MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1776

A letter from General Washington, of the 31 August, with the determination of a council of war, and the reasons for quitting Long Island, and a copy of a letter from Lord Sterling:

Also, a letter from Major General Gates, of the 23 August, with sundry papers enclosed;

A letter from sundry field officers in the army at Ticonderoga, dated 19th August, with the proceedings between a court martial and Brigadier General Arnold: also,

A letter from Captain John Nelson, of the 23 August, and a letter from Benjamin Harrison, Jun' deputy pay master general, with his weekly accounts, were laid before Congress, and read,

Resolved, That the said letters be referred to the Board of War.1

Congress being informed, that General Sullivan was in town, with a design to communicate the substance of a conversation he had with Lord Howe come to Philadelphia, with a message from Lord Howe,

Ordered, That he be admitted, and heard before Congress.

A petition from Michael Fitzgerald; also, a petition from John Weitzel, and one from James Paul Govert, were presented to Congress, and read,

Resolved, That they be referred to the Board of War.2 A petition from Peter Dicthery, was presented and read, Resolved, That it be referred to the Medical Committee.

1 The letter of Washington is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, II, folio 507. It is printed in the Writings of Washington (Ford), IV, 373. That of Gates is in No. 154, I, folio 45. That of the Field Officers, on Arnold's appeal from a court martial, is in No. 78, XVII, folio 1. That of Nelson is in No. 78, XVII, folio 5, and that of Harrison, dated August 23, is in No. 78, XI, folio 83.

"The petition from Michael Fitzgerald, without date. is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, III, folio 9.

A letter from William Bausman, of Lancaster, was laid before Congress, and read: Whereupon,

Resolved, That an order for £500=1,333 1/3 dollars be drawn on the treasurer, in favour of the committee of Lancaster, for the use of the barracks ||ordered to be built in that borough||; the said committee to be accountable.

Resolved, That an order for 4,577 63/90 dollars be drawn on the treasurer, in favour of Francis Lewis, Esq: being for so much paid by his order to Jonathan Trumbull, Esq deputy pay master general, and that the same be charged to the account of the said Jonathan Trumbull.

A memorial from Francis Guillot was presented to Congress, and read.

Resolved, That it be referred to the Marine Committee. The committee to whom was recommitted the report of the committee appointed to ascertain the value of the several species of gold and silver [coins] current in these states, and the proportion they and each of them bear and ought to bear to Spanish milled dollars, brought in their report, which was read:

The Committee, to whom was recommitted a report from a Committee appointed to ascertain the value of the several species of gold and silver current in these states, and the proportion they and each of them bear and ought to bear to Spanish milled dollars, have taken the same into consideration and thereupon come to the following resolutions:

Whereas, the holders of bills of credit emitted by authority of Congress will be entitled at certain periods, appointed for redemption thereof to receive out of the Treasury of the United States the amount of the said bills in Spanish milled dollars, or the value thereof in gold and silver; and the value of such dollars is different in proportion as they are more or less worn, and the value of other silver, and of gold coins, and also of bullion, when compared with such dollars, is estimated by different rules and proportions in these states, whereby injustice may happen to individuals, to particular states, or to the whole Union as well in paiments into, as out of the Treasury, which

ought to be prevented by declaring the precise weight and fineness of the s'd Spanish milled dollar which is to be considered as the American now becoming the Money-Unit or common measure of other coins in these states, and by explaining the principles and establishing the rules by which other coins and bullion the said common measure shall be applied to other coins and to bullion in order to estimate their comparative value be thenee known and estimated at the s'd Treasury. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this Committee that all paiments made into or out of the said Treasury ought in good faith to be measured estimated by the Spanish milled dollar, otherwise called the Pillar piece of eight, as it comes from the mint, new and unworn; and that in such which state it's absolute weight is 17 dwt. 9 grs. Troy weight, which is made up of six containing sixteen pennyweight, one grain, fourteen and an half mites of fine silver, and one pennyweight, seven grains, five and an half mites of fine copper alloy; and that according to the usual course of merchandize neither the said alloy nor the charges of coinage are estimated in the value of coin or bul lion and that the value of all coins and of bullion as estimated in com merce is in proportion to the quantity of fine metal they contain, without regard to workmanship, or the alloy mixed therewith. but that according to the course of merchandize neither the said alloy nor the expences of coinage should be considered as any addition to the value of the said coin.

