Congress met on the 10th of May, 1775, at the State House, in Philadelphia, and elected Mr. Peyton Randolph, of Virginia, their President, and Mr. Charles Thompson, Secretary. Mr. Randolph being obliged to return to his home, Mr. John Hancock, one of the delegates from Massachusetts, was, on the 19th of May, elected President. Mr. Randolph did not afterwards take his seat in Congress. He died in October following. Mr. Hancock held the office of President in this Congress and subsequent ones, until Oct. 29, 1777, when he resigned. This Congress, like the preceding one, sat with closed doors, and cach colony had but one vote on any question, however numerous its delegates.

Gov. Ward took his seat on the 15th, and Gov. Hopkins on the 18th of May. Congress remained in session until the 1st day of August, then adjourned to the 5th day of September.

Upon this Congress devolved the carrying on of the war that had been commenced in Massachusetts. For that For that purpose an army was to be raised and equipped, armed vessels were to be employed to intercept supplies intended for the British army, and to prey on British commerce. These were to be supported and supplied with the munitions of war, and their movements prescribed and regulated. Foreign aid was to be sought, the Indian tribes in and around the colonies were to be propitiated, post office facilities were to be established, and necessary funds for all these purposes raised or created. There rested on this Congress the general supervision of all these and all other departments of government, and also all the necessary details, with little of precedent or experience to guide them. And then, what were their powers? Little if anything more than advisory, to threaten distinct colonies and provinces, scattered over a vast territory, and generally with no established governments. Some of them were ripe for independence, some were luke

warm in their opposition to the demands of the British ministry, while portions of others were threatening to join the invaders.

The members of this Congress, though oppressed with physical as well as mental labor; encompassed with difficulties and embarrassed with jealousies, were not disheartened. They were not strict constructionists of their own powers. Such as the exigencies of the times required, they used, and gave themselves to the work which they pursued with untiring industry. It needs but a slight reference to the record of this Congress to establish the characters of its members for industry, and patriotism, and statesmanship. Notwithstanding the ill success that attended petitions and addresses of the previous Congress, and the outbreak of actual hostilities which preceded the meeting of this, the first business that engaged its attention was the preparation of other petitions and addresses. On the third of June, after long consideration in committee of the whole on the state of America, Congress appointed several special committees; one, to draft a petition to the King; one, to prepare an address to the inhabitants of Great Britain; one, to prepare an address. to the people of Ireland, and one to draft a letter to the inhabitants of the island of Jamaica. Sometime before this, Congress had prepared and sent a letter to the inhabitants of Canada. Each of these, contains expressions of loyalty to the King, and the desire to preserve unbroken the connexion between the colonies and Great Britain, disclaiming all attempts or wish for independence, while in bold and manly language each refers to the wrongs of the colonies, and the resolution to have them redressed, and their constitutional and charter rights acknowledged and respected. While measures of this character were progressing, Congress was by no means inattentive to warlike means of defence against British troops. On the 14th day of June, commenced the formation of the American Continental Army, by providing

for the enlistment of troops, and the preparation of rules and regulations for their government while in service. The army regulations were adopted June 30th. The next day a commander-in-chief was appointed, and within a few days after, four major-generals and eight brigadier-generals. On the 16th of June, a committee was appointed to report what steps were necessary for securing and preserving the friendship of the Indian nations. That committee made a report the week following. On the 22d of June, Congress resolved to issue Bills of Credit. The following day the number and denominations of the bills to be issued were agreed to, as well as their form and the amount to be issued, $2,000,000, which amount was increased to $3,000,000 on the 23d of July. On the 24th of June, a committee was appointed to report what steps were necessary "to put the militia of America in a proper state for the defence of America." They reported on the 18th of July following, and their report was adopted by Congress. On the 12th of July, a committee was raised to devise the ways and means to protect the trade of the colonies. On the 26th of July, the first Postmaster General received his appointment. One cannot at a glance conceive what an amount of details followed these important measures, but it was all accomplished before Congress adjourned, on the first of August.

The Legislature of this Colony, at their special session on the week of the Lexington fight, came to the resolution, "That a number of men be raised and embodied, properly armed and disciplined to continue in this Colony, as an Army of Observation, to repel any insult or violence that may be offered to the inhabitants. And also, if it be necessary for the safety and preservation of any of the colonies, to march out of this Colony and join and co-operate with the forces of the neighboring colonies." And they further “Voted and resolved, that fifteen hundred men be enlisted,

raised and embodied, as aforesaid, with all the expedition and dispatch that the nature of the thing will admit of." At the session on the first Wednesday in May, they passed "An act for embodying, supplying and paying the Army of Observation." By this act the army to be raised formed one brigade under a brigadier general, divided into three regiments and twenty-four companies. Each soldier was required to enlist himself "as a soldier in His Majesty's service and in the pay of the Colony of Rhode Island, for the preservation of the liberties of America," until the 31st day of December, unless sooner discharged. Nathanael Greene, Jr., was appointed Brigadier General, and Thomas Church, Daniel Hitchcock and James M. Varnum Colonels in this army. A committee of safety to act in the recess of the Assembly, and also as muster masters of the troops, was appointed at the same session, and bills of credit for £20,000 were ordered to be issued, payable within five years, with interest at two and a half per cent. per annum, for the purpose of supplying the general treasury of the Colony. They empowered the Lieutenant-General, Brigadier-General and the Committee of Safety to determine when, and in what manner the Army of Observation, or any part of it, should march out of this Colony to the assistance of any colony in distress. The officer designated as the "Lieutenant-General,” was probably the Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony, the office of "Governor" and "Captain-General" being vacant under the circumstances before detailed. The keeper of the naval office in Newport was directed to account to the General Assembly. An embargo was laid on the export of all provisions. The Assembly adjourned to the second Monday in June. Rules and regulations for the Army of Observation were then adopted. The committee of safety were instructed to “charter two suitable vessels for the use of the Colony, and fit out the same in the best manner, to protect the trade

of the Colony." The Assembly resolved that they would join the other colonies in establishing post offices, and proceeded to establish such offices in the Colony, appointing post-riders, and establishing rates of postage. A special session convened on the 28th of June. The Assembly then voted to raise six more companies of soldiers of sixty men each, to be added to the regiments of the Army of Observation, then encamped before Boston, which army they placed under the command of the Commander-in-chief of the American army. They also repealed the act regulating appeals to "His Majesty in Council in Great Britain," thus giving to their own courts the ultimate decision of all causes. They directed an account to be taken of the powder, arms, ammunition, saltpetre and sulphur in the Colony. Every man was required to equip himself with arms and ammunition. They directed beacons to be erected, and one quarter part of the militia of the Colony to be enlisted as minute men. These, among other measures, were adopted to put the Colony in a posture of defence, and also to aid other colonies by force of arms. Little more remained to be done to endow the Colony with sovereign power. The General Assembly had raised an army, had employed a navy, had assumed control of commerce, had established post offices, and in fact invested their courts with supreme jurisdiction in all cases. The most striking mark of colonial existence was the formal prayer which closed the printed schedule of each session of the General Assembly, "God save the King."

After the adjournment of Congress on the first of August, Governor Ward returned to the Colony, and made a report of the proceedings of Congress to the General Assembly at their session commenced on the third Monday of the same month. This was a verbal report, the substance of which may be gathered from the following resolution of the Assembly: