The title of the bill was " An Act to authorise any two Justices of the Peace, to enlarge Persons who shall desert from the Enemy, and to repeal the Law appointing Commissioners for detecting and defeating Conspiracies." It was ordered to a second reading. Meanwhile, on March 21, the assembly received a petition from Ebenezer Purdy, Nathan Rockwell and Israel Honeywell, three of the commissioners in Westchester County, dated the 4th, which was referred to another committee. These commissioners alluded to " some persons " who were " Clamorous as to their powers." They did not " wish to Insinuate a desire of Continuing in the Exercise of the office of Commissioners, it being a very disagreeable task and Subject to Aspersions." They sought means for resigning and for justifying their

conduct before the legislature. On the 22d the aforesaid bill was read a second time and sent to a committee of the whole house. Assemblyman John Williams, of Charlotte County, on April 2, reported that some progress had been made on the bill, but that the committee of the whole house wished leave

to sit again, which was granted. Evidently this was as far as it proceeded, and it was not enacted into law. 3 Assembly Papers -- Miscellaneous, vol. 2, pp. 294-31 1. 1 Idem, vol. 2, p. 312. * Assembly Votes (fifth session), pp. 67, 69, "i, 72, 86.

Introduction 3i

A joint committee of the legislature was appointed, on January 28, 1783, to inquire into the receipt and expenditure of public money, etc., which reported to the assembly on the 31st. Several resolutions grew out of this report, among them one requesting the commissioners for conspiracies to lay before the legislature at its next meeting "a State of the Prisoners under the Care of their Boards respectively; a general State of their present Business as Commissioners; the Amount of their unsettled Claims, Expences and Receipts; and a List of such Recognizances entered into before them, as have been forfeited." 1 On February 7, 1783, Assemblyman Jacob Ford, of Albany County, introduced a bill for the repeal of the laws relating to the commissioners for conspiracies, which was read a second time on the 8th and referred to the committee of the whole house, which on the 20th reported progress and desired leave to sit again.