[Extract]

Dear Sir I have receiv'd your Favor of the 30th of January Am oblidged to you for the Intelligence it contained, & hope you will Continue your Favors & particularly Inform me, as far as you consistently can, what is doing at Congress ? how they are disposed since the reception of the Kings Speech ? & whether they are like to get any Powder ? an Article much wanted here, pray forward it to the Camp as fast as possible.... you cannot well conceive how much every man in [General] Court, any ways capable of Business, is crouded with it. we have hardly time to Sleep eat or drink. The settling of our Government, the Appointment of civil & military Officers & other Provincial matters are amply sufficient to Employ the Whole of our Time, What Can you think must be our Situation then, When the General Court are oblidged to take upon them, as it were, the department of a Quarter Master General to the Army, There is hardly any thing wanted for the army but we are oblidged to Sup[ply] it If Men, Money, Guns, Blanketts, Wood or Hay are wanted the General immediately Applys to the Court for them & the Members Are Appointed upon Committees & sent thro'out the Province to procure them. This I hope will serve as an apology for us, if we do not write so frequently & particularly as you might other ways expect ー

Mr [John] Adams & Mr [Elbridge] Gerry will deliver you your Appointment & Instructions. ² The General Court have passed a Militia Act Which I inclose you, They are about repealing the Act they lately passed with respect to Admiralty Matters & passing one Conformable to the Resolutions of the Congress ー They have Resolved to Build Ten Sloops of War of about one hundred & fifteen Tons & have appointed a Committee to put this Resolve into Execution... I can get the Heavy Cannon for the Ships ³ cast by Mr Aaron Hobart of Abington, but must have the Pig Iron from Philadelphia. The Furnace at Providence will not be able to Cast more than is wanted for Rhode Island Government ー I remain with respect [&c.]