Paper and other small articles in the city,

£1 13 7

Donation to the poor man who lost his arm at the State House, 1 4

Proportion of the present of plate to the Secretary,

216

64 16

Barber's bill,

My own and my servant's time, 72 days; my horses the same
time, at 188,

Upon Mr. Redwood's kind invitation, we lodged at his house
8 weeks; the common price of boarding was 40s per week, 17

Received of the General Treasurer,

£114 9 1 60

£54 9 1

Errors excepted.

S. WARD.

A payment to Mr. Downer is charged in each of these accounts. The person alluded to was Silas Downer, at that time a member of the Rhode Island bar. He was a graduate of Harvard University, in the class of 1747. Unlike most of his professional brethren of his and later times, Mr. Downer was a beautiful penman. He wrote a round and almost upright hand, which was very legible. Governor Hopkins in middle life, wrote a very fair and legible hand. A nervous affection of the right hand, had for some years rendered that hand very tremulous, so that he wrote with difficulty. Mr. Downer accompanied him to Philadelphia as his private secretary, for which station he was admirably fitted, for he held the pen of a ready writer, guided by a willing hand and heart, in the defence of liberty and colonial

rights. It is probable Governor Ward availed himself of Mr. Downer's services as a scrivener.

It should be remembered, that the town of Providence, on the 17th day of May, instructed its representatives in the General Assembly to use their exertions to have a General Congress called; that the General Assembly of this Colony recommended the holding of such a Congress forthwith, as the means of establishing that "firm and inviolate union of all the colonies in councils and measures absolutely necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties;" and that on the 15th day of June they elected delegates to attend such a Congress, if called by the colonies, and instructed them, among other things, to advocate the holding of a regular annual Congress of all the colonies. The act of the town of Providence was among the earliest, if not in fact the earliest, movement of any municipal corporation in favor of a Congress at this juncture of affairs. The appointment of delegates by the General Assembly preceded the appointment of all the other delegates to the first Congress. Besides this, it was almost the only appointment made, by the constituted authorities of a colony or province. These proceedings also contain the earliest proposal for an annual Congress by any colony or municipal corporation.

Among the acts of the Congress of 1774, was a resolution recommending the holding of another Congress on the 10th of May, 1775, unless the grievances complained of should be redressed before that day. That recommendation came before the General Assembly of this Colony at their special session, in December, 1774, and meeting with their cordial approbation, Governors Hopkins and Ward were appointed delegates from this Colony to attend it. A committee, consisting of Henry Marchant, Joseph Brown and William Ellery, was appointed to prepare instructions. They subsequently reported the following, which were adopted. The report is in the hand-writing of Mr. Marchant:

WHEREAS, The American Continental Congress held in the city of Philadelphia, on the 5th day of September last, recommended to the several colonies to choose deputies to attend a General Congress to be holden on the 10th day of May next, in said city of Philadelphia, unless the redress of American grievances be obtained before that time: And whereas, this Assembly having the greatest regard to the recommendation aforesaid, and being determined to co-operate with the other colonies in every proper measure for obtaining a redress of the grievances, and establishing the rights and liberties of all the colonies upon an equitable and permanent foundation, have unanimously chosen and appointed the Honorable Stephen Hopkins, Esq., and the Honorable Samuel Ward, Esq., delegates to represent this Colony, it is therefore unanimously voted and resolved

1st. That the said Stephen Hopkins and Samuel Ward, Esqs., be, and they are, hereby fully authorized and empowered to represent this Colony in a General Congress of delegates or representatives of the several colonies, to be holden at the time and place above mentioned, or at such other time and place as shall be agreed upon by the major part of the committees from the several colonies.

