commerce upon the terms usual with Nations and people in amity with each other and desirous of promoting reciprocal convenience and advantages. Witness President of the U. S. in Congress assembled, and of the said State of day of in the year of our Lord 17 and the the Independence of the U. S.

this

of

That a sufficient number of such instruments, signed and sealed as aforesaid be sent to the Supreme Executives of the several States and the Governor or President of any of these States may on application of any Citizen of these States being owner in part or in whole of a vessel, fill up, sign and deliver to such owner one of the said Instruments, provided that before such instrument shall be so delivered, the person applying for the same shall give bond and security to the Governor or President of the State and to his Successors in said office, to return the same instrument within Months after its Date to the Executive of the State.

be

That for every Instrument so delivered the sum of paid by the person applying for the same to the Secretary of the Governor, President or Executive of the State where such instrument shall be granted.

That a Copy of these resolves with several of the Passports be sent to our Ministers in Europe, to be, by them if judged expedient, transmitted to the Emperor of Morocco and the Regents of Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli and that these powers be requested to direct their Officers and other subjects not to molest any vessel furnished with these passports.

That Captain Pardon Shelldon be furnished with one of these agreeably to the above form, except the naming the government of Rhode Island. a Passport signed by the President only and sealed with the seal of U. S. Bond and Security being first given to the President for a return of the same Passport into the Secretary's office within the time above mentioned.1

1 This report, in the writing of Thomas Stone, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 32, folios 127-133. The indorsement states that it was read on this day.

MONDAY, MAY 17, 1784.

Congress assembled: Present, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pensylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Mr. Hugh Williamson, and Mr. Richard Dobbs Spaight, delegates for the State of North Carolina, produced credentials under the great seal of the State, dated the 24 day of April, 1784; by which it appears, that they are appointed to represent the said State for one year, to commence from the thirteenth day of this present month, May.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

TO HUGH WILLIAMSON AND RICHARD DOBBS SPAIGHT ESQUIRES GREETING:

We reposing especial trust and confidence in your fidelity and abilities do by these presents nominate, constitute and appoint you the said Hugh Williamson and Richard Dobbs Spaight to be delegates to represent us one Year in the honorable the Congress of the United States of America, to commence from the thirteenth day of May next, being elected for this purpose by joint ballot of both houses of our general assembly now sitting at Hillsborough. You are hereby invested with all the powers & authorities which Delegates have a right to exercise, conforming to such instructions you may receive from our General Assembly: having, holding & enjoying all the profits & emoluments which to your Delegation belong, or of right appertain.

In Testimony whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made patent. Witness Alexander Martin Esquire our Governor Captain General and commander in chief under his hand & our great Seal hereunto affixed at Hillsborough the 24 Day of april 1784, and eighth Year of our Independence.

ALEX: MARTIN

(With the great seal appendant)1

1 The original is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, North Carolina, Credentials of Delegates. It was entered in No. 179, Record of Credentials, and not in the Journal.

On motion of the delegates of Pennsylvania,

Ordered, That the Secretary transmit to the supreme executive council of the State of Pensylvania, all the papers relative to the case of Henry Carbery, which are on the files of Congress; and that the Secretary in the War Office deliver to the said Executive, such papers relative to the said Henry Carbery, as are in his possession.1

On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson and Mr. [Hugh] Williamson, to whom was referred a letter of 21 of April, from the honble the Minister plenipotentiary of France,

Resolved, That the following answer be returned:

SIR, The United States in Congress assembled, are informed by the letter which you were pleased to address to them the 21 of April, that having the last year requested of his Majesty, leave to return to France, you learn it has been granted, but that the official letter of the Minister being lost, you expect a duplicate which will probably arrive in the Recess of Congress.

It is with great concern, Sir, that Congress receive this information, as it respects a Minister for whom they entertain the most perfect

esteem.

From the time of your arrival in America, to the signing of the provisional treaty, the conduct of the war has been attended with numerous difficulties and perils, to surmount which, the joint efforts of the United States and of their great and good Ally have been necessary.

