Steate is the better, as sum of the goods is been very weet, and no place to driy them; the bearer Mr. Clark will inform your Excellency the way they are in the Asembly; set the 10th of Nixt munth at Hardfoard and a line from your Excellency in my favore no doubte will do the bisness.

I could not get any of Mesr. Davis's goods, although there was Sum in Sum of their homs, but want of an order from him, the were not willing to give them, and i had no time to Speare; when i was on the Island to meak much inquire about any thing but what was ready to put directly on board the vesell, and com off with what i have heare; i am with due respect your Excellency' very humble Servant

[No. 4258.]

Act of Congress Incorporating the Bank of North America.

An Ordinance to incorporate the Subscribers to the Bank of North America: Whereas Congress on the twenty sixth day of May last did from a conviction of the Support which the finances of the United States would receive from the establishment of a National Bank approve a plan for such an institution submitted to their consideration by Robert Morris, Esq. and now lodged among the Archives of Congress and did engage to promote the same by the most effectual means; And, whereas, the Subscription thereto is now filled from an expectation of a Charter of Incorporation from Congress, the Directors and President are chosen, and application hath been made to Congress by the said President and Directors for an Act of Incorporation; and whereas the exigencies of the United States render it indispensibly that such an Act be immediately passed.

Be it, therefore, Ordained and it is hereby ordained by the United States in Congress Assembled that those who are, and those who shall become Subscribers to the said Bank be and for ever after shall be a corporation and body politic to all intents and purposes by the name and Stile of "The President, Directors and Company of the Bank of North America."

And be it further ordained that the said Corporation are hereby declared and made able and capable in Law to have, purchase, receive, possess, enjoy and retain lands, rents, tenements, Hereditaments, Goods, Chattles and Effects of what kind, nature or quality so ever to the amount of ten Millions of Spanish Silver milled Dollars and no more; and also to sell, grant, demise, alien, or dispose of the same lands, rents, tenements, Hereditaments, Goods, Chattles and Effects.

And be it further ordained that the said Corporation be and shall be for ever hereafter able and capable in Law to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded; answer and be answered unto, defend and be defended in Courts of Record or any other place whatsoever, And to do and execute all and singular other matters and things that to them shall or may appertain to do.

And be it further ordained that for the well governing of the Said Corporation and the ordering of their Affairs they shall have such Officers as they shall hereafter direct or appoint provided nevertheless that twelve Directors one of whom shall be the President of the Corporation, be of the number of their Officers.

And be it further ordained that Thomas Willing be the present President, and that the said Thomas Willing and Thomas Fitzsimmons, John Maxwell Nesbitt, James Wilson, Henry Hill, Samuel Osgood, Cadwallader Morris, Andrew Caldwell, Samuel Inglis, Samuel Meredith, William Bingham, Timothy Matlack be the present Directors of the said Corporation and shall so continue until another President and other Directors shall be chosen according to the Laws and regulations of the said Corporation.

And be it further ordained, that the President and Directors of the said Corporation shall be capable of exercising such power for the well governing and ordering of the Affairs of the said Corporation; and of holding such occasional meetings for that purpose as shall be described fixed and determined by the laws, regulations and Ordinances of the said Corporation.

And be it further ordained that the said Corporation, may make, ordain, establish and put in execution such laws, ordinances and regulations as shall seem necessary & convenient to the Government of the said Corporation. Provided always that nothing herein before contained shall be construed to authorise the said Corporation to exercise any powers in any of the United States repugnant to the laws or Constitution of such State.

And be it further ordained that the said Corporation shall have full power and authority to make have and use a common seal with such device and inscription as they shall think proper and the same to break, alter and renew at their pleasure.

And be it further ordained that this ordinance shall be construed and taken most favorably and beneficially for the said Corporation.

DONE by the UNITED STATES in CONGRESS ASSEMBLED the
thirty first day of December in the year of our Lord One thousand
seven hundred and eighty-one, and in the SIXTH YEAR of our
Independence.
John Hanson, Presdt.

Attest Chas. Thomson Secy.

By the United States in Congress Assembled, December 31st 1781.

Resolved, That it be recommended to the legislature of each State to pass such laws as they may Judge necessary for giving the foregoing Ordinance its full operation agreeably to the true intent and meaning thereof, and according to the recommendations contained in the resolutions of the 26th day of May last.

Extract from the minutes.

Chas. Thomson, Secy.

[No. 4259.]

List of an Assessment Laid on within Persons.

(Omitted.)

[No. 4260.]

Westchester County Field Officers Appeal to the Governor for the Protection of the Frontier of That County.

To His Excellency George Clinton Governor of the State of New York General and Commander in Chief of all the Militia and Admiral of the Navy of the same.

The Memorial and Petition of the Subscribers being FieldOfficers of Militia and other Inhabitants of the County of Westchester.