2d. That they be, and hereby are, fully authorized and empowered to consult and advise with the representatives of the other colonies, and in connection with them, or the major part of them, to enter into and adopt in behalf of this Colony, all reasonable, lawful and proper measures for the support, defence, protection and security of the rights, liberties and privileges, both civil and religious, of all the said colonies, or any of them. 3d. That they be, and hereby are, authorized and empowered to adjourn from time to time, and at any time within the space of one year, to be computed from the said 10th day of May next, and at any place which they shall think proper.

4th. That they be, and hereby are, directed to procure a regular annual convention of delegates or representatives from all the colonies, to be holden at such time and place as shall be by the delegates agreed upon, for the promotion and establishment of the peace, welfare and security of the said colonies.

Before the meeting of Congress, on the 10th of May, 1775, the battles of Lexington and Concord had been fought. At the time of its meeting, Boston was occupied by British troops, and beleagured by the colonial forces, hastily called together from all parts of New England. Leading men in the colonies had long before this come to the conclusion that

the disputes between the colonies and the mother country would lead to a resort to arms. The outbreak came sooner, however, than had been generally anticipated.

The powers of the delegates in the Congress of 1775, differed but little from those of the previous Congress. They looked to a peaceable settlement of all difficulties. The delegates had been elected before tidings of the Lexington fight had reached their constituents. Like their predecessors, they were chosen by conventions, by provisional congresses, by houses of representatives or burgesses; in some instances representing entire colonies, and in others, only parts of colonies. They were, in fact, representatives of the people of all the colonies, and were recognized as such.

The delegates from this Colony were appointed by the General Assembly, and with all the forms of law. Their powers were as large as those conferred on the delegates from any other colony. Two points in their instructions are worthy of note. Their time of service is limited to one year from the time appointed for the assembling of Congress. No officer in the Colony was elected for a longer period than one year. They were specially instructed to urge the holding of an annual Congress of all the colonies, for mutual aid and assistance. Their commission was as follows:

BY THE HONORABLE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in [L. S.] America, to the Honorable Stephen Hopkins, Esq., and the Honorable Samuel Ward, Esq., Greeting:

WHEREAS, The General Asssembly of the Colony aforesaid have nominated and appointed you, the said Stephen Hopkins and Samuel Ward, to represent the people of this Colony in a General Congress of representatives from this and the other colonies, to be holden in the city of Philadelphia; and there, in behalf of this Colony, to meet and join with the commissioners or delegates from the other colonies, in consulting upon proper measures to obtain the repeal of the several acts of the British Parliament, for levying taxes upon His Majesty's subjects in America without their

consent; and upon proper measures to establish the rights and liberties of the colonies upon a just and solid foundation, agreeably to the instructions given you by the General Assembly.

By virtue of an act of the General Assembly, I, Henry Ward, Esq., Secretary of said Colony, have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Colony, this 7th day of May, A. D. 1775, and in the fifteenth year of the reign of His most sacred Majesty George the Third, by the grace of God King of Great Britain, etc.

HENRY WARD.

This commission was not signed by the Governor of the Colony, as was their commission to attend the preceding Congress, but by the Secretary of State, by the authority of the General Assembly. This resulted from the following circumstances:

Joseph Wanton was Governor of the Colony in the year 1774, the term of his office expiring on the first Wednesday in May, 1775. Town meetings for the election of governor, deputy governor, and other general officers, by a law of the Colony, were held on the third Wednesday of April in each year. The votes given in at these town meetings were returned to the General Assembly on the first Wednesday in May, then to be counted, and the candidates having a majority of votes were then to be sworn into office.

At the town meetings in April, 1775, Governor Wanton received most of the votes for governor, there being no opposition to his re-election. The meetings took place on the 19th of the month, the same day that the fight at Lexington occurred. A special session of the General Assembly convened at Providence on the 22nd of April. At this session, the 11th day of May was set apart "as a day of fasting, prayer and humiliation," and the Governor was requested to issue a proclamation for the same. The Assembly also passed an act for raising an "army of observation" of fifteen hundred men, "for the preservation of the liberties of America.' Governor Wanton, Deputy Governor Sessions and two of