make such conventions, and that Congress, therefore, are not bound to ratify or fulfil them :

Your committee further report, that the baron de Kalb and the viscount de Mauroy, with a number of officers who came with them from France, have offered their service, provided their engagements with Mr. Deane, in respect to rank, are fulfilled; but that the American army having been arranged before the arrival of these gentlemen in America, their expectations cannot be complied with without deranging it, and thereby injuring, at so critical a juncture, the American cause; that the zeal, however, of these gentlemen, and their consequent expenses, merit the attention of Congress; wherefore, your committee report the following resolve:

Resolved, That the thanks of Congress be given to the baron de Kalb and the viscount de Mauroy, with the officers who accompany them, for their zeal in passing over to America to offer their service to these United States, and that their expenses to this continent, and on their return to France, be paid. Resolved, That Congress agree to the said report and resolve.

Ordered, That the baron de Kalb and the viscount de Mauroy be furnished with a copy of the foregoing report and resolution, attested by the secretary; also, that any of the officers accompanying them, who may desire it, be furnished with such a copy.

Whereas William Imlay, a prisoner of the United States upon suspicion of disaffection, has offered to take an oath of allegiance to the state of NewYork, of which he is a citizen; therefore,

Resolved, That it be recommended to the supreme executive council of the state of Pennsylvania, to discharge the said William Imlay on his parole of honor, that he will forthwith repair to Kingston, in the state of NewYork, and take the oath of allegiance to the said state.

Congress took into consideration the letter of the 6th from the council of Pennsylvania, wherein they inform, " that at the time the resolves of Congress of the 6th came to them, the council were disposing of every thing for the departure of the gentlemen confined in the Mason's Lodge; that the hearing of some may be censured as a partial proceeding, and therefore they wish the same indulgence may be granted to all: That as this may be tedious, and, in the midst of the present load of important business before council, of which that of embodying the militia is not the least part, they have not leisure to undertake it; that, as much injury will ensue to their commonwealth if council, at present, yield any further attention to this matter, they therefore earnestly request that Congress may hear and dispose of the gentlemen prisoners in the Mason's Lodge, and also of those who are on promise or parole, in such manner as to their wisdom shall seem best, and that, for this purpose, a list of the prisoners is herewith sent;" Whereupon, Resolved, That it would be improper for Congress to enter into any hearing of the remonstrants or the other prisoners in the Lodge, they being inhabitants of Pennsylvania; and, therefore, as the council decline giving them a hearing for the reasons assigned in their letter to Congress, that it be recommended to the said council to order the immediate departure of such of the said prisoners as yet refuse to swear or affirm allegiance to the state of Pennsylvania, to Staunton, in Virginia.

An appeal from the judgment of a court of admiralty for the state of Pennsylvania, on the libel" Andrew Caldwell against Wingate Newman," was lodged with the secretary, and referred to the committee for hearing and determining appeals.

The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

TUESDAY, September 9, 1777.

A letter, of the 26th of August, from colonel G. Morgan, with two letters

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to him from brigadier Hand, ordering him to lay in provisions for 2000 men for 6 months, with an estimate of the expense, was read:

Ordered, That the same be referred to the board of treasury.

The delegate from Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations laid before Congress a resolution passed by the general assembly of that state, which was read, and is as follows:

"IN THE LOWER HOUSE, August 22, 1777.

Resolved, That the delegates appointed, or who may be appointed to represent this state in Congress, be, and they, or either of them, are hereby empowered to represent said state in Congress, until they, or either of them, shall have due notice of their re-election, or until the delegates who may be appointed in their room, shall take their seats in Congress; the act directing the election of the said delegates for one year to the contrary notwithstanding. Voted and past; per order, J. LYNDON, Clerk. In the Upper House, read the same day and concurred. R. J. HOLME, deputy Secretary."

By order,

A letter, of the 7th, from general Putnam; and one, of the 2d, from Peter Colt, both directed to W. Buchanan, commissary-general of purchases, were read:

Ordered, That they be referred to a committee of three:

The members chosen, Mr. Duane, Mr. Clark and Mr. Gerry.

