In view of Governeur Morris's great anxiety to go into the City of New York, then a military post of the Royal Troops, very soon afterwards, it will hardly be necessary for us to inquire why he was the only member of the Provincial Congress who voluntarily exposed himself to supposed danger from the approach of the Royal Army.

4 Journal of the (third) Provinciul Co egress, " Sunday afternoon, June " 30, 1776."

until the following day, Tuesday, the ninth of July, the Deputies from a majority of the Counties appeared, produced their Credentials, and organized the Congress. General Nathaniel Woodhull was chosen for its President ; and John McKesson and Robert Benson, the Secretaries of the former Congresses, were continued in the same places, in this. 5

There were only five Deputies present from the City of New York, although twenty-one had been elected; but every member of the Deputation from Westchester-county -- Colonel Lewis Graham, Colonel Pierre Van Cortlandt, Major Ebenezer Lockwood, William Paulding, Captain Jonathan Piatt, Samuel Haviland, Zebadiah Mills, Colonel Gilbert Drake, Jonathan G. Tompkins, General Lewis Morris, and Gouverneur Morris -- was present. 6 Of the latter Captain Piatt, Colonel Van Cortlandt, Zebadiah Mills, and General Lewis Morris were new members. 7

After a letter from the Delegation of the Colony in the Continental Congress, bearing date the second of July, " on the subject of Independence, and request- " ing instructions from this Congress," 8 had been read, a second letter from the Delegation, of a subsequent date, " enclosing the Declaration of Independence," was also read, and referred to a Committee consisting of John Jay and Abraham Brasier, of the City of New York, Abraham Yates, Junior, of Albany-county, and John Sloss Hobart and William Smith, of Suffolk. 9