the burden of evidence furors the opinion that Wilkins was their author.1 The provincial congress which assembled in May, 1775, continued in session, with several brief recesses, until the 4th of November, when it adjourned sine die. On the 7th of November elections for delegates to a second provincial congress were held in a number of the counties of New York, those in Westchester County occurring, as usual, at White Plains. The representatives chosen were Colonel Lewis Graham, Stephen Ward, Colonel Joseph Drake, Robert Graham, John Thomas, Jr., William Paulding, Major Ebenezer Lockwood,

•"' v . ..

TEARING

DOWN

KING

STATUE

YORK

CITY

Colonel Pierre Van Cortlandt, and Colonel Gilbert Drake, any three of whom were authorized to cast the vote of the county. The new body experienced considerable difficulty in procuring a quorum, and did not enter upon Us active business until the (1th of December. This business was in continuation of the aggressive political and military measures, harmonizing witli the policies of the continental congress, that had been instituted by the first congress of the province. Like its predecessor, the second congress adjourned temporarily several times, vesting complete administrative authority, during such intervals, 1 See Scharf, i., 313, note.

FROM

JANUARY,

1775,

JULY

9, 1776

in a general committee of .safety, of which Pierre Van Cortlandt was chairman for some months. The last session of the second provincial congress was held on The 13th of May, 177<i. During its lifetime the general condition of affairs steadily grew more critical, events of commanding importance transpired, and developments ofportentous significance to the people of New York and Westchester County resulted. In the early part of this period the invasion of Canada by the American troops was brought to a disastrous end before the walls of Quebec,1 but tin1 collapse in that quarter was more than compensated for by the surrender of Boston to General Washington in March.