which they had the goodness to grant in three several instances, viz January 23rd, February 16th and April 10th That as your petitioner then Commanded the department, and applied to Council in his Official capacity, he conceives that the monies so applied for, and lent, should have been charged to the account of the United States, and that his application with the receipt of the Public Officer (who received the money) on the warrants, would be ample vouchers for the Commonwealth to support the Charges. But your petitioner to his surprise finds that the monies so lent, are charged to him on the Books lodged in the hands of the Committee of accounts, which he presumes will not be thought reasonable as the monies never came into his hands, but were received by the Public Officer, and immediately applied to the public service, and he has reason to apprehend that one of the accounts at least has been for several Years Settled by a Committee, or some Gentleman appointed by the Honorable Council for the purpose. Wherefore your petitioner humbly Prays, that your Honors would be pleased to take the case into consideration, and cause the charges to be made against the United States, and not allow them to stand as at present against him, which he cannot but consider as unreasonable and injurious or otherwise order as to your Honors in your great wisdom may appear fit. And your petitioner as in Duty bound will pray & Commonwealth of Massachusetts March 19th 1783 On the Petition of Maj' Gen' Heath setting forth that when he had Command in the Eastern Department in the year 1778 he made application to this State for Money for the use of the United States and Expected the Sums of Money so advanced would have been Charged to the same but finds that he personaly is charged with the sum of Five Thousand seven hundred pounds, Received on three warrants dated Jan 23 Feb 16th and April 10th all in the year 1778 and Praying that he may be discharged from the aforesaid Sum and the United States Charged with the Same――― Resolved that the Committee for Methodizing and Stateing the Public Accounts be & they hereby are directed to discharge Maj Gen' Heath from the sum of Five Thousand seven hundred pounds Charged to him on three Warrants dated Jan 23 Feb 16th and April 10th in the year 1778, and the Same be Charged to the United States provided he Shall Produce Sufficient vouchers, to the Committee aforesaid, to Support the Charge Resolves on Petition of Richard Devens Esq". Commonwealth of Massachusetts In Senate March 19th 1783. On the Petition of the Joint Committees & Select Men of the County of Cumberland Resolved that Richard Devens Esq' the Commissary General be & he hereby is Impower'd & directed to procure by Hire or Purchase a small Vessel not exceeding thirty Tuns & one Whale boat & Equip them for the purpose of Cruizing against the Enemies of the United States in Casco Bay & the Eastern Shore and that the sd Commissary General be & he hereby is Impowr'd & Directed to Collect the Fire Arms & any other property that belongs to this Common Wealth in the Hands of any Person or Persons in the County of Cumberland and dispose of the same with the barrack that is at Falmouth for the most it will fetch either at Publick or private sale and appropriate the same for fixing the said Vessel & boat And be it further Resolved that his Excellency the Governor be requested to Commision some suitable Person to Command the 8a Vessel & boat & give Order for maning the same |