Petition of Jona Eddy, Wm How, & Zebulon Rowe for themselves &Friends in the County of Cumberland Nova Scotia, setting forth ー That the Enemy are repairing the Forts in that Province to the great detriment of the Inhabitants in sd County, whch can be of no other End, but to keep the Inhabitants in Subjection to their Tyrannical Measures, &c That the far greater part of the People at Nova Scotia are greatly concerned about it, & has been the cause of many to leave their Estates to be Confiscated, & come over to this State, and will cause many more to leave their Homes unless they Can have some supplies, and Assistance. That if they could be supplied with Necessaries, such as provisions, and Ammunition with a small number to join their Bretheren there, they Could destroy their Enemies Forts, & Relieve their Bretheren by Permission from this Hon: Court for so doing, or in any other way &c.

Resolved, That the Commissary General be, & he hereby is Directed to Deliver to Jona Eddy, William Howe, & Zebulon Rowe, Two hundred pounds weight of Gunpowder five hundred weight of Musket Ball, three hundred Gun flints, & twenty barrels of Pork taking their Obligation to be Accountable for the same, when Called for by Order of this Court.

Whereas by a Resolve past by the General Court the 29th April last, the Officers of Vessells in the Colony Sea service, were allowed to inlist Men out of the Companies raised for the defence of the Sea Coasts, and the Officers of the said Companies were thereby directed to permit any of their Men to Inlist into the Colony, & Continental Sea service only, and to Inlist others to supply vacancies occasion'd thereby as soon as may be.

And whereas such Liberty or allowance, which was the[re] given to the Officers of Vessells in the Colonial, & Continentall Service, has been found to be very detrimental; having weakened, & very much Exposed to the En[e]my, many of our Harbors, & Towns on the sea Coasts; And many of the Officers of the Sea Coast Companies, after much expence of Time, & Money to raise their Companies have had their Men taken from them, to their great loss & damage, & thereby been discourag'd from further recruiting; and some parts of the Sea Coasts may if this practice is allowed, be left destitute of all defence, & thereby become a Harbor for our Enemys, which would not only further distress our Trade, but involve us in many other difficulties. ー Therefore ー

Resolved, that the aforesaid Resolve of the 29th April, be & is hereby discontinued & made null, & Void.

In Council Resolved, that a Committee of suitable persons be appointed immediately to repair to the State of New Hampshire, & apply to the Government there, & if practicable, with the Loan of as many Cannon as can be spared from this State, to effect the fixing out the Continental Ship now under the direction of Mr [John] Langdon, and to take immediate measures that such number of Cannon, & other necessaries, as without distressing this State may be lent to the Continent, may be safely, & expeditiously transported to Portsmouth ー This Ship to be fixed out for the purpose of Attacking the Milford, or other Ships of War distressing our Coasts ー And in case said Ship can within any reasonable time be equipt for the Sea

Resolved, that two, or more Colony Arm'd Vessels be directed to Act in Concert with her ー and that the Comtee be, & hereby are empowered, to engage as many Sea Coast Soldiers, East of Boston, as may incline to enter for said Service, and in general to do every thing necessary for effecting the aforesaid purpose ー And that the pay of the Sea Coast men continue, in Addition to the Emoluments of the Sea Service ー the sd Cannon, & other Articles that may be lent as aforesaid to be returned as soon as the Cruise shall be over, or as soon as they shall be called for by this Governmt

In the House of Representatives Read & Accepted & Oliver Wendell Esqr & Capt George Williams with such as the Honl Board shall join are apptd a Comtee for the purpose therein mention'd ー

In Council. Read & Concurr'd & Benja Greenleaf Esqr is joined. ー