of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels of War, with respect to the Seizing and proceeding after seizure of the Ships and Vessels belonging to the Colonies of New Hampshire, Massachusett's Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pensilvania, the three Lower Counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, during the continuance of the present Rebellion within the said Colonies respectively His Majesty taking the said Draught of Instructions into Consideration, was pleased with the Advice of His Privy Council to Approve thereof, and to Order, as it is hereby Ordered, that the Right Honourable Lord George Germain, One of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, do cause the said Instructions to be prepared for His Majesty's Royal Signature.

Instructions for the Commanders of Our Ships and Vessels of War in consequence of An Act passed in this present Session of Parliament prohibiting all Trade and Commerce with the Colonies of New Hampshire, Massachusets Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pensilvania the three lower Counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, during the continuance of the present Rebellion within the said Colonies respectively and enacting that all Ships and Vessels belonging to the Inhabitants of the said Colonies, together with their Cargoes Apparel and Furniture which shall be found trading in any Port or Place of the said Colonies or going to trade or coming from trading in any such Place shall be forfeited to Us as if the same were the Ships and Effects of Open Enemies and shall be so adjudged deemed and taken in all Courts of Admiralty and in all other Courts whatsoever and by Virtue of Our Commission granted under the Great Seal of Great Britain bearing date the 2 day of May 1776, Given at Our Court at St James's

the Second day of May 1776 in the Sixteenth Year of Our Reign.

1. That by Virtue of the above mentioned Act of this present Session of Parliament and of our Commission aforesaid The Commanders of Our Ships and Vessels of War are Authorized and required to set upon by Force of Arms and Subdue and take the Ships and Vessels of or belonging to the Inhabitants of the said Rebellious Colonies together with their Cargoes Apparel and ffurniture which shall be found trading in any Port or Place of the said Colonies, or going to Trade or coming from trading in any such place and all such other Ships, Vessels, and Goods as are or shall be liable to Confiscation by the several Statute Laws of the Realm or pursuant to the respective Treaties between Us and other Princes States-and Potentates or the Law and Usage of Nations but so as that no Hostility be committed nor Prize attacked seized or taken within the Harbours of Princes and States in Amity with Us, or in their Rivers or Roads within Shot of their Cannon, unless by permission of such Princes or States or of their Commanders or Governors in Chief in such places.

2. That all Ships carrying Soldiers, Arms, powder, Ammunition or any Naval or Warlike Stores or Provisions or other Goods, Wares, Merchantdizes or Effects to any of the said Rebellious Colonies for the Use Benefit or Advantage or on Account of the Inhabitants thereof shall be seized as prizes except Ships and Vessels retained or employed in our Service or Ships and Vessels laden with Provisions or other Stores for the Use of Our Fleets Armies or Garrisons or for the Use of the Inhabitants of any Town or place Garri soned or possessed by any of Our Troops or of any Colony or Province, County, Town, Port District or place which may or shall be proclaimed by lawful Authority to be at the peace of His Majesty or except

as in the said Act of the present Parliament is excepted. 3. That our said Commanders of our Ships and Vessels of War shall bring such Ships, Vessels and Goods as they have seized or shall seize and to take to such Port of this Our Realm of England or some other Port of Our Dominions as shall be most convenient for them in Order to have the same legally adjudged in our High Court of Admiralty of England or before the Judges of such other Admiralty Court as shall be lawfully Authorized within our Dominions except as in the said Act is excepted.

4. That after such Ships Vessels and Goods shall be taken and brought into any Port-The taker or one of his Chief Officers or some other Person present at the Capture shall be obliged to bring or send as soon as possibly may be three or four of the principal of the Company (whereof the Master Mate or Pilot to be always two) of every Ship or Vessel so brought into Port before the Judge of Our High Court of Admiralty of England or his Surrogate or before the Judge of such other Admiralty Court within Our Dominions as shall be lawfully Authorized as aforesaid or such as shall be lawfully Commissioned in that behalf to be Sworn and Examined upon such Interrogatories as shall tend to the discovery of the Truth touching the Interest or property of such Ship or Ships Vessel or Vessels and of the Goods Merchantdizes or other Effects found therein and the taker shall be further Obliged at the time he produceth the Company to be Examined to bring and deliver into the Hands of the Judge of the High Court of Admiralty of England his Surrogate or the Judge of such other Admiralty Courts within Our Dominions as shall be lawfully Authorized or others Commissioned as aforesaid all such Papers Sea Briefs, Charter Parties, Bills of Lading Dockets Letters and other Documents and Writings as shall be delivered up or found on Board any such Ship The

said taker or one of his Chief Officers or some other person who was present at the Capture and saw the said Papers and Writings delivered up or otherwise found on board at the time of the Capture making Oath that the said Papers and Writings are brought and delivered in as they were received or taken without any Fraud Addition Subduction or Embezzlement.

5. That such Ships or Vessels Goods Wares Merchandizes and Effects taken by any of our Ships or Vessels of War shall be kept and preserved and no part of them shall be sold spoiled wasted or diminished and that the bulk thereof shall not be broken before Judgment be given in our high Court of Admiralty of England or some other Court of Admiralty lawfully authorized in that behalf the [that] said Ships or Vessels Goods Wares Merchandizes and Effects are lawful prize.

6. That no Commander or other Officer of any of Our Ships or Vessels of War shall unless in Case of the greatest necessity ransom any Ship or Vessel taken as prize when such Ship may be brought into some Port of Our Dominions (except the Ports of the said Rebellious Colonies or Plantations) and in Case any Ship or Vessel taken as Prize shall be Ransomed the Reasons of Ransoming any Ship or Vessel and any Persons on board the same and the Conditions of such Ransom shall be transmitted to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and to the Judge of the High Court of Admiralty and preparatory Examinations upon the standing Interrogatories shall be taken as in Cases of Prize and a Condemnation of such Ransom shall be had according to the Ancient Course and Practice of the Admiralty.

7. That no Commander or other Officer of any Our Ships or Vessels of War do presume upon any pretence whatsoever to Ransom or release any Prisoners

unless such as may be necessary to navigate the Ship which shall be taken and ransomed.

By His Majestys Command

STEPHEN COTTRELL

Articles of Association of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of Pequanock, in the County of Morris, pledging themselves to sustain the action of the Continental and Provincial Congresses, in defending the Constitution, signed by 180 persons.

[From New Jersey Historical Society Manuscripts.]

[MAY] 1776.

We the subscribers, freeholders and inhabitants of the township of Pequannock, in the County of Morris, and province of New Jersey, having long viewed with concern the avowed design of the Ministry of Great Britain to raise a revenue in America, being deeply affected with the cruel hostilities already commenced in Massachusetts Bay for carrying that arbitrary design into execution, convinced that the preservation of the rights and privileges of America depends under God, on the firm union of its inhabitants, do, with hearts abhorring slavery, and ardently wishing for a reconciliation with our parent State on constitutional principles, solemnly associate and resolve under the sacred ties of virtue, honor and love of our country, that we will personally, and so far as our influence extends, endeavour to support and carry into execution whatever measures may be recommended by the Continental and Provincial Congresses for defending our Constitution and preserving the same inviolate, according to the resolutions of the aforesaid Continental and Provincial Congresses, firmly determined by