The New-England Chronicle, 1776-08-29

To the People of the Massachusetts-Lay. Friends and Countrymen, YOU are upon the eve of an event, that will prove of the utmost consequence to the State. We congratulate ourselves upon the Declaration of Independency : but the liberties of the present and future generations remain to be secured by a proper Form of' Government. What we had taken up pro tempore by the ad advice - vice advice of the Continental Congress is now necefla neceflarily - rily neceflarily expiring ; for we no longer mean to receive a Governor from the King of Great-Britain, thougli he should appoint one that would con conform - form conform to the Charter. It might be questioned, whether the General Court can with consistency pals any new a&s, till the Form of Government has been fettled by the voice of the publick.- - - However, it may be proper enough, by reason of the times, to connive at their proceedings, till you can have digelted matters, and prepared duly for the important service beforeyou : they being careful to aft up to the spirit of liberty, and not to abuse the confidence of the people. Suffer me to exhort you, upon every considera consideration, - tion, consideration, not to be hurried oi drawn in to any one particular Form ofGovernrnent,without-examin ofGovernrnent,without-examining - ing ofGovernrnent,without-examining the nature and tendency of it with the great greatest - est greatest accuracy. The weak and designing may tell you, that as you have the power of altering it when you find it defective, it does not so much fignify what it is. The fame set of persons will argue against altering it, when once adopted, upon the plea of your not having given it a fair {rial,and the inconvenience thaLaifes from fre frequent - quent frequent changes, till they have got it established through length of time; when there will be no chance of having it altered, till the abuses flow flowing - ing flowing from it become intolerable. Attend to what the Congress has said in their Declaration :-- Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Govern - ments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes ; and acco d - ingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more difpafed to fuffer, while evils are fiif fiif" - " fiif" ferable, than to right themselves by abolilh - ing the Forms to which they are and therefore exertyourfelves,that so your Form of Government may make the nearett approach ooffible to perfection, and may secure not only ?oar own liberties, but thofeof posterity, upon :he mod solid basis. Remember, that defers of dule consequence to us,may grow up into enor enormities - mities enormities that may be of the grpateft prejudice to the rights of future generations. The House of Representatives have appointed a Committee to take into confideiation, mature and report such a Mode of Civil Government for this Colony, as to them may appear best cal calculated - culated calculated to promote the greatest good of the peo people, - ple, people, and of the United Colonies. If it is meant, that, when the Committee hath ripened and re reported - ported reported a Plan, the fame, if approved of by the House, shall be urged upon the people for their acceptance, the House will therein interfere, which does by no means belong to them, and will deviate from the design of their election. If no more is intended, than barely to lay before the publick their best thoughts upon the fubjed, that may deserve commendation, as being ho honestly - nestly honestly intended: though I Should think the mode adopted by some of the Colonies, of electing perlons for the expressed purpose of forming the Plan of Government, more orderly. However, should that mode be adopted, I apprehend such elected perlons should not Be invested with thq power of eftabliJhing the Plan, only offorming 2nd recommending it to the people ; who, after having had time to confider it, should by a new ele&ion appoint persons to eftabiifh the Formof Government upon that or any other Plan that rachDdegata may agree upon, &fc Delegates

STare of MaffaebufatoJsy. In COUNCIL, Augufl 22, 1776^ ORDERED, That the Resolve of the honora honorable - ble honorable Congress of the 3d of April last, refpeft refpefting - ing refpefting Persons applying for Commissions, or Letter of Marque and Reprisal, be published in the several News-Papers in this State, that all Persons fitting out such Veflels may know how to make ap application - plication application for their Commissions. By Ordei of Council. JOHN AVERY, Dep. Sec'ry. J Tn CONGRESS, April 3, 1,76. RE 8 QLVED, That every Person intending tty set forth and fit out a Private Ship or Vessel o£ War, and applying fcr a Commission or Letters of Marque and Reprisal for that Purpose, shall produce a Writing, fubferibed by him, containing the Name, and Tonnage or Burthen of the Ship or Vessel. the Number of her Guns, with their VVeight of Metal, the Name and Place of Residence of the Owner or Owners,the Names of the Commander and other Offi Officers, - cers, Officers, the Number of the Crew, and the Quantity of Provisions and Warlike Stores ; which Writing &11 be delivered to-the Secretary of Congress, or to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Convention or Council, or Committee of Safety of the Colony in which the Ship or Vessel shall be, to be transmitted to the said Secretary, and shall be fegiftered by him. And that the Commander of the Ship or Vessel, before the ConlmilTion or Letters of Marque arid Reprisal may be granted, frail, together with Sufficient Sureties, feat and deliver a Bond, in the Penalty of Five Thou^ land Dollars, if the Vessel be of One Hundred Tons, or under, or Ten Thousand Dollars, if of greater Bur Burthen, - then, Burthen, payable to the President of the Congress in Trust for the Use of the United Colonies, with Condition in the Form following to wit, '' The Condition of this Obligation is such, That if the above-bounden who is Commander of the called belonging to of in the Colony of mounting Carriage Guns, and navigated by Men, and wh< >hath applied fora Commission or Letters of Marque and Reprisal, to arm, equip and set forth to Sea, the said as a private Ship of War, and to make Captures of British Vessels and Cargoes, shall not ex exceed - ceed exceed or transgress the Powers and Authorities which shall be contained in the said Cemmiffion, but shall im all Things observe and cond^d himfelf and govern his Crew by and according to the fame, and certain In Inftru^tions - ftru^tions Inftru^tions therewith to be delivered, and such other In Inftru&ions - ftru&ions Inftru&ions as may hereafter be given to him ; and shall make Reparation for all Damages sustained by any Mifcondffl or unwarrantable Proceedings of himfelf, or the Officers or Crew @f the said Then thy Obligation shall be void, or clfe remain in Forces Sealed and Delivered in Presence Which Bond shall be lodged with said Secretary a? the Congress. By Order of Congress. (Signed) JOHN HANCOCK, President. In COUNCIL, August 21, 1776. Q RDERED, That the Committees of Correfpon^ dence, Infpedion and Safety of the several Towiw and Plantations in this State, be, and they are hereby irnpowered and difeded to take effectual Care to keep within the Limits of their refpedive Towns and Plan Plantations, - tations, Plantations, all Prisoners of War, who now are or shall hereafter be committed to their Care, and agreeable to an Order of Congress the 21st May, to superintend their Condud ; and in Cases of gross Misbehaviour, or refufihg tc labour for their Support (excepting such Officers as are on Parole) to confine them in the County Goal : And the Sheriff of the said County is hereby ordered and directed to receive into his Custody any such Prifeners as the Committee or Committees may fend them for their Milbehaviour. And the said Corn Cornmittees - mittees Cornmittees are hereby directed to report their Doings to the Council as soon as may be, And further, any,

