Without recapitulating farther from the Journal of Col. Jenkins, in this volume, I only add, that thus to the last of the war were the good people of Wyoming harassed, carried off by the Indians, tories and British, murdered and scalped.* * These facts are gathered from petitions to the General Assembly of Connecticut at different times. 21 AN ΕΡΙΤΟΜΕ OF ALL THE ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF CONNECTICUT, FROM THE YEAR 1774, TO MAY SESSION, 1778, RELATING TO THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION. THE General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut, held on the second Thursday of May, at Hartford, being the 12th day of said month, and continued in session until the 4th day of June, A. D. 1774. Hon. JONATHAN TRUMBULL, Governor. Hon. MATTHEW GRISWOLD, Deputy Governor. Jabez Hamlin, Shubael Conant, Elisha Sheldon, Eliphalet Dyer, Jabez Hun. tington, William Pitkin, Roger Sherman, William S. Johnson, Abraham Davenport, Joseph Spencer, Oliver Wolcott, James A. Hilihouse, Esq'rs., Assistants. This day being appointed by the Royal Charter and the laws of this colony for the election of the public officers of the colony, viz.: Governor, Deputy Governor, Assistants, Treasurer and Secretary; proclamation was made in the manner accustomed, and then the votes of the freemen were given in to the persons appointed by the Assembly to receive, sort and count them, and to declare the names of such persons as should be chosen to any of the before mentioned offices according to law; which persons so appointed were Jabez Hamlin, Shubael Conant, Elisha Sheldon, Eliphalet Dyer, Jabez Huntington, William Pitkin, Roger Sherman, Abraham Davenport, William Samuel John. son, Oliver Wolcott, James Abraham Hillhouse, Esq'rs. Mr. Benjamin Payne, Mr. Titus Hosmer, Mr. Thomas Darling, Maj. James Wadsworth, Mr. Isaac Tracy, Mr. Thomas Mumford, Mr. Thomas Belding, Capt. Daniel Starr, Major Jedediah Elderkin, Mr. Samuel Craft, Mr. Joshua Porter, and Capt. Increase Mosely, who were all sworn to a faithful discharge of that trust. And the votes of the freemen being brought in, sorted, and counted The Hon. JONATHAN TRUMBULL, was chosen Governor of this colony for the year then ensuing. Hon. MATTHEW GRISWOLD, was chosen Deputy Governor of this colony, for the year then ensuing. Jabez Hamlin, Shubael Conant, Elisha Sheldon, Eliphalet Dyer, Jabez Hun. tington, William Pitkin, Roger Sherman, William Samuel Johnson, Abraham Davenport, Joseph Spencer, Oliver Wolcott, James Abraham Hillhouse, Esq'rs., were chosen Assistants for the year ensuing. John Lawrence, Esq., was chosen Treasurer. George Wyllys, Esq., was chosen Secretary of "this colony for the year ensuing." When the oaths of office were administered, as prescribed by the laws of the colony, and by the act of Parliament, as made and passed in the fourth year of the reign of His Majesty George the Third, to the several officers chosen. Whereas the threatening aspect of Divine Providence on the Liberties of the people and the dangers they were threatened with, called for humiliation and prayer to the God of all mercies to avert his judgments and save his people. Therefore it was Resolved by the Assembly, That his Honor the Governor be and is hereby desired to issue a Proclamation for appointing a day of public Fasting and Prayer, to be observed throughout the colony, at such time as he with the advice of the Council, shall think most proper, to humble ourselves before God for our sins, and supplicate his mercies that he would avert his judgments which threaten us.* May, 1774, Charles Burrall was appointed colonel of the 14th regiment, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the decease of Col. John Williams. Joshua Porter, lieutenant colonel, 14th regiment, instead of Thomas Chitten. den, removed out of the colony. Capt. Ebenezer Gay, of Sharon, to be major of the 14th regiment, instead of Major Burrall, promoted. Oliver Wolcott, Esq., to be colonel of the 17th regiment. Ebenezer Norton, to be lieutenant colonel of the 17th regiment. Epaphras Sheldon, Esq., to be major of the 17th regimont of militia, in this colony. Jonathan Pettibone, Esq., colonel of the 18th regiment. Abel Merrell, Esq., to be major of the 18th regiment of militia, in the colony. At the October session, 1774, the following Resolution was passed, (without stating the cause) doubling the munitions of war to wit, "Resolved by this Assembly, That the several towns in this colony be and are hereby ordered to provide as soon as may be, double the quantity of powder, ball and flints that they were heretofore by law obliged to provide, under the same directions and penalties as by law already provided."