Resolved, that it is the opinion of this Committee that all gold silver coins or bullion paid into or out of the sd treasury ought to be estimated in such paiment according to the quantity of fine silver they contain.

Resolved, that it is the opinion of this Committee that all gold coins or bullion paid into or out of the said treasury ought to be estimated in such paiment according to the quantity of fine gold they contain and the proportional value, which the value of fine gold bears to that of fine silver in those foreign markets at which these states will probably carry on commerce; but as the said proportion is different at different those markets, it is further the opinion of this committee that the several proportions at the said markets before mentioned should be averaged and such averaged proportion be observed at the said treasury.

Resolved, that it is the opinion of this Committee, after due enquiry made, that the several proportions between the value of equal weights of fine silver and of an equal quantity weight of fine gold, at the said

markets before mentioned, is at present, when averaged nearly as one to fourteen and three-fourths one half, and that this proportion should be observed at the sd treasury. but as in long tracts of time the proportional values of gold and silver at market are liable to vary, whenever such variation shall have become sensible, this house ought to make a corresponding charge in the rates at their treasury.

Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee, after due enquiry made into the fineness of the coins below hereafter mentioned, that taking into consideration the quantity of fine metal gold or silver they contain, and the proportional value before mentioned between equal weights of gold fine gold and fine silver, their values expressed in Dollars, or Units and Decimals, by decimal notation in Dollars and parts of a dollar are as follows:

and that the said coins when of the absolute weight there stated should be paid and received at the said treasury for so many Dollars and parts of a dollar as is there expressed, and when of a greater or lesser

weight should be paid and received for a proportionably greater or lesser number of dollars and parts of a dollar.

Resolved, that all other silver coins not specially named in the sd table, and all silver bullion, should be paid and received at the sd Treasury paid or received at the said treasury, be estimated in receipt and paiment at the sd treasury in dollars and parts of a dollar in proportion to the fine silver they respectively contain; and all gold coin and bull. not specially named, and gold bullion, be estimated in dollars and parts of a dollar in the compound ratios of the quantity of fine gold they contain, and of the afore mentioned proportion between the value of equal weights of fine gold and fine silver and that no value be put allowance be made in either case for the value of the alloy nor for the charges of coinage or workmanship.

Resolved, that assays should be made as soon as conveniently may be of the fineness of such other coins not stated in the aforesaid said table as are in circulation within these states, and that they should be inserted in the said table, together with their values in Dollars and parts of a dollar, in order to render the same more full and adequate to the purposes of public convenience.

And whereas, the credit of the said bills as current money ought to be supported at the full value therein expressed by the inhabitants of these states, for whose benefit they are issued, at the full value therein expressed, and who stand bound to redeem the same according to the like value, and the pernicious artifices of the enemies of American liberty to impair the credit of the said bills by raising the nominal value of gold and silver ought to be guarded against and prevented.

Resolved, that all bills of credit emitted by authority of Congress ought to pass current in all paiments, trade, and dealings in the states, and be deemed equal in value to gold and silver, according to the preceding rates and resolutions; and that whosoever shall offer, demand or receive more in the said bills for any gold or silver coins or bullion than is before rated, or more of the said bills for any lands, houses, goods, wares or merchandize than the nominal sum at which the same might be purchased of the same person with gold or silver, every such person ought to be deemed an enemy to the liberties of these colonies states, and treated accordingly, being on conviction before such per sons or judicature as have been or shall be authorised by the Assem blies to hear and determine the sd off such offences by the Convention or assembly of the state wherein the offence shall be committed; but where no such judicature is as yet established, such conviction the sd