portunity of canvassing the fribje& : in your own thoughts, a.id of culling out the excellencies, and marking the defects to be found in them. I would now obferVe to you, my Friends and Countrymen, that I haVe reason to believe that there are some Gentlemen in the House, who wish to have the legislature rest in that body only, and to have no Council or any check up upon - on upon them. Such Gentlemen may design well, but appear to me to be egregibufly mistaken. I do not fay that the House mean to engross the legislature : but they may possibly be led infeii infeiifibly - fibly infeiifibly into the measure by those that fee further than the majority. They have been thought by some to have trespassed already upon the right of the Council, to have lessened their power,and to have encroached upon their authority as one Branch of the Constitution. This is Certain, that they have neglected calling in the assistance of the Council in forming the Plan of Government, and taken the whole to themselves. Oue rea reason - son reason assigned for this omission, by a popular. Member, (as I have been told) was very extra extraordinary, - ordinary, extraordinary, viz. that they were more the Repre Representatives - sentatives Representatives of the people than the Council Truly not in this case ; for they were never elected by the people for that purpose, and therefoiecould be no more the Representatives of the people in that, than the Council. Besides, if theCouncil consist of the ablest persons, whom we must sup suppose - pose suppose the House would be careful to cleft annu annually, - ally, annually, their assistance ought to have been engaged. But how are the Council, chosen by the House, less the Representatives of the people, than a Committee chosen by the House ? unless it should be laid, that the Council have a vote in their own election ; and so would the Committee, was the matter to be determined by ballot. The Council's having a vote in their own election is indeed an absurdity, which I trust will be reme remedied - died remedied in our new Constitution ; and another evil I hope will be excluded, I mean the dependency of the Council upon the House. If the Coun Council - cil Council can become independent no other way, let it be made so by the people's taking the choice in into - to into their own hands, immediately and without the interference of the House ; and then the House can't fay, that the Counfellors are less the Representatives of the people than thenl'elves. It is Ihrewdly fufpe&ed, that had the Council been independent, fome&ings would have been better : and that certain individuals did not a& their own judgments for fear of difohTiging, and so of hazarding a future election. Friends and Countrymen, beware of falfe patriots, talk they ever so zealously. Procure a lift of all places, and the persons enjoying them. Observe, whe whether - ther whether they are confined to families ; how many every one possesses ; and whether he is obtains ing a decent livelihood,or making a fortune by them. Mark, whether Council and House have divided the chief of them among themselves, or a«iong their electors, who are by much the ma majority, - jority, majority, and the bulk of whom must necessarily be a stanch friends to the country as the men they returned for Representatives, and many of whom must be supposed to be equally well qua qualified. - lified. qualified. Be fare, that, if a man's a&ions centre in felf, or felf and family, he is no true patriot, and should be served only as be means to serve the publick,that is, be made a cat's pawof. This letter may offend many, but I hope will please the generality, being well intended, for the ser service - vice service of the State, by your humble servant, Aug. 24. 17760 A WATCHMAN. N. B. It was refolded .unanimously by the Re Regnefeß^ti7GS - gnefeß^ti7GS Regnefeß^ti7GS of the State Q.f ew-York, that

a day of falling, humiliation and prayer t® Almighty God, should be observed for the imploring of his divine assistance in the organic zation and eftabUfonent of a Form of Govern* ment for the fecutiy and perpetuation of the; civil and religious rights and liberties of maa* kind ; no less than to fuppli&ate his further protection in the war that now rages ig America.

in consulting the feverai Plans that have been already, or may be adopted by the other Colo Colonies, - nies, Colonies, ere they have finifhed it. It would be well indeed were all these Plans published in each of our news-papers, that so you might have an op-