COMMITTEES OF SAFETY, in Ameri can Revolutionary history, these were a later outcome of the committees of correspondence (q.v.). In Massachusetts, as affairs drew to ward a crisis, it became usual for towns to appoint three committees, of correspondence, of inspection and of safety. The first was to keep the community informed of dangers either legislative or executive, and concert measures of public good; the' second 'to watch for viola tions of non-impottation agreements, or at tempts of loyalists to evade them ; the third to act as general executive while the legal au thority was in abeytince. In February 1776 these were regularly, legalized by, the General Court; but connot,i4tted into one, called the (Committee. of .Cormiondoneei Inspection and, Safety,• to be elected annually by the towns. This possessed all the powers of the other three, but in addition was empowered to notify the proper authorities of all violation of any of the acts, resolves or recommendations of the legislature; also to send for persons and papers, call out the militia, take charge of con fiscated property and prisoners of war, and carry out the laws against Tories. An appeal lay from them to the legislature, but was not often thought judicious. Previous to this, how ever, in October 1774, the first Provisional Congress of Massachusetts had appointed a provincial committee of safety, with 11 mem bers, to act as the general executive of the province; and in the next few weeks it made arrangements to raise and support an army. On 9 Fcb. 1775 the second Provincial Con gress constituted five members a permanent executive, and instructed it to "alarum, muster and cause to be assembled with the utmost ex pedition, and completely armed, accoutred, and supplied, such and so many of the militia of the province as they shall judge necessary,* such levy to be made when the committee thought a forcible attempt was to be made to carry out the Boston Port Bill. It was this
committee's decision to take possession of Charlestown and Dorchester Heights, on the rumor that Gage was to have heavy reinforce ments and occupy them, which led to the battle of Bunker Hill. New York had also a commit tee of safety, of 100 men, but it is characteristic of the undeveloped politics of the time that several of these were conservatives who after ward joined the British side. Partly from this, and partly from the unwieldy size 'of the com mittee, an inner committee was formed con sisting entirely of Sons of Liberty, and directed its operations. At the news of the battle of Lexington, they called a public meeting in New York at the city hall, and secured the arms and ammunition in the arsenal. John Lamb and Isaac Scars led the action, arrested all Brit ish vessels about to sail for Boston, locked up the custom-house, and discharged the cargo of a vessel detained by British authorities as loaded. with supplies for the patriots, formed a military company, armed it from the arsenal, surprised and captured the chief depot of British stores at Turtle Bay, and when the British commander ordered his men to join the army in Boston, refused to allow them to take any arms those in their hands. Otherwise they were to be allowed to embark unmolested. The more ardent members were displeased at this, but kept the letter of the promise and no more. The muskets being carried in wagons, they confis cated them as not "in the hands," the soldiers declaring that they should not be used against their brethren in Boston. Consult for the func tions of the committees, Sparks, 'Life of Gouverneur Morris,' (Vol. I, Chap. 2), and Hunt, A., 'Provincial Committees of Safety' (1904).