Sheweth, That it is with Reluctance they are constrained to apply to your Excellency for Relief; but when they view a general and substantial defence & Security afforded not only by the United States but by the State of New York to the other frontiers of this State, and the frontier of Westchester County left open to the Ravages of a thievish Enemy, worse than Barbarians, we feel within us a jealousy of neglect. We mean not to impute the cause of it to your Excellency, who, we with reason believe, have exerted your influence and Aid in our protection. We would take the liberty, however, to remonstrate, that we have not only furnished our quota of Troops upon every Requisition for our frontier, but have also furnished a Company of Men for the support of the Northern frontiers the last Campaign; which we conceive an hardship and imposition, as it is well know that we have had a constant & garrisoned Enemy in our County for five years past, who issue out as occasion offers, and destroy and butcher our People. We are unaccustomed to complain, but when Grief by the loss of friends and property urges, the Complaint must be justifiable. Sir, the Inhabitants of this County have exerted themselves in the course of this War in a manner that must have attracted your notice; and we are a body of Militia, tho' small, yet worthy of notice. The Times of our Levies are nearly expired and we have only one Company of Continental Troops on our Lines, and no prospect of further support, which strength is entirely insufficient to oppose the force of the Enemy within reach of us. It is true a Law has passed to raise Troops in this State, but we can inform your Excellency that this County is so debilitated by the War as to render the raising of Men a matter of Burden; besides we really believe that there is not a possibility of raising

men at this time. We, therefore, pray your Excellency to intercede in our behalf with the Continental Commanding Officer in this department, to send more Troops to our Relief, and that they may be disposed of in the manner as the Continental Troops and Levies have been distributed, by being posted in the Vicinity of Bedford and North Castle. Your Excellency's particular interposition will be gratefully acknowledged.

Danl. Horton, Justice of the P. Philip Pell, Jur.

[No. 4261.]

Memorial of Charles Phelps of Cumberland County (Vt.).

To the honorable the United States in Congress Assembled

The memorial of Charles Phelps of the County of Cumberland in that part of the State of New York commonly [called] the New Hampshire Grants humbly sheweth, that your Memorialist with a great majority of the Inhabitants of the said County are attached to the Government of the State of New York & profess to owe alligiance to the same. That by the resolutions of Congress of the 24th of September 1779 and the 2d of June 1780 those Inhabitants considered themselves protected & secured in their persons and properties from any authority which might be attempted to be exercised over them (either civil or military) by the pretended State of Vermont, especially as those resolutions of Congress, so wisely adopted to preserve the peace of that District of Country, have been religiously observed by the Inhabitants professing allegiance to the state of New York & Newhampshire, who are by far the greatest number of Inhabitants residing on the East side of the Green Mountains, west of Connecticut river, and in no instance have been violated by them, in exercising any authority under the state of New York, over those Inhabitants who profess to owe allegiance to the pretended state of Vermont. That the said pretended State of Vermont in direct violation of the said resolves of Congress in the month of June last did make & publish a pretended Act, inflicting the most cruel and unheard of penalties on such of the Inhabitants residing on the Newhampshire Grants, who should not submit to the authority of their usurped Government, a copy of which Act is herewith presented to Congress for their inspection; And Ethan Allen (who holds a commission of Colonel under the United States) in pursuance of the said act and in obedience to the authority of Vermont, so called, did in September last past with some hundreds of armed Men make a sudden descent upon the said county of Cumberland and has taken & confined in Prisons a number of reputable Inhabitants of the said County, particularly the high Sheriff and other officers both Civil & Military, holding commissions under the authority of the State of New York; some of whom have been fined in large sums, others are condemned to banishment; not to return on pain of death, and their Estates confiscated; and to add to their affliction, tis said & believed they will be sent into Canada to be delivered up to that power with whom the Executive of the said pretended State of Vermont, the last year, made a treaty of Alliance.

That your Memorialist is duly authorised by a convention of the County of Cumberland to lay before the United States in Congress assembled the unhappy and deplorable situation of such of the Inhabitants of the said County as profess Allegiance to the State of New York as by the Certificate of the chairman of the said convention herewith presented, more fully may appear.

Therefor your Memorialist humbly prays that Congress would immediately interpose by their authority for the relief & protection of those unhappy sufferers who are now prisoners or banished, and to prevent any violences of the like kind in future: This protection & relief they humbly conceive they have a right to expect and receive as good citizens of the United States, professing allegiance to the State of New York, & having inviolably observed those resolutions of Congress which intitles them to the notice & protection of the United States.

Your Memorialist further begs leave to observe that unless a restoration of property is ordered, and the authority of the United States interposed for the preservation of that peace which by their resolves they have declared to be so necessary to the federal Union & which they were determined to support & maintain, many hundreds of families owning allegiance to the State of New York will soon be reduced to a state of the greatest poverty & misery which will evidently appear by a number of affidavits and other papers herewith presented to your honorable body relative to the violent proceedings of the Vermonters in pursuance of their said pretended act, besides the information your memorialist is able to give of the present State of that district of Country if he should have the honor to be heard before a Committee of Congress on that subject, and your memorialist as in duty bound shall ever pray.

Charles Phelps.