[Charleston] Thursday the 11th Day of April. 1776
Ordered That the Honourable Mr Drayton and Captain [Thomas] Savage do make immediate Inquiry of Edward Blake Esquire Commissary of the Naval Department and yesterday chosen one of the Commissioners of the Colony Treasury which of the two Departments he choose to act in The Honourable Mr Drayton reported That he with Captain Savage had made the Inquiry they were ordered of Captain Blake And that Captain
Blake said he chose to act as a Commissioner of the Treasury and to decline
the Office of Commissary of the Naval Department
Colonel Pinckney presented according to Order an Ordinance to appoint a Commander of the Navy of this Colony subject to the immediate
Command of the President and Commander in Chief and the same was received and read a First Time
Ordered That the Ordinance be read a Second Time
An Ordinance to appoint a Commander of the Navy of this Colony subject to the immediate Command of the President and Commander in
Chief was read a Second Time and passed
Ordered That the Ordinance be sent to the Legislative Council
Ordered, That Mr Dupont and Mr Berwicke do carry the same to the
Legislative Council.
The Report of the Committee on Captain Aitkens Petition being taken into Consideration the same was debated on Paragraph by Paragraph and
agreed to after a Question being put upon each
Resolved That the Commissioners appointed by the late Congress for the Sale of the Cargo of the Ship Port Henderson Henry Aitken late Master be Authorized to pay to the said Henry Aitken out of the Proceeds of such
Sales the Sum of Fve Hundred and Fifty-eight Pounds and Twelve Shillings
Currency due to him for Wages also the sum of Three Hundred and One
Pounds sixteen Shillings and nine pence for a Bill of Exchange paid to Mr
Nathaniel Russel which being drawn upon himself is now of no Value and also the sum of Four Hundred and Sixty Nine Pounds Eight Shillings and nine Pence Currency which Captain Aitken has received from several Pas
sengers and expended on the said Ship and is now demanded of him by the
said Passengers
Ordered That a Copy of the above Resolution be sent to the Legislative
Council for their Concurrence and to His Excellency the President for his
Assent
Mr Speaker reported That this House and .the Legislative Council had atttended His Excellency the President in the Council Chamber and presented to him the following Five Ordinances and Acts to wit
An Ordinance to ascertain the Duties of a Muster Master General of the Land and Naval Forces in the Service of this Colony
An Act 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 Nova Scotia East and West Florida and to establish the Trial by Jury in such Cases
On Motion
Resolved That it is the opinion of this House That such Crown Officers as were confined by the late Congress to Charles-Town should have Liberty (if they choose it) to depart this Colony and that this House will make Provision for the Payment of their Passages and necessary Sea Stores to Europe orthe West-Indies