"Independence will, very shortly, be agitated in
" Congress. Some of us consider ourselves as bound
" by our instructions not to vote on that question >
"and all of us wish to have your sentiments thereon.
"The matter will admit of no delay; we have,
"therefore, sent an express who will wait your
" orders.
"We are, Sir, with the greatest respect,
" Your most obt. hum. servts.
"William Floyd,
" Henry Wisner,
" Robt. R. Livingston,
"Frans. Lewis.
"To Nathaniel Woodhull, Esq., Prest.
"or the Hon. the Convention of New- York." '
This letter was received, early in the morning, and the Provincial Congress, very leisurely, read it, in secret Session ; and, notwithstanding the urgency for speedy action which accompanied it, that was all which was done, concerning Independence, at that Session. 2 Late in the afternoon, the Congress very leisurely returned to the subject ; and, then, it indulged itself by hearing the reading of the letter, a second time ; by listening, while the Clerk read the powers of the Provincial Congress, which were very briefly presented in the Resolutions calling for the election of its members ; 3 and by hearing the same stately official read the powers of the Delegates of the Colony in the Continental Congress, 4 closing its desperate
1 Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Die Lunge, 9 ho., A.M., June 10, "1770."
* Ibid.
8 It was stated in the Credentials of the Deputies from Orange-county that the Resolutions of tin* second Provincial Congress, providing for the election of the third Provincial Congress and denning its authority, were adopted on the twelfth of March preceding ; but there is no mention of the adoption of any Resolutions whatever, on that subject, on that or any otherday, on the published Journal of the second Provincial Congress.