All these, together with those who were especially obnoxious and all these whose social standing did not warrant the admission of them into the first class, were to be apprehended -- the more jjrominent by detachments of the Continental Army, the less prominent by the County Committee-- and "dealt with," after a "man- "ner" which was " prescribed for the conduct'* of those under whose directi(ms the several " apprehen- " sions" should be made. No overt act was cliarged against any one: it was sufficient that "suspicions" were entertained by some one in revolutionary authority, that one of the inhabitants of the County, no matter whom, was "holding principles inimical to the "said United Colonies," whatever those "principles" might have been ; and the unfortunate victim, for notliing else than his opinions' sake, was liable to be exiled or subjected to any other penalty, personal or pecuniary or both, as his captors, unrestrained by any Statute or any enactment of the revolutionary authorities, should incline to impose on him. It is not stated in the annals of that period, however, that either ilajor Philip Van Cortlandt or Judge John Thomas or any other of those officeholders under the Crown who were also officeholders or supporters of the Revolutionary party, sustained any injury Irom the provisions of that enactment.

Although there is no entry on the Journal of the Provincial Congress which makes mention of the creation of such a Committee, it is very evident the Committee was appointed, with instructions "to report a " Law or ' set of Resolutions of this Congress, to " ' prevent the dangers to which this Colony is ex- "' posed by its internal enemies,'" since, on the twenty-eighth of May, such a Committee made a Report to the Congress, through John Morin Scott, who was probably its Chairman.