A petition of Captain [Simeon] Sellick was presented to Congress and read:

Resolved, That the said petition, with the papers accompanying it, be referred to a committee of three.

The members chosen, Mr. [Richard] Smith, Mr. [William] Floyd, and Mr. F[rancis Lightfoot] Lee.

Agreeable to the order of the day, the Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the trade of the United Colonies, and after some time spent thereon, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. [Samuel] Ward reported, that the committee had taken into consideration, the matter to them referred, and had come to certain resolutions, which he was ready to report.

The report of the committee being read, the Congress took the same into consideration, and, thereupon, came to the following resolutions:

Resolved, That the colonies of Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina, be permitted to export produce from their respective colonies, to any part of the world, except Great Britain, Ireland, the islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Alderney and Man, and the British West India islands, and in return to import so much salt from any part of the world, not prohibited by the Association, as the conventions or councils of safety of the two former colonies, and the provincial council of the other shall judge necessary, for the use of the inhabitants thereof, now suffering great distress by the scarcity of that necessary article, proper caution being taken to prevent any abuse of this indulgence, by exceeding in the quantities exported or imported, and that no provisions, staves, or naval stores be exported, if other commodities may answer the purpose.

Resolved, That as the importation of any universally necessary commodity, and the exportation of our produce, to purchase the same, must give a proportionably greater opportunity to our enemies of making depredations on the property of the inhabitants of these colonies, and of occasionally distressing them by intercepting such commodities, it is earnestly recommended to the several Assemblies or conventions immediately to promote, by sufficient public encouragements, the making of salt in their respective colonies.

Ordered, That the foregoing resolution be immediately published.