156 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION [177«.

POST MERIDIEM.

Met according to adjournment.

Whereas his Britannic majesty King George has prosecuted, and
still prosecutes, a cruel and unjust war against the British Colonies
in America, and has acceded to acts of parliament, declaring the
people of the said colonies in actual rebellion: and whereas the
good people of this province have taken up arms to defend their
rights and liberties, and to repel the hostilities carrying on against
them, and whilst engaged in such a contest, cannot, with any sin-
cerity or devotion of heart, pray for the success of his majesty's
arms; therefore Resolved, That every prayer and petition for the
king's majesty, in the book of common prayer and administration
of the sacraments and other rites and ceremonies of the church,
according to the use of the church of England, except the second
collect for the king in the communion service, be henceforth omit-
ted in all churches and chapels in this province, until our unhappy
differences are ended.

On reading a second time the report from the committee to
whom the memorial of the officers of the battalion of regulars was
referred, the convention took the same into consideration, and
thereupon Resolved, That it will be most conducive to the public
service, that the council of safety be at liberty to prefer such per-
sons, as shall appear to them to be most meritorious, in which
promotions the convention doubt not the council will give a pro-
per attention to justice.

That as the contract for furnishing the troops with rations in-
cludes the officers, as well as privates, and the emoluments of the
contractor being to arise upon his furnishing the rations in specie,
the officers cannot be allowed the alternative of receiving the ra-
tion or cash, during the subsistence of the present contract, with-
out a breach thereof on the part of the public.

That no person or persons shall, after the first day of June
next, deal or barter with any private soldier, knowing him to be
such, without the license in writing of the colonel or major of the
battalion, or captain, or commanding officer for the time being, of
the company or party to which such soldier shall belong, under the
penalty of such sum, not exceeding fifty shillings common money, as
shall be adjudged by the committee of observation for the county
where such soldier shall be stationed, or where the offender shall re-
side. And that upon complaint of the colonel, major, captain, or
other commanding officer, as aforesaid, to such committee, of any
breach of this resolve, the said committee shall have power to call the