76 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION [1776.

hath or shall have been appointed to receive the fines for the com-
pany to which such person belongs, or if no such receiver hath or
shall have been appointed, then the same shall be paid into the
hands of the captain of such company, and on refusal to pay the
same fine, and such refusal being certified to the committee of ob-
servation for the county where such person resides, the same com-
mittee shall grant a warrant under their hands, empowering any
other person or persons of the same county to levy such fine by
distress and sale as aforesaid, of the party's goods and effects, but
the officers who set and adjudged the same fine may commit the
offender to a sergeant according to the resolution of the late con-

vention, if they choose that as the best method to compel payment.

That in cases where it may greatly promote the ease of the in-
habitants, a number not less than forty nor exceeding eighty pri-
vates, may, with the special permission of the committees of ob-
servation, enroll in any one company of militia, but any of those
already enrolled in any company, where the privates do not exceed
seventy-four, shall not be permitted to leave such company, for the
purpose of enrolling in a new one. That in those counties where
only part of the militia are appointed to join in battalion, the re-
spective committees of observation form the other companies into
battalion, if there are sufficient in number for that purpose, and in
those counties where there are not any battalions formed, that the
said committees proceed, as soon as may be, to divide their militia
into battalions, according to the resolves of the late convention.

That within the general description of able bodied effective free-
men of this province, are intended to be included, overseers, and
those who are bound by contract made within this province, to
serve in any particular quality or capacity, being able bodied effec-
tive men, between sixteen and fifty years of age.

That a brigadier-general, a quarter-master, and an adjutant gen-
eral, be appointed by the convention over every eight battalions,
and to include within that command, all artillery companies and
other militia within the district.

That the counties ballot for the rank of colonels and battalions
from number one to number sixteen, and so the county drawing
number one to have its second battalion the seventeenth of the
province, &c., and all field and commissioned officers to rank ac-
cording to their commissions, and as to those who bear the like
commissions, according to the number of the battalion to which
they belong.

That the companies of each battalion ballot from number one to
number eight, and hold their rank the first battalion day according