Now, although the act became operative on February 5, 1778, the proceedings of senate and assembly reveal that the subject had been under careful consideration for some time before, and had been interrupted by reverses of the war. On September 23, 1777, Egbert Benson, assemblyman from Dutchess County, asked and was given leave to introduce in the assembly a bill for appointing "Commissioners for Conspiracies, &c. and declaring their Powers," which was presented the following morning, read and ordered to a second reading. It was read a second time on September 25, and committed to a committee of the whole house, whence it was reported by Ezra L'Hommedieu, of Suffolk County, on the 26th, with several amendments and two added clauses; was passed up, read a third time and ordered engrossed. The engrossed bill was "read a third Time," so called, and passed in the assembly on September 27, from whence it was now conveyed to the senate for concurrence. On the last-mentioned day the senate received the bill. It was read and ordered to a

second reading, which took place on the 29th, and was then committed to the committee of the whole of the senate. On October 3 Senator Jonathan Lawrence reported that the bill had made some progress in the committee of the

* Appendix I: Laws, Feb. 5, 1778.

Introduction

whole, but that leave to sit again was desired. On that afternoon the senate, having again resolved itself into a

committee of the whole, requested permission for further