if not impracticable to procure Returns and Remittances; and, indeed, the customary Allowance to Postmasters would be no Compensation for the Trouble of making them, and much less for the Responsibility of the Officer.

For these Reasons I am of Opinion that the proposed Plan would not be eligible; and I beg leave to add, that, from a Circumstance now taking Place, the Business probably may be effected without being subject to so many Inconveniences. A Contract is nearly compleated for the Cross Road from Alexandria to Bedford and Fort Pitt, so that a Postmaster at the latter Place will be appointed of Course; if the Postage on Letters sent by this Rider, to go beyond Fort Pitt, is paid at the Office in which the Letters are first lodged, there will be no Impediment to prevent the Postmaster's forwarding them by the first good Conveyance he can meet with, and it will be his Duty to do it.

The Proposal for the Establishment of Cross Posts cannot, in any way, be injurious to the Public; but, on the contrary, may be the means of making many Establishments which would not otherwise be made, accommodating the Citizens of many Parts of the Union who now derive no Benefit from Posts, and, eventually, of greatly encreasing the Revenues of the General Post Office.

All which is respectfully submitted, etc.

His Excellency

THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS

EBEN HAZARD

On motion of Mr [William] Grayson seconded by Mr S[tephen] M[ix] Mitchell

Resolved, That the post master general be and he is hereby authorised and empowered to grant for a term not exceeding seven years to any person or persons who will give satisfactory security for the performance of his or their contract the exclusive priviledge of carrying letters and packets for hire upon the cross roads within the State of Virginia from the City of Richmond to Staunton in the County of Augusta and from Winchester in the County of Frederick to Staunton; provided that the postage to be charged by such person or persons for the carriage of letters and packets shall in no

case exceed the rates charged pursuant to the Acts of Congress for similar letters and packets carried the same distance upon the main post road and provided also that such contract shall not occasion any expence to the general post Office.1

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1787.

Congress assembled. Present as yesterday.

The Come on qualifications having reported 2 on the Credentials of the delegates for Maryland, thereupon

On the motion of M1 [Nathaniel] Mitchell seconded by Mr [William] Few

Resolved That though by the commission of Mr [Uriah] Forrest delegate for Maryland the time for which he is appointed to serve in Congress is not clearly expressed, yet it appears that it was intended by the State that his appointment should extend from the second Monday of December last until the second Monday in December last until the second Monday in December next and that the commission will admit of such a construction.

The Come of qualifications report That Mr [James Mitchel] Varnum the delegate attending from the State of

1 FEBRUARY 15, 1787. According to the Committee Book, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 190, p. 137, the following committee was appointed:

Mr. Rufus King, Mr. James Madison, Mr. Lambert Cadwallader, Mr. Charles Pinckney and Mr. Abraham Clark on a motion for repealing the Ordinance of October 13, 1786, for establishing a Board to liquidate and settle all accounts between the United States and individual States. Cf. Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 59, III, pp. 431-432. Mr. Pinckney was replaced by Mr. James Mitchel Varnum on March 12, 1787. See March 29, 1787.

According to indorsement, an extract of a letter from a gentleman in Kentucky to a friend in Philadelphia, dated December 12, 1786, giving an account of the conduct of General Clarke, was communicated to Congress by the President and referred to the Secretary for transmission to the Governor of Virginia. The copy is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 49, pp. 323–324.

2 The report in the writing of Mr. William Few and Mr. Egbert Benson, with corrections to make it agree with the Journal entry and indorsed as read February 16, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 23, p. 273. A longer report in the writing of Mr. Benson, on the same matter, which apparently was not considered, is on pp. 275-276.

Rhode island &c is duly appointed to serve in Congress for one year from and after the first Monday in November last. Resolved That Congress agree to the said report.

[Report of Committee on recruiting 1]

The Committee consisting of [Mr. Charles Pinckney, Mr. James Madison, Mr. Rufus King, Mr. William Samuel Johnson and Mr. William Bingham] To whom was referred a motion for instructing immediately [directing] the Secretary at war to issue instructions [immediately] to the officers in the recruiting service to suspend any future inlistments of troops under the resolutions of Congress of the 20th October 1786 until the farther direction of Congress

Report that in their opinion the present situation and circumstances of the United States make it prudent to postpone for a short time a decision on the subject which has been referred to them.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1787.