* 11th volume of Colony Record, page 284-53; October, 1774-By the House of Representatives of the English colony of Connecticut, held on the second Thursday of May, 1774. * This Resolution appears to be the first recorded evidence, that indicates the dangers apprehended by this colony of the war of the revolution, and the first act of the Legislature, upon that subject, though the subject matter is not openly declared, yet there is little doubt but the difficulties with the mother country were referred to in the above Resolutions. This House taking into consideration sundry acts of the British Parliament, in which the power and right to impose duties and taxes upon his Majesty's subjects in the British colonies and plantations in America, for the purpose of raising a revenue only, are declared, attempted to be exercised, and in various ways enforced and carried into execution, and especially a very late act in which pains and penalties are inflicted on the Capital of a neighboring province; a precedent alarming to every British colony in America, and which being admitted and established, their lives, liberties and property are at the mercy of a tribunal where innocence may be punished, upon the accusation and evidence of wicked men, without defence, and without knowing its accusers, a precedent calculated to terrify them into silence and submission, whilst they are stripped of their invaluable rights and liberties, do think it expedient, and their duty at this time, to renew their claim to the rights, privileges and immunities of free born Englishmen, to which they are justly entitled, by the laws of nature, by the royal grant and charter of his late majesty king Charles the Second, and by long and uninterrupted possession, and thereupon Do Declare and Resolve as follows, to wit:-In the first place, We do most expressly declare, recognize and acknowledge His Majesty king George the Third to be the lawful and rightful king of Great Britain, and all other his dominions and countries; and that it is the indispensable duty of the people of this colony as being part of his majesty's dominion, always to bear faithful and true allegiance to his majesty, and him to defend to the utmost of their power against all attempts upon his person, crown and dignity. 2d. That the subjects of his majesty in this colony ever have had, and of right ought to have and enjoy all the liberties, immunities, and privileges of free and natural born subjects within any of the dominions of our said king, his heirs and successors to all intents, constructions and purposes whatsoever, as fully and amply, as if they and every one of them were born within the realm of England; that they have a property in their own estates, and are to be taxed by their own consent only, given in person or by their representatives, and are not to be disseized of their liberties or free customs, sentenced or condemned, but by lawful judgment of their peers, and that the said rights and immunities are recognized and confirmed to the inhabitants of this colony by the royal grant and charter aforesaid, and are their undoubted right to all intents, con. struction and purposes whatsoever. 3d. That the only lawful representatives of the freemen of this colony, are the persons they elect to serve as members of the General Assembly thereof. 4th. That it is the just right and privilege of his majesty's leige subjects of this colony to be governed by their General Assembly in the article of taxing and internal policy, agreeable to the powers and privileges recognized and confirmed in the royal charter aforesaid, which they have enjoyed for more than a century past, and have neither forfeited, nor surrendered, but the same have been constantly recognized by the king and Parliament of Great Britain. 5th. That the erecting new and annual courts of admiralty, and vesting them with extraordinary powers, above and not subject to the control of the com. mon law courts in this colony, to judge and determine in suits relating to the duties and forfeitures contained in said acts, foreign to the accustomed and established jurisdiction of the former courts of admiralty in America, is in the opinion of this House, highly dangerous to the liberties of his majesty's Ameri |