Congress took into consideration the resolution reported from the committee of the whole; Whereupon, it was moved, that it be divided, and the sense of Congress taken on it, reduced to distinct propositions: it was then moved,

That the interest which shall arise, after the date of this resolution on loan-office certificates which shall be issued in pursuance of former resolutions of Congress, be anually paid at the respective loan-offices in bills of exchange, on the commissioners of the United States in Paris;

It was then moved, that such interest be paid in bills of exchange, at the rate of six per centum per annum; Whereupon, an amendment was moved, to stike out" six" and insert" five;"

Congress being informed that colonel Forman was at the door, and had a message from general Washington:

Ordered, That he be introduced.

Colonel Forman being introduced, delivered the message and withdrew. Congress having received information from general Washington, that a great part of the enemy's fleet have sailed with intention, as it is apprehended, to come round into the Delaware river; and, whereas, gen. Washington hath requested that a proper look-out be kept up, and intelligence sent him, with as much despatch as possible, of the movements of the said fleet. Ordered, That the executive council of the state of Pennsylvania be informed thereof, and that it be recommended to them to attend to this matter. Ordered, That gen. Washington appoint a proper person at head-quarters to write to the president twice a day, or oftener if necessary, and give information of the position and movements of the armies; and that the board of war appoint proper expresses for conveying the said letters with the utmost expedition.

The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

WEDNESDAY, September 10, 1777.

A letter, of the 8th, from gen. Washington, eight miles from Wilmington; one, of the 9th, from Dr. Shippen, director-general of the hospital; also, a return of sundries received from Christiana-Bridge, seized by col. E. Blaine, deputy commissary-general of purchases, for the use of the continental army, were read:

Ordered, That the letter from Dr. Shippen, and the return, be referred to the board of treasury.

The committee on the treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,

Ordered, That there be advanced to Anthony Butler, agent to major-gen. Mifflin, quarter-master general, agreeable to his application by letter to Congress, dated 6th instant, 150,000 dollars for the use of his department, and for which he is to be accountable:

That there be advanced to William Buchanan, commissary-general of purchases, 100,000 dollars for the use of his department, and for which he is to be accountable:

To John Mackenzie, a prisoner, 20 dollars, to defray his travelling expenses to Fredericktown, in Maryland, to which place he is ordered to repair by the board of war.

To lieut. de la Colombe, for his pay as lieutenant from 1st December, 1776, to 1st September, 1777, nine months, 243 dollars, for which he is to be accountable:

To col. Dugan, by the hands of his wife, 300 dollars on account of his arrears of pay, and for which he is to be accountable:

To the secret committee 2500 dollars, for which they are to account, and that the same be paid by warrant on the loan-office in the state of RhodeIsland.

Ordered, That the quarter-master general lay his accounts, as soon as may be, before the board of treasury, in order for adjustment, and immediately lay before Congress, a list of all deputies and assistants employed in the quarter-master's department, and how and where employed.

In consequence of an adjustment by the commissioners of claims, the auditor-general reports,

That there is due to Dr. John Morgan, late director-general of the American hospitals, the balance of his account-current as adjusted by the commissioners of accounts at Hartford, 12th July last, the sum of 613 40-90 dollars, and the farther sum of 200 dollars which he advanced to Dr. Warren,

surgeon of the general hospital, to defray expenses, &c. which sum was stolen from the said Warren, as per certificates taken on oath before the commissioners at Stamford, and which the board of treasury agrees should be allowed to Dr. Morgan;

Also the pay of director-general from 31st December, 1776, to 12th July, 1777, being 194 days, at 6 dollars a day, which time he employed in taking accounts, and delivering up the medicines, hospital-stores, and settling accounts with the surgeons, mates, &c. and attending the commissioners at Hartford, 1164 dollars; for 1179 rations from 31st December, 1776, to 10th May, at 8-90 dollar, 104 72-90 dollars, and for 567 rations, from 10th May to 12th July, at 10-90, is 63 dollars, making in the whole 2145 22-90 dollars: To George Everson, his account for removing military stores from different parts of New-Jersey to Philadelphia, &c. last winter, also expenses and wages as assistant commissary of military stores, from 10th July, 1776, to 16th January, 1777, he having been employed in that capacity by gov. Livingston, and the commissary-general of the department, 272 63-90 dollars: To Adam Good, 46 meals supplied continental troops on their march to camp, 5 18-90 dollars:

Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.