Congress assembled present as before.

Congress being assembled Present Massachusetts Connecticut New York New Jersey Penylvania Virginia North Carolina South Carolina and Georgia and from R[hode] Island Mr [James Mitchel] Varnum and from Maryland M1 [Uriah] Forrest.2

The President being absent Congress proceeded to the election of a chairman and the ballots being taken

The honble Lambert Cadwallader was elected.

The Com3 consisting of Mr [Rufus] King M [William Samuel] Johnson and Mr [Samuel] Meredith to whom was referred a petition of Thomas Russel of Boston in the state

4

1 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 27, p. 319, in the writing of Mr. Charles Pinckney. Read February 16 and made the order of the day for Monday, February 19, 1787.

'The attendance is entered in this form in the Secret Domestic Journal, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 3, p. 230.

'According to Committee Book, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 190, p. 137, the committee was appointed February 19 and reported the same day.

Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, VI, p. 526, read February 19. The committee report is indorsed on the petition.

of Massachusetts praying that sea letters may be granted for two vessels belonging to him now at Boston and bound for the east Indies, namely the Brig Nathaniel whereof Moses Brown is Master and the Schooner "The generous Friends", Eli Vickery master having reported "That they are assured that the vessels above mentioned with their cargoes belong to a citizen of the United States and are navigated by seamen who are citizens of the United States."

Resolved That sea letters in the usual form be granted for the said vessels,

1 The com consisting of Mr [Charles] Pinckney Mr [James] Madison Mr [Rufus] King Mr [William Samuel] Johnson and Mr [William] Bingham to whom was referred a motion for directing the Secretary at war to issue instructions immediately to the officers in the recruiting service to suspend any future inlistments of troops under the resolutions 2 of Congress of the 20 Oct 1786 until the farther directions of Congress having reported 3 "That in their opinion the present circumstances of the United States make it prudent to postpone for a short time a decision on the subject which has been referred to them". And this report being called for as an Order of the day by the State of South Carolina and being under debate, a motion was made by Mr [Charles] Pinckney seconded by Mr [William] Few That the further consideration of the said report be postponed in order to take up the following

"Whereas neither the requisition of the 21 of Oct 1786, nor the loans which the board of treasury were directed to

1 From this point to the end of the day the entry is also made in Secret Domestic Journal, Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 3, pp. 230–232, under the date "Monday February 16, 1787". The margin of the Public Journal is marked with dots to indicate transfer to the Secret Journal.

2 Journals, vol XXXI, pp. 892-893.

3 See February 14 and 16, 1787.

4 Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 27, pp. 321–322, in the writing of Mr. Charles Pinckney.

'Journals, vol. XXXI, p. 893 ff.

make in consequence thereof for paying and subsisting the troops directed to be raised by the resolutions of the 20 of October last have yielded the sums expected from the same, and on the prospect of obtaining which the additional number of 1340 men was alone determined to be raised; And as the present critical and embarrassed situation of the funds of the United States is such as not to permit the raising and equipping the whole number of troops mentioned in the said resolutions without interfering with the more necessary and important purposes of collecting supplies for the maintenance of the civil list and the contingencies of the federal government, the payment of the interest and such parts of the Capital as are and will become due on the foreign loans; And as it would be highly dangerous and impolitic either to apply the sums appropriated to these purposes to the maintenance of an additional military establishment, in itself not necessary to the full extent, or to place arms in the hands of a body of disciplined troops, for whose pay and subsistence the United States are not at present nor will soon probably be in a situation to provide; Therefore resolved that the Secreatry at war be and he is hereby ordered to issue immediate instructions to the Officers in the recruiting service to suspend any future inlistments under the resolutions of the 20th of October until the farther direction of Congress, except so far as to compleat the corps now in service on the Ohio or its neighbourhood to the number of 6 non commissioned Officers and privates; that he direct the troops already raised with a suitable proportion of commissioned Officers to rendezvous at And that he report to Congress the arrangements necessary for compleating the said corps and for discharging the Officers who may have been commissioned but whose services are by this reduction rendered unnecessary."

• In the original motion this blank read " one thousand". which was crossed out.