Joseph Ward, esq. was elected commissary-general of musters.

Richard Varick and William Bradford, jun. were elected deputy mustermasters general.

Ordered, That the election of the other two be postponed till to-morrow. Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

FRIDAY, April 11, 1777.

A letter of the 9th, from general Washington; one of the 8th, from president M'Kinley; and one, of the 9th, from general Putnam, were read. Ordered, That the letter from president M'Kinley be referred to the board of treasury.

Resolved, That president M'Kinley be requested, with the advice of his council, to appoint a suitable person to supply with provisions, the company to be stationed for the protection of Lewistown and the neighborhood.

A letter, of the 10th, from general Washington, with sundry papers enclosed, respecting the exchange of prisoners; and a letter from the chevalier de Vrecourt, were read :

Ordered, That the papers, respecting the exchange of prisoners, be published; that the letter from the chevalier de Vrecourt, be referred to the committee on foreign applications, and that the general's letter, with the other papers, be referred to the board of war.

Congress proceeded to the election of the two remaining deputy mustermasters general; and the ballots being taken,

William Yates and George Noarth were elected.

Congress then proceeded to the election of officers in the hospital department; and the ballots being taken,

Dr. William Shippen, jun. was chosen, by the unanimous ballot of the thirteen states, director-general of all the military hospitals for the armies of the United States.

Dr. Walter Jones, physician-general of the hospital in the middle department.

Dr. Benjamin Rush, surgeon-general of the hospital in the middle department.

Dr. John Cochran, physician and surgeon-general of the army in the middle department.

Dr. Isaac Forster, deputy director-general of the hospital in the eastern department.

Dr. Ammi Ruhamah Cutter, physician-general of the hospital in the eastern department.

Dr. Philip Turner, surgeon-general of ditto.

Dr. William Burnet, physician and surgeon-general of the army in the eastern department.

Dr. Jonathan Potts, deputy director-general of the hospital in the northern department.

Dr. Malachi Treat, physician-general of ditto.

Dr. Forgue, surgeon-general of ditto.

Dr. John Bartlett, physician and surgeon-general of the army in the northern department.

Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to make diligent enquiry respecting the truth of an information, just given to Congress, of a quantity of provisions being laid up in the city of Philadelphia; and if, upon enquiry, the same be found to be true, to take effectual measures, in conjunction with the board of war of Pennsylvania, for preventing the same from falling into the hands of the enemy.

The members chosen, Mr. Duer, Mr. S. Adams, and Mr. Clark.

The board of treasury reported,

That there is due to Dr. J. Ramsey, and to be paid to the honorable Jona

than Elmer, for sundry medicines supplied the New-Jersey troops, 24.42 dollars:

To Dr. James Tilton, for sundry medicines supplied the battalion of the state of Delaware, 26.60 dollars:

To Dr. William Currie, for sundry medicines supplied the 5th, or colonel Johnston's Pennsylvania battalion, 135.56 dollars:

To John Skinner, for sundry provisions supplied the troops at Cranberry, in the state of New-Jersey, and for his pay as assistant commissary, agreeable to his account, as settled by Mr. Carpenter Wharton, deputy commissary-general 939.8 dollars: this sum being exclusive of wagonage and other charges, to be settled in the quarter-master general's department:

To William Whipple, esq. for the expense of conveying 60,000 dollars from Philadelphia to the state of New-Hampshire, 69.9 dollars: Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.

Resolved, That general Schuyler be directed to issue warrants on Mr. Mease, for the payment of arrearages due to the Maryland militia, that served in the army during the winter campaign.

The board of war brought in a report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon,

Resolved, That 175 fire-arms, either muskets or rifles, 200 wt. of powder, 800 wt. of lead, and 500 flints, be sent to the town of Westmoreland, on the east branch of Susquehanna river, to the care of colonel Nathan Dennison, to be used by the militia there, for the defence of the said town, if necessary; the arms to be returned when the service there will admit of it:

That the pay of the deputy quarter-master general in the northern department, be raised to 60 dollars a month, in consideration of the extraordinary trouble that attends the execution of the office in that department: That the pay of brigade-majors, in the continental army, be raised to 50 dollars a month:

That the pay of the regimental-chaplains in the continental army be raised to 40 dollars a month:

That the pay of the judge-advocate be raised to 60 dollars a month:

That colonel Morgan procure as much of the provision, ordered by Congress, to be laid up at Fort-Pitt, by their resolution of the 7th of January last, as general Hand shall think necessary:

That general Hand determine the number and kind of cannon necessary

to be sent to Fort-Pitt:

That three tons of powder be sent to Fort-Pitt from Lancaster:

That colonel Flower, commissary-general of military stores, be empowered to purchase 200 rifles and their accoutrements, to be sent to Fort-Pitt: That general Hand have discretionary power as to the number of men to be embodied for the defence of the frontiers, if, on any emergency, he shall think a greater number than 1000 necessary:

The committee on foreign applications, brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Wherchpon,

Resolved, That the chevalier de Preudhomme de Borre have the rank and pay of a brigadier-general in the army of the United States of America, from the first day of December last; according to the compact made between him and the honorable Silas Deȧne, esq.

Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

SATURDAY, April 12, 1777.

Resolved, That 100,000 dollars be advanced to Dr. W. Shippen, directorgeneral, for the use of the hospital; he to be accountable.

A letter, of the 9th, from commodore Hotham, on board the Roebuck, in old Hoarkil road, directed to R. Morris, esq. was laid before Congress, and read.

Ordered, That the same be referred to the marine committee. Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to devise ways and means of aiding the recruiting service, and preventing abuses therein:

The members chosen, Mr. Burke, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. R. H. Lee. Congress proceeded to the election of commissioners to examine such claims against the United States as may be presented to Congress for payment; and, the ballots being taken,

John Benezet, Robert Ritchie, and Thomas Fitzsimons, were elected.

Resolved, That the surgeons-general and physicians-general of the hospitals, shall, each of them regulate the practice of both physic and surgery, and do the duty of physician and surgeon-general in the hospitals respectively committed to their charge, and that the director and deputy directors-general take proper care to keep the sick and wounded in separate departments. A memorial from Robert Levers was read; Whereupon,

Resolved, That Mr. Mease be directed to advance to Robert Levers, paymaster of the 12th Pennsylvania battalion, the sum of 2453.57 dollars; and that the same be charged to his account, and his receipt transmitted to R. Dallam, esq. that he may account for the same at the settlement of his accounts. The committee on the post-office brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,

Resolved, That the post-master general be authorized to make an additional allowance to the deputy post-masters, of any sum not exceeding 200 dollars per annum, when he shall find the same to be absolutely necessary. That 2000 dollars be advanced to the post-master general; he to be accountable.

Resolved, That 500 dollars be allowed for erecting the monument to general Warren, and the like sum for erecting the monument to gen. Mercer. Resolved, That it be recommended to the executive powers of Massachusetts-Bay and Virginia, to take the most effectual measures for carrying into execution the resolutions of Congress, passed the 8th instant, respecting generals Warren and Mercer.

Resolved, That the commissioners for examining claims against the United States, shall take an oath of office and fidelity to the United States, to be administered by the president, and a certificate thereof filed in the treasury, previous to their entering upon the duty of their appointments.

.A memorial from major Romand de Lisle; a memorial from Mons. Imbert, and one from Mons. de Bordes, were read; Whereupon,

Ordered, That the sum of 64 dollars be advanced to each of the memorialists, for the purpose of paying their passage to St. Domingo.

Resolved, That the count de Vrecourt be appointed an engineer in the service of the United States, with the rank and pay of a colonel.

Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on departments; Whereupon,

Resolved, That the same be re-committed.

The committee appointed to devise means for introducing better discipline in the army, brought in a report, which was read.

The committee of Congress at Philadelphia, which acted during the time Congress sat at Baltimore, produced a state of their accounts and expenditures, and also a copy of the letters and papers received, and of those written by them; Whereupon,

Ordered, That the accounts be referred to the board of treasury, and that the other papers be lodged in the secretary's office.

The committee of appeals having reported, that they have heard the appeal, entered on the part of Jonathan Burnel, and others, owners or claimants of the brigantine Sherburne, &c. from the verdict found, and sentence of condemnation passed in the court of admiralty for the port of Philadelphia, in

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the state of Pennsylvania, against the said brigantine, fully argued, and proceeded to give judgment thereupon, and the opinions of the said committee, to wit: James Wilson, Jonathan D. Sergeant, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Thomas Burke, and William Ellery, being delivered, the said committee was equally divided, by reason whereof no judgment could be given:

Whereupon, in order that no failure of justice may ensue,

Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to re-hear and determine the said appeal:

The members chosen, Mr. Heyward, Mr. R. H. Lee, Mr. Clymer, Mr. Duer, and Mr. Rumsey.

Adjourned to ten o'clock on Monday.

MONDAY, April 14, 1777.

A letter, of the 13th, from general Putnam; one, of the 12th, from H. Fisher, at Lewistown; and one, of the 2d, from brigadier A. Wayne, at Ticonderoga, with sundry papers enclosed, were read.

Ordered, That the letter from brigadier Wayne, with the papers enclosed, be referred to the board of war.

