[Philadelphia] Wednesday, November 15, 1775
An Express having arrived with an account of the surrender of fort St. John's, the letters from General Schuyler and general Montgomery were read.
The Committee to whom the petition from Jasper Griffin, and the petition from Murray, Sansom and company and others, were referred, brought in their report as follows:
That your committee on the memorial of Jasper Griffin, are of opinion, that the examination of the facts, set forth in that memorial, ought to be referred to the committee of observation, for Guilford, and that the same being sufficiently proved, the schooner Betsey, mentioned in said memorial, ought to be permitted to proceed on her voyage, with the cargo purchased and provided for her before the 10th day of September last, the master and owner of the vessel previously making oath, that they will use their best and utmost endeavours, that the said Cargo shall be landed in some foreign port.
On the memorial of Murray, Sansom and company, Jacob Watson, and Frederick Rhinelander, of the city of New York, your Committee having examined as far as they could, into the conduct of the parties concerned, find no ground to suspect that the owners of the cargo intended it should be landed or disposed of in any other manner than set forth in the said memorial, but your Committee think there are just grounds to suspect, that William Barron, the master of the ship Peggy, would not be very solicitous to prevent the cargo, which might be useful to the ministerial army, from falling into the possession of the men of war, he having been before taken in the same ship, in Rhode Island, with a cargo from Chesapeak Bay, for Europe, nor can your Committee approve the conduct of the Owner of the Ship who continued the captain afterwards.
Your Committee are therefore of opinion, that another master ought to be appointed to the said ship, who shall be approved by the committee of Norwich, and that the time of her sailing, as well as her tract be appointed by that committee, and the master sworn to use his best endeavours to prevent the said ship falling into the possession of any men of war or cutter, and to pursue as far as he can, the orders of the said committee in navigating the said ship, on which terms your Committee are of opinion, the said ship ought to be permitted to proceed with her cargo.
The said report being read, was accepted and agreed to.