SIR,

OFFICE OF FINANCE, 18th January, 1784.

The Secretary of Congress has transmitted to me the Petition of John Cowper with an order to report thereon. I must on this occasion pray leave to observe that this with a variety of other similar transactions depends on the adjustment of the accounts of the secret and commercial Committees of Congress. In a letter of the twelfth of August last I had the honor to observe that those accounts "were far from being inconsiderable either as to their nature or magnitude. That they were involved with others and had extended themselves to different Parts of the United States and to Europe, and the West Indias; that they are more connected with the marine accounts than with any others, and that the settlement of them was highly necessary." I took the liberty also (then) to suggest the propriety of submitting the investigation of those accounts to the Commissioner

'On this day, as the indorsement states, a letter of November 1, 1783, from William Williams, speaker of the Assembly of Connecticut, was read; also a letter of November 15, 1783, from Jonathan Trumbull, Governor of Connecticut. Both are in No. 66, II, folio 252. They were referred to Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, Mr. [Arthur] Lee and Mr. [Hugh] Williamson. Committee Book, No. 186, states that the committee reported February 13.

for settling the Marine Accounts, or of appointing a special Commissioner for that express purpose.

Since writing that letter the Commissioner on the marine accounts having been obliged in the course of his business to look at the commercial and secret committee accounts, has not only discovered some balances due to the United States; but has reported other matters which shew in a strong point of light the necessity of examining and settling those accounts. I think they could be more easily, speedily and effectually settled by that gentleman than by any other, and therefore the submitting of them to him, might be eligible in an economical point of view.

I come now, Sir, to observe (which I am sorry to do) that my report on Mr. Cowper's case must necessarily be suspended until after a reference to the Commissioner appointed to adjust the accounts of the Secret and Commercial Committees, I shall be possessed of such a state of facts as will enable me to report with propriety.

Before I close this letter, I must also observe that as the accounts in question originated with and were under the superintendance of Members of Congress, it is a kind of Duty, which Congress in their political capacity owe to themselves, to trace the applications of money thro' those channels with the same attention which has very properly been applied to other public expenditures.1

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1784.

Congress assembled: Present, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pensylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina; Mr. [Richard] Beresford having this day taken his seat; and from the State of New Hampshire, Mr. [Abiel] Foster, and from New Jersey Mr. [John] Beatty.

On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, Mr. [William] Ellery, Mr. [Jacob] Read and Mr. [Benjamin] Hawkins, to whom were referred the definitive treaty of peace between the United

1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 137, III, folio 415. According to the indorsement it was read this day and referred to Mr. [David] Howell, Mr. [Jeremiah Townley] Chase and Mr. [Arthur] Lee.

States of America and his Britannic Majesty, and the joint letter of the 10 September, from Mr. Adams, Mr. Franklin and Mr. Jay,

Resolved, unanimously, nine states being present, that the said definitive treaty be, and the same is hereby ratified by the United States in Congress assembled, in the form following:1

THE UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED,

To all persons to whom these presents shall come greeting:

Whereas definitive articles of peace and friendship between the United States of America and his Britannic majesty, were concluded and signed at Paris on the 3d day of September, 1783, by the plenipotentiaries of the said United States, and of his said Britannic Majesty, duly and respectively authorized for that purpose; which definitive articles are in the words following:

In the name of the most holy and undivided Trinity.

It having pleased the Divine Providence to dispose the hearts of the most serene and most potent prince, George the third, by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, arch-treasurer and prince elector of the holy Roman empire, &c. and of the United States of America, to forget all past misunderstandings and differences that have unhappliy interrupted the good correspondence and friendship which they mutually wish to restore, and to establish such a beneficial and satisfactory intercourse between the two countries, upon the ground of reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience, as may promote and secure to both perpetual peace and harmony; and having for this desirable end, already laid the foundation of peace and reconciliation, by the provisional articles, signed at Paris on the 30th of November, 1782, by the commissioners empowered on each part, which articles were agreed to be inserted in and to constitute the treaty of peace proposed to be concluded between the crown of Great Britain and the said United States, but

