CHAPTER II. - MIDDLE COLONIES.
1. DELAWARE.
In the absence of records relating to the colony of Delaware it is impossible to deal with its Committee of Safety at any length. A Committee of Safety was appointed by the Assembly at some time during the summer of 1775, and probably continued until the first legislature tinder the new constitution came together. There were also Committees of Safety for the different counties but it is uncertain whether these county committees were composed of subdivisions of the provincial Committee or whether they were elected by the freeholders of each county. It is also impossible to tell exactly what the functions of the Committee of Safety were. Sharf speaks of an important meeting of the Committee held at Dover on September 11, 1775, at which it was employed in perfecting the military organization of the three counties. It was probably occupied chiefly in raising and equipping the army as in the other colonies.
The Assembly tinder the State constitution met October 28, 1776. It was the duty of the House and Legislative Council to elect a Governor and Privy Council, but for some reason this was not done before their first adjournment. The House therefore proposed to the Council that the two should choose a Council of Safety to act as executive during the recess. The Council concurred and fifteen men were appointed on November 7, 1776, five being taken from each of the three counties.
This Council of Safety evidently acted in sections, the representatives of each county assuming control over their own district, although for some purposes they may have met as one body. The Council lasted until January 10, 1777, when the legislature met again and appointed the President and Council for the State.
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