• JAMES HONYMAN, Esq Assistant.
• NICHOLAS EASTON, Esq Assistant.
• ELISHA BROWN, Esq Assistant.
• GIDEON COMSTOCK, Esq Assistant.
• JOSEPH EDMUNDS, Esq Assistant.
• JONATHAN RANDAL, Esq Assistant.
• DANIELL CO [...]SHAL, Esq Assistant.
• JEOFFRY WATSON, Esq Assistant.
• The SECRETARY.

• NEWPORT;
  • Lieut. Col. Benja. Wickham,
  • Peter Bours, Esq
  • Col. Joseph Wanton,
  • Capt. Daniel Ayrault,
  • Mr. William Read.
• Providence;
  • Obadiah Brown, Esq
  • Capt. Charles Olney,
  • Col. Christopher Harris,
  • Lt. Col. Barzilloi Richmond.
• Portsmouth;
  • Mr. John Shearman, jun.
  • Capt. John Shreive, jun.
  • Mr. Thomas Shearman, jun.
• [Page 51]
  Warwick;
  • Othniel Gorton, Esq
  • Benjamin Arnold, Esq
  • Maj. James Arnold, jun.
  • John Warner, jun, Esq
• Westerly;
  • Samuel Ward, Esq
  • Josbua Babcock, Esq
• Newshoreham;
  • None.
• North-Kingstown;
  • Immanuel Northup, Esq
  • Capt. Daniel Fones.
• South-Kingstown;
  • Latham Clarke, Esq
• East-Greenwich;
  • Capt. Benjamin Greene,
  • Capt. Rusus Spencer.
• Jamestown;
  • Mr. William Martin,
  • Mr. Isaac Howland.
• Smithfield;
  • Thomas Arnold, Esq
  • Mr. Jeremiah Mowrey.
• Scituate;
  • Job Randal, Esq
  • Jeremiah Angel, Esq
• Glocester;
  • Capt. Rusus Smith.
• Charlestown;
  • Capt. Robert Potter,
  • Capt. Peleg Cross.
• West-Greenwich;
  • Mr. Benjamin Gardner,
  • Capt. Tibbits Hopkins,
• Coventry;
  • Caleb Greene, Esq
  • Lieut. Col. Stephen Potter.
• Exeter;
  • Capt. John Reynolds,
  • Mr. Joseph Holloway.
• Middletown;
  • Mr. Samuel Baley, jun.
  • Mr. James Barker, jun.
• Bristol;
  • Joseph Russel, Esq
• Tiverton;
  • Philip Tabor, Esq
• Little-Compton;
  • William Hall, Esq
  • Mr. Constant Southworth.
• Warren;
  • Maj Josiah Humphrey,
  • Capt. Thomas Cole.
• Cumberland;
  • Jeremiah Whipple, Esq
  • John Dexter, Esq
• Richmond;
  • Samuel Test, Esq
• Cranston;
  • John Dexter, Esq
  • William Burton, Esq
• Hopkinton;
  • Edward Wells, jun. Esq
  • Peter Bours, Esq was chosen Speaker; and Josias Lyn­don, Esq Clerk of the Lower House.

IT is Voted and Resolved, That Gideon Comstock, Obadiah Brown, and Joshua Babcock, Esqrs. and Lieut. Col. Benjamin Wickham, be, and they hereby are appointed a Committee, to examin all the public Letters in the Hands of his Honor the Governor, which have been sent to this Colony, or the Governors of the same, and make Report unto this Assembly, which of them shall be recorded, beginning with the first Letter sent by Sir Thomas Robinson: And it is farther Voted and Resolved, That any two of the Committee have Power to act, and also to consider and determin which of the An­swers returned to the several Letters, it will be proper to record.

Whereas Gideon Comstock, Job Randal, Benjamin Nichols, and James Helme, Esqrs. were appointed by the last General Assem­bly, a Committee, and they, or any two of them, authorized [Page 52] to examin the Accounts of Jahleel Brenton, Esq with the Colony, and report their Opinion upon the same, unto this present Assembly: But the said Committee having not yet been able to compleat the Business to them committed, It is Voted and Re­solved, That they be, and hereby are farther continued a Com­mittee for the Purpose aforesaid: And that they, or the major Part of them, make Report unto the General Assembly as soon as conveniently may be.

Whereas Nehemiah Marks exhibited unto this Assembly, an Ac­count by him charged against the Colony, for furnishing Josias Lyndon, Esq Clerk of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas, and General Sessions of the Peace, in the County of Newport, with nine Quires of Demi Paper to make a Book for Records, for the said Clerk's Office: And the said Account being duly examined, It is Voted and Resolved, That the same be, and hereby is allowed, and that Twenty-five Pounds Four Shillings, the Amount thereof, be paid the said Nehemiah Marks out of the General Treasury.

BE it Enacted by this General Assembly, and by the Authority of the same, It is Enacted, That from and after the Publication of this Act, the Governor of the Colony for the Time being, shall have Power, and hereby is authorized to draw upon the General Trea­surer, in order to pay the Postmasters residing within this Go­vernment, for the Postage of all public Letters, and other Papers, sent to this Colony, or to the Governor and Company thereof, to the Amount of Twenty Pounds Old-Tenor, and no more, at any one Time: And that the said Postmasters do once a Year, render unto the General Assembly, a particular Account of what Money they receive out of the General Treasury, and for what they received the same.