The board of war brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,

Ordered, That 1000 dollars be advanced to captain Samuel Kearsly, to enable him to raise the company to which he is appointed by general Washington.

Resolved, That the company appointed to be raised under the command of captain Samuel Morehead, for the defence of the frontier inhabitants and public stores, at and near the Kittanning, shall not be called to any other service without their consent.

Resolved, That Charles Seitz be appointed adjutant to the corps commanded by major Ottendorf, in the room of Bartholomew Van Hare, appointed in the artillery.

The committee appointed to devise means for aiding the recruiting service, and preventing abuses therein, brought in a report, which was read and considered; Whereupon,

Resolved, That it be recommended to the executive powers of each of the United States, to enquire into the conduct of all officers on the recruiting service within their restive states; to remove such as belong to the battalions of their respective quotas, who have neglected their duty, or abused the trust reposed in them, and shall be found within their respective jurisdiction; and to fill up all vacancies which may happen by such removals; to transmit to Congress all such testimony as shall be taken against any officer or officers, who may have marched or removed from the state to whose battalions he or they belong, and against any officer or officers belonging to the quota of another state, who may have been guilty of neglect or misbe haviour in the state where the enquiry shall be made.

That it be recommended to the said executive powers to procure exact returns of the continental troops in each, and transmit the same to Congress, without delay. And all officers and soldiers of the continental army, are hereby required to pay the strictest regard to the orders of the executive powers of the several states touching the aforesaid premises.

Resolved, That it be recommended to the legislatures of each of the United States, to enact laws exempting from actual service any two of the militia, who shall, within the time limited by such laws, furnish one able-bodied recruit, to serve in any battalion of the continental army for the term of three years, or during the present war: such exemption to continue during the term for which the recruit shall inlist, every such recruit to be entitled to the continental bounty, and other allowances:

That it be recommended to the legislatures aforesaid, respectively, to enact laws, compelling all such persons as are by laws exempted from bearing arms, or performing militia duties, other than such as are specified in the foregoing resolve, to furnish such a number of able-bodied soldiers, as the said legislatures respectively shall deem a proper equivalent for such exemptions; such soldiers to be entitled to the continental bounty and other allowances, over and above such gratuities as they may receive from those who procure them to inlist:

Also, to permit the inlisting of servants and apprentices, and to prohibit the imprisoning, or otherwise restraining the persons of soldiers in the continental service, for any debt not exceeding fifty dollars.

And, whereas, it is of the greatest moment to the cause of American freedom, that an army of considerable strength take the field early the ensuing eampaign,

Resolved, That if the several quotas of the states cannot be furnished by the means recommended in the foregoing resolutions, or any other means by the said legislatures devised, before the 15th day of May next, it is recommended to each state, to cause indiscriminate draughts to be made from their respective militia.

That it be recommended to the said legislatures, to apply all the means by these resolutions recommended, in the manner which they shall judge most effectual for speedily completing the army, and, in case they shall prove unsuccessful, that they cause the draughts aforesaid to be made.

Resolved, That the executive power of each state, be authorized and empowered to order such officers, as they shall judge proper, from the respective battalions and companies of their respective quotas, to remain within the state, for the purpose of aiding in inlisting and collecting the recruits, which may be furnished under the above recommended regulations, and to convey the same to the battalions and companies to which they belong; such officers to be under the direction of such executive powers respectively.

The committee appointed to confer with the board of war of Pennsylvania, brought in a report, which was read and considered; Whereupon, Congress came to the following resolutions:

Whereas the state of Pennsylvania is threatened with an immediate invasion, and from the adjournment of the legislative and executive authority of the commonwealth, it is impracticable to carry into immediate execution, many measures of the utmost importance, not only to the safety of the said commonwealth, but likewise to the general welfare of the United States,

Resolved, That it is the indispensable duty of Congress, to watch over all matters, the neglect of which may, in its consequences, deeply affect the welfare of the United States, till such time as the legislative and executive authorities of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, can resume the exercise of their different functions.

Resolved, That his excellency the president of the supreme executive council of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, be requested, forthwith, to convene the legislative and executive authorities of the state of Pennsylvania, in order that proper measures may be pursued for the defence of the same. Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to confer with the president of the supreme executive council, and such other members of the said council as can be convened, with the board of war for the state of Pennsylvania, and with the delegates of the said state in Congress, concerning the mode of authority which they shall conceive most eligible to be exercised, during the recess of the house of assembly and the council, in order that the same, if approved by Congress, may be immediately adopted.

The members chosen, Mr. S. Adams, Mr. Duer and Mr. R. H. Lee. The committee appointed to revise and amend the articles of war, brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,