On Motion That this House do resolve That it is necessary a Commander of the Navy of this Colony subordinate to the President should be appointed A Debate arose And the Question being put It passed in the negative The House was moved for Leave to bring in an Ordinance for vesting certain Powers and Authorities in Subordination to the President in the Commander in Chief for the Time being of the First Rate Vessel in the

Colony Service And the Question being put Resolved in th~ affirmative Ordered That such an Ordinance be brought in and that the Honourable Mr Drayton Captain Lampriere Captain John Huger Colonel Pinckney and Capt Moultrie do prepare and bring in the same

Mr [Gideon] Dupont reported from the Committee to whom the Petition of Henry Aitken was referred and he read the Report in his Place and afterwards delivered it in at the Clerk's Table where the same was read and is as followeth

That having examined the Accounts of the Petitioner they found a Balance of Three Thousand One Hundred and Fifty-eight Pounds and sixteen Shillings due from the Ship Port Henderson of which Five Hundred and Fifty eight Pounds and Twelve Shillings for Wages That the Sum of Three Hundred and One Pounds Sixteen Shillings and Nine Pence appears to be a Bill of Exchange paid to Mr Nathaniel Russel which Bill being drawn upon himself is now of no Value They therefore recommend That those two Sums making together Eight Hundred and Sixty Pounds Eight Shillings and Nine Pence Currency be paid to Captain Aitken out of the Proceeds of the Cargo of the Ship Port Henderson also the sum of Four Hundred and sixty nine Pounds Eight Shillings and Nine Pence which Captain Aitken had received from sundry Passengers and expended on the said Ship and is now demanded of him by the said Passengers Message from the Legislative Council by their Clerk

In the Legislative Council the 10th Day of April. 1776 Mr Speaker and Gentlemen

Upon the Third Reading of the Bill to impower the Court of Admiralty to have Jurisdiction in all Cases of Capture of Ships or Vessels of the Inhabitants of Great Britain Ireland the British West Indies and to establish the Trial by Jury in such Cases this House is of Opinion that some Amendments are necessary to be made thereto ー We therefore desire your House will be pleased to appoint a Committee to confer with a Committee of this House in the Conference Room immediately on such Amendments ー Our Committee are the Honourable Mr [Thomas] Bee and the Honourable Doctor [David] Oliphant

By Order of the House Geo: Gab: Powell Speaker

Message to the Legislative Council Honourable Gentlemen Agreeable to a Message Just now received from your House this House have appointed a Committee to confer with a Committee of your House on such Amendments as may be necessary to be made to the Bill to impower the Court of Admiralty to have Jurisdiction in all Cases of Capture of Ships or Vessels of the Inhabitants of Great Britain Ireland and the British West Indies and to establish the Trial by Jury in such Cases Our Committee are

Colonel [Charles] Pinckney and the Honourable Mr [William

Henry] Drayton

Ordered That the Message be ingrossed and that Mr Speaker do sign the same Ordered That Colonel Pinckney and the Honourable Mr. Drayton do carry the said Message to the Legislative Council

Colonel Pinckney from the Committee of Conference reported several Amendments proposed in the Conference which being read were severally agreed to and ordered to be made Parts of the Bill

The Clerk of the Legislative Council brought from that House a Bill to impower the Court of Admiralty to have Jurisdiction in all Cases of Capture of Ships or Vessels of the Inhabitants of Great Britain Ireland and the British West Indies Nova Scotia and East and West Florida and to establish the Trial by Jury in such Cases ー read the Third Time and passed in that House

Ordered That the Bill be ingrossed

The Clerk of the Legislative Council brought from that House an Ordinance to ascertain the Duties of a Muster-Master General of the Land and Naval Forces in the service of this Colony read a Third Time and passed in the Legislative Council Ordered That the Ordinance be ingrossed On Motion Resolved That this House will now proceed to ballot Jointly with the Honourable the Legislative Council for a Captain of the Ship Prosper The ー members of the Legislative Council being introduced into the General Assembly for that Purpose The balloting was proceeded in accordingly And the Ballots being reckoned

Mr Speaker reported That Clement Lampriere Esquire was duly elected Captain and Commander of the Colony Ship of War Prosper

On Motion That the Report of the Committee on Henry Aitken's Petition be now taken under Consideration

The Question was put And it passed in the Negative