1 This resolution was also entered in Secret Journal, No. 4, and in Secret Journal, No. 6, Vol. III.

which treaty was not to be concluded until terms of peace should be agreed upon between Great Britain and France, and his Britannic majesty should be ready to conclude such treaty accordingly; and the treaty between Great Britain and France having since been concluded, his Britannic majesty and the United States of America, in order to carry into full effect the provisional articles above mentioned, according to the tenor thereof, have constituted and appointed, that is to say, his Britannic majesty on his part, David Hartley, Esquire, member of the parliament of Great Britain; and the said United States on their part, John Adams, Esquire, late a commissioner of the United States of America, at the court of Versailles, late delegate in Congress from the state of Massachusetts, and chief justice of the said state, and minister plenipotentiary of the said United States to their high mightinesses the states general of the United Netherlands; Benjamin Franklin, Esquire, late delegate in Congress from the state of Pensylvania, president of the convention of the said state, and minister plenipotentiary from the United States of America at the court of Versailles; John Jay, Esquire, late president of Congress, and chief justice of the state of New York, and minister plenipotentiary from the said United States, at the court of Madrid, to be the plenipotentiaries for the concluding and signing the present definitive treaty: who, after having reciprocally communicated their respective full powers, have agreed upon and confirmed the following articles:

ARTICAL 1st. His Britannic majesty acknowledges the said United States, viz. New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pensylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, SouthCarolina and Georgia, to be free, sovereign and independent states: that he treats with them as such, and for himself, his heirs and successors, relinquishes all claims to the government, propriety and territorial rights of the same, and every part thereof.

ARTICAL 2d. And that all disputes which might arise in future on the subject of the boundaries of the said United States may be prevented, it is hereby agreed and declared, that the following are and shall be their boundaries, viz. from the north-west angle of Nova Scotia, viz. that angle which is formed by a line drawn due north from the source of Saint Croix river to the Highlands; along the said Highlands which divide those rivers that empty themselves into the river Saint Lawrence from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the north

westernmost head of Connecticut river, thence down along the middle of that river to the forty fifth degree of north latitude; from thence by a line due west on said latitude, until it strikes the river Iroquois or Cataraquy, thence along the middle of said river into lake Ontario, through the middle of said lake until it strikes the communication by water between that lake and lake Erie; thence along the middle of said communication into lake Erie, through the middle of said [lake,] until it arrives at the water communication between that lake and lake Huron; thence along the middle of said water communication into the lake Huron, thence through the middle of said lake to the water communication between that lake and lake Superior; thence through lake Superior northward of the isles Royal and Philipeaux, to the long lake; thence through the middle of said long lake and the water communication between it and the lake of the Woods, to the said lake of the Woods, thence through the said lake to the most north-western point thereof, and from thence on a due west course to the river Mississippi, thence by a line to be drawn along the middle of the said river Mississippi, until it shall intersect the northernmost part of the thirty first degree of north latitude. South by a line to be drawn due east from the determination of the line last mentioned, in the latitude of thirty one degrees north of the equator, to the middle of the river Apalachicola or Catahouche; thence along the middle thereof to its junction with the Flint river; thence straight to the head of Saint Mary's river, and thence down along the middle of Saint Mary's river to the Atlantic ocean. East by a line to be drawn along the middle of the river Saint Croix, from its mouth in the bay of Fundy to its source, and from its source directly north to the aforesaid Highlands which divide the rivers that fall into the Atlantic ocean from those which fall into the river Saint Lawrence: comprehending all islands within twenty leagues of any part of the shores of the United States, and lying between lines to be drawn due east from the points where the aforesaid boundaries between Nova-Scotia on the one part, and East Florida on the other, shall respectively touch the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic ocean, excepting such islands as now are or heretofore have been within the limits of the said province of Nova-Scotia.

ARTICAL 3d. It is agreed, that the people of the United States shall continue to enjoy unmolested the right to take fish of every kind on the Grand Bank and on all the other banks of Newfoundland; also in the gulph of Saint Lawrence, and at all other places in the sea,