I778- July 24, 1778. * August 7, 1778. July 20, 1778. August 1, 3. 22, 26; September 3; October 29, 1778. See also the act of March 20, 1781, in relation to exchanges. -- Laws of New York. Poughkeepsie, 1782, pp. 179-180.

58 State of New York

sion of Governor Clinton to petition the legislature for an exemption from the penalties, the board informed them that their request could not be granted 1Two women who .

asked permission to join their husbands in New York City and Canada, respectively, were recommended favorably to General Stark for a pass, because the board thought it

would be better for the State to grant the request than to keep the women as a charge upon the community 2 . A man ordered to be removed, but at the time under a recognizance as a witness in a trial for a capital offence, was respited until the court should discharge him, the board averring its unwillingness to deprive the person on trial for his life "of the Benefit of so favorable a Witness." But the murderer escaped subsequently, and the witness was put on parole 3 .

When the commissioners were in doubt as to their authority for permitting the return of persons previously deported, or for sending away certain people, they wrote to Governor Clinton for an opinion 4 .

It has been shown that Governor Clinton might order the detention of tories as exchanges. In such cases they were held subject to his order, or were taken down to Poughkeepsie, from thence to be sent under a flag to New York or elsewhere, as he might determine 5 . When a tory civilian asked for the exchange of himself and family, the board answered that it had no authority to arrange exchanges, and referred him to the governor.