Yours of this Day we received, and as its contents were in our opinion of the highest Importance to the Peace and Security of this Town, we conceived it to be our Duty immediately to convene the Inhabitants in order to lay the same before them, for their Information, and to take their opinion upon the Subject Matter thereof, which we have accordingly done this afternoon.

You observe, Sir, in Answer to the Vote of the Town passed Yesterday requesting that you wou'd appoint a Person to provide and deliver the Beef, Beer &c for Capt [James] Wallace, that you have appointed Mr George Irish to deliver the Said Supplies from which we suppose you have left it with us to employ a Person to procure the Same; We shall therefore give Directions to some Person who may be agreeable to you to provide & kill the Beef, the appointment of Mr Irish to deliver the same being Satisfactory to us: This we presume you will approve of as Consistent with the Law of the Colony which allows the Town Council of this Town to Supply Capt Wallace weekly with Beef &c

When you consider the distressed and unhappy Circumstances of the Inhabitants of this Town we perswade ourselves you do not wish to adopt any Measures that have a Tendency to increase their Difficulties; And as the Fleet under the Command of Capt Wallace are so numerous that they may be extended along the Whole Western side of this Island it must appear to you impossible that any Boats can pass them without being within Hail either with or without your Permits; and when it is further Consider'd that it is not Criminal for any of the Boats to Pass within Hail of the Ships of War and that no Permits are required by any Act of the General Assembly we are at a Loss to account for your strictly forbidding any Boat or Vessel from passing within Hail of Capt Wallace or any of his Fleet unless by a particular Permit from you without you have received any Orders for so doing; in which Case we cou'd wish they might be communicated to us; But if you have no such Directions, we request that you wou'd give Orders to your subordinate Officers for the Ferry Boats and Wood Vessels to pass with Provisions and Fuel for the Use of the Town without Interruption ー

We have no Objection to the Gentlemen you have desired may be appointed a Committee to treat with the Commander in Chief at Head Quarters on any Matter relative to the Town and Capt Wallace, however we must beg leave to observe that the confining our Choice to any three particular Persons may not only be attended with great Inconveniences, but is in our opinion inconsistent with the Liberty we have an Indisputable Right to of nominating our own Committee ー

By Order of the Worshipful Town Council, I have the honor to be sr [&c.]