Whereas Francis Skinner of Newport, Bookbinder, exhibited unto this Assembly, an Account by him charged against the Co­lony, for binding and making into a Book, nine Quires of Paper, for the Use of the Clerk of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas, and General Sessions of the Peace, in the County of Newport: And the said Account bring duly examined, It is Voted and Re­solved, That the same be, and hereby is allowed, and that Twenty-five Pounds Four Shillings, the Amount thereof, be paid the said Francis Skinner out of the General Treasury.

Whereas William Mumford, Capt. of Fort George, who was ap­pointed by the General Assembly to carry on the Building of the said Fort, exhibited unto this Assembly, an Account charged against the Colony, for Money by him advanced to purchase Lime, and for sundry other Disbursements which the Service ne­cessarily required: And the said Account being duly examined, It is Voted and Resolved, That the same be, and hereby is allowed, exclusive of Commissions; and that the Ballance thereof, being Eight Hundred and Sixty-three Pounds Nineteen Shillings and [Page 53] Ten Pence, be paid the said Capt. William Mumford out of the General Treasury: And that the Consideration of the Article of Commissions, be, and hereby is referred unto another Session of the General Assembly.

And it is farther Voted and Resolved, That Capt. Mumford be, and he is hereby directed to sell all the empty Hogsheads in his Custody, that belong to the Colony, for the most they will fetch.

AND be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if the whole of the Sum above-mentioned, cannot be hired in Manner as is aforesaid, the Deficiency shall be made up, in emit­ting whatever the same may be in Bills of Credit equal to Lawful Money, of the same Tenor, and to be signed by the same Gen­tlemen as the last Ten Thousand Pounds emitted by an Act of the General Assembly in May last, were: And that the Bills bear Date at the Time of their being printed.

AND be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That a Rate or Tax be assessed on the Inhabitants of this Colony, col­lected, levied, and brought into the General Treasury, within one Year, sufficient to pay off such Sums as the Treasurer may hire in Consequence of this Act: And that the Bills (if any are emit­ted pursuant hereto) be redeemed at the Expiration of five Years, or sooner, if the General Assembly shall think fit, by a Rate or Tax upon the Inhabitants of the Colony, to be, by that Time, levied, collected, and brought into the General Treasury.

It is Voted and Resolved, That the Committee of War do pay the Owners of the Vessels that were employed as Transports in the Year 1757, to carry Soldiers unto Albany (that is to say, such of them as have not yet been paid) the Sum of Ten Shillings Sterling per Month, for every Ton the said Vessels measure: And that the said Owners satisfy the Committee aforesaid, as to the Time their Vessels were really in the said Service.

[Page 54] It is Voted and Resolved, That the Committee appointed to pro­cure the Printing of such Bills of Credit as may be emitted, or the major Part of them, agree with any Person to perform that Service, who will do it in the best and cheapest Manner.

It is Voted and Resolved, That the Hon. John Andrews, Esq whom His Majesty hath been pleased to appoint Judge of the Court of Vice-Admiralty in this Colony, be sworn to the faithful Execution and Discharge of the said Office, before his Honor the Governor.

Afterwards, to wit, on the 28th Day of this Instant October, the above-named John Andrews appeared, and in Presence of his Ho­nor the Governor, and the rest of the Council, took and subscribed the State Oaths, and also an Oath for his faithful Execution and Dis­charge of the office of Judge of the Court of Vice-Admiralty in this Colony.

Whereas Job Hawkins of Providence, in the County of Provi­dence, Shopkeeper, preferred a Petition, and represented unto this Assembly, That he is now confined to His Majesty's Gaol in Pro­vidence, upon Execution for Debt, the Amount of which, with the Demands of his other Creditors, is more than he at present is, or ever shall be able to satisfy, if continued in Confinement: That his Inability to pay what he owes, was not owing to any bad Conduct in him; but that his Trade being confined chiefly to the buying and selling dry Goods, his Misfortunes arose from the De­pretiation of our Currency: That unless he obtains Relief from the General Assembly, he expects to languish in Gaol, it being difficult and scarcely possible to prevail upon all his Creditors to unite in Measures to procure him his Liberty: And as the Ge­neral Assembly have heretofore relieved many of the King's Subjects under the like Circumstances, the said Job Hawkins prayed, that the Act for Relief of Insolvent Debtors, made and passed by the General Assembly, at their Session in June, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty-six, may be extended unto him; and that he conforming himself to the Conditions of the said Act, may have the Benefit thereof.

On due Enquiry into, and mature Consideration on the Premises,

BE it Enacted by this General Assembly, and by the Authority of the same, It is Enacted, That the Prayer of the said Job Haw­kins, in his aforesaid Petition made, be and the same is hereby granted.

It is Voted and Resolved, That Othniel Gorton and Job Randal, Esqrs. be, and they are hereby appointed a Committee, to examin the Laws of this Colony respecting Flags of Truce; and enquire also into all Proceedings respecting the same, since the Commence­ment of the present War, and make Report unto this Assembly at their next Session.

[Page 55] It is Voted and Resolved, That all Business lying before this Assembly, unfinished, be, and the same is hereby referred unto the next Session: That the Secretary publish, by Beat of Drum, in the Town of Newport, all the Acts and Orders now made and past, in ten Days after the Rising of this Assembly, and within forty, send Copies of the same, according to Law, unto each Town Clerk in the Colony: And that this Assembly be ad­journed to the last Monday of February next. And it is farther Voted and Resolved nevertheless, That if the Camp shall break up, and the Troops in the Pay of this Colony return before that Day, his Honor the Governor be, and hereby is requested to call the General Assembly together, if he, with the Advice of his Council, shall think it necessary.

GOD Save the KING.