Congress consider it as a fortunate circumstance, that during that period, the affairs of his Most Christian Majesty, in this quarter, have been under the direction of an able and faithful Minister, whose anxiety to promote the views and essential interests of his Sovereign, has been ever attended with a laudable endeavour to reconcile them to those of his faithful allies. Without such a principle disposition it is evident, there could not have existed a concert of those measures which, by the Smiles of Providence, have brought to a happy hastened the conclusion of the late distressing and ruinous scenes of war.

1 Schedule of the papers sent is in No. 38, folio 229.

Whilst you have on all occasions been ready to afford your support to the plans of Congress for promoting peace, they acknowledge with pleasure that your official conduct has ever been wise for the attainment of that desirable object.

The abilities of the Gentleman, who, as you are informed, is to be charged with the affairs of your department, and his thorough knowledge of the principles on which the alliance was founded, will, we doubt not, conspire to produce, on his part, such measures as will best promote the mutual interest of the two nations.

We now, Sir, bid you an Affectionate adieu, with the fullest assurance that you will be happy in the smiles and approbation of your royal Sovereign, and we sincerely wish that you may be equally so in an interview with your friends, and in your future engagements.'

On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson and Mr. [Hugh] Williamson, to whom was referred a letter of 21 of April, from the honourable the Minister of France, informing, that in the course of last summer he had requested his Majesty's leave to return to France, and had reason to believe it was granted, though he had not received official information; and that his Majesty had fixed upon M. de Marbois to be his Chargé des affaires with the United States,2

The Grand Committee consisting of Mr [Thomas] Stone Mr [Jonathan] Blanchard M' [Elbridge] Gerry, M' [David] Howell, Mr [Roger] Sherman, M [Charles] De Witt, Mr [Samuel] Dick, Mr [Edward] Hand, M [Samuel] Hardy, M' [Hugh] Williamson and M' [Jacob] Read, to whom were referred an act of the Legislature of Connecticut, and a letter from the Governor of Massachusetts respecting the expenses of that State in an expedition against the British force at Penobscot and other matters submit the following resolves.

1 This report, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 25, II, folio 361.

2 This paragraph was entered only in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs. The letter to Luzerne was entered in the public Journal and also in the Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs.

That all sums paid or contracted to be paid by any State from and after the 19th of April, 1775, to the conclusion of the late war, for services performed by State troops or militia in defence of any of the U. States, or for provisions ammunition, waggons or supplies of any kind necessary for such troops or militia or for the transportation thereof, may when reduced to specie by the scale of depreciation of such State be charged to the United States, provided such troops or militia shall not have been less than twenty ten days in actual service, or shall have been drawn out to repel an actual invasion pursuant to the laws of the State, and that the pay and rations or subsistence of the officers and privates and also the proportion of commissioned and non commissioned officers to the privates, and of waggons or other articles shall not exceed the allowance stipulated for the continental army, at the time when such State troops or Militia were in service.

That the sums paid or contracted to be paid by the State of Massachusetts for armed vessels or transports employed and lost in the year 1779 in an expedition of that State against the British forces then at Penobscot, or for the hire of such of the said vessels and transports as were not lost, may when so reduced to specie be charged to the U. S. as aforesaid.1

The Grand Committee to whom was referred a letter of the Governor of Massachusetts, of the 28th of October, 1783, relative to the Continental Bills of credit of the old emissions, submit the following:

Resolved, That all sums of Continental bills of credit paid by or to any State, on account of the United States, shall be credited or debited in account, according to the specie value of such bills at the time of payment, as settled by the legislature of the same state, in their table of depreciation formed for the use of their state; and where none such has been formed, an average shall be taken from those of the states adjoining, wherein such tables have been formed: on which payments an interest shall be allowed at the rate of six per centum per annum from the time of paiment.

1 This report, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, except the first sentence which is in the writing of Thomas Stone, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, I, folio 164. The indorsement states that it was read on this day and Monday, 24th, assigned for consideration.