76 HAYS—DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, [Jan. 19, 
Dr. Green writes me that in the copy of this broadside 
possessed by the Massachusetts Historical Society ‘‘ the Dec- 
laration is followed by an Order, in six lines, attested by ‘John 
Avery D’ [torn].’’ ‘‘The tear in the lower right-hand corner 
takes up one-half of the width of the broadside, and about one- 
quarter of its length.’’ The order is that of the Council of Massa- 
chusetts, dated July 17, 1776, directing that the Declaration of 
Independence be printed, and that the minister of each parish read 
the same on the ensuing Sunday. John Avery, who signed this 
order, was the Deputy Secretary of the Council of Massachusetts, 
and ina letter to Sheriff Greenleaf, dated ‘* Council Chamber, 
August 5, 1776,’’ he says: ‘‘I am directed by the honorable Com- 
mittee of Council to acquaint you that the printed Declarations of 
Independency are on their table, and they expect that you will take 
proper care that they be distributed through this State as soon as 
may be, that every town may have them publicly read in each re- 
ligious assembly’’ (dm. Archives, 5th Series, Vol. i, p. 778). 
Mr. Ford gives as No. 104 of his ‘‘ Bibliography’’ an edition 
of which I have been unable to locate a copy. He states that it 
measures 15 inches x 19% inches. ‘The line for line transcript he 
gives as follows : 
In Congress, July 4, 1776, | Declaration | By the Representa- 
tives of the | United States of America| In General Congress 
Assembled 
Mr. Ford writes me that he cannot now recall where he saw this 
broadside, but his impression is that it was at an auction in Boston 
some eight or nine years ago and that he made the memorandum 
concerning it at that time. 
The Journals of Congress state (Vol. ii, Phila., 1776, p. 241) 
that ‘‘ the Declaration being read, was agreed to, as follows: 
‘‘A Declaration by the Representatives of the United States of 
America in Congress assembled.’’ It will be noticed that in the 
first editions previously referred to the word ‘‘ general’’ has been 
interpolated before ‘‘ Congress’’ in the title, so as to read, ‘‘in 
General Congress assembled,’’ and in Dunlap’s second edition and 
the others prior to the Baltimore edition of the following year the 
interpolation is retained. For this alteration in the title to the 