A memorial from captain Jost Driesbach, and a letter from John Smith to R. H. Lee, esq. were laid before Congress :

Ordered, That they be referred to the board of treasury.

Congress proceeded to the election of a pay-master for the North-Carolina light-horse, in the service of the continent; and, the ballots being taken, William Hardy was chosen.

Congress resumed the consideration of the resolution reported from the committee of the whole: Whereupon,

It was moved, "that the interest which shall arise after the date of this resolution on certificates already issued be paid in bills of exchange;"

The resolution of the committee of the whole was read and agreed to, viz. Resolved, That the interest which shall arise after the date of this resolution on loan-office certificates already issued, or which shall be issued before the 1st day of March next, be annually paid at the respective loan-offices, in bills of exchange on the commissioners of the United States in Paris, at the rate of five livres of France for every Spanish milled dollar due for interest as aforesaid, or in continental bills of credit, at the option of the respective lenders:

Ordered, That the same be published.

Ordered, That five members be added to the committee appointed to consider the letter of S. Hopkins, esq. and the proceedings of the committees from New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, and New-York:

The members chosen, Mr. Duane, Mr. Gerry, Mr. Marchant, Mr. Morris, and Mr. Dyer.

D

Ordered, That the committee prepare an earnest recommendation to the several states to proceed to taxation, and that the said committee prepare an estimate of the quotas to be raised in each state by such taxation, having regard to their present circumstances, condition and abilities, but without respect to the quota hereafter to be assigned to each state for defraying the expense of the war.

The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

A letter, of the 10th, and, one, of the 11th, from R. H. Harrison, were read, the last informing, that the enemy are advancing, and that their present appearance indicates a disposition to pursue the route by Chad's Ford: Ordered, That the last be referred to the committee of intelligence.

The committee to whom it was referred "to consider under what regulations and restrictions regimental officers shall for the future receive their rations," brought in a report, which was read and agreed to, as follows:

Whereas, by the 24th article of the regulations of the department of the commissaries, it is provided, "That no provisions be issued to any persons but by the written order of the commander in chief, the commander of any department, the quarter-master general, any of his deputies or assistants, the commanding officer of a party, describing the person in whose favor such order shall be given, or upon a return signed by the commanding officer of a corps or detachment thereof, whether commissioned or non-commissioned officer, or by the regimental quarter-master:" and whereas, by the last clause of the said article, the issuing commissaries, upon receiving such returns, have considered themselves authorized or obliged to issue provisions indiscriminately to the officers and privates therein contained, and many inconveniencies have arisen therefrom:

Resolved, That the officers of each regiment, corps and detachment, be empowered to divide themselves, as often as they shall think proper, into messes, not exceeding six to a regiment, and to signify the same to the officer signing the provision return, who shall thereupon distinguish in each return the names of the officers so divided into messes; and the issuing commissaries are respectively directed to deliver to the head of each mess, as aforesaid, the rations due to the same, or such part thereof as the head of the mess shall require, taking receipts for the same on the respective returns, and charging the whole of the rations delivered to the officers and privates, contained in each return, to the proper regiment, corps, or detachment, as directed in the 22d article of the said regulations.

A motion being made, was referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Chase, and Mr. Jones.

The committee on foreign applications laid before Congress the demands of the baron de Kalb and the viscount de Mauroy, in behalf of themselves and the gentlemen who accompanied them, for their expenses on this continent and return to France:

Ordered, that the same be referred to the board of treasury.

A memorial, from David Forman, for himself and partners, was read, praying for a guard of 100 men to protect salt-works, which, on obtaining such a guard, they undertake to erect :

Ordered, That it be dismissed.

The committee to whom the memorial of Dr. Allison and others was referred, report, "That they have conferred fully with the printers, &c. in this city, and are of opinion, that the proper types for printing the Bible are not to be had in this country, and that the paper cannot be procured, but with such difficulties and subject to such casualties, as render any depend