if this cannot be accomplished without inconvenience, then to agree that, to whatever power West Florida shall remain or be ceded at the conclusion of the War, its Northern Boundary shall be as it is described in the said separate article.

Resolved, That the Secretary for foreign affairs be directed to inform the said Commissioners, that it is the wish of Congress, that the articles agreed to with the Commissioner of his Britannic Majesty ought to have been had been communicated to the Court of France before they were signed.1

SIR,

WAR OFFICE, Oct 21, 1783.

If Congress will recur to their Act of the 24. Ulto I am of opinion they will think any proceeding on the within Motion quite unneccessary.2

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1783

In pursuance to the orders of the 18 and 19 of August, the Superintendant of finance transmitted to Congress,

1. An estimate of the foreign and domestic debt of the United States.

2. A computation of interest arrearages on the national debt to the 1 January, 1783, and interest for one year, on a supposition of the same becoming due in 1784.

3. Accounts of the emissions of bills of exchange, drawn by direction of Congress for the payment of interest; and an account of the annual interest that was payable in Europe on loan office certificates.

1 This report, in the writing of James Wilson, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 25, II, folio 281. The indorsement states that it was read on this day. See ante, March 19.

2 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 149, III, folio 253. The motion, in the writing of Hugh Williamson, undated, is on folio 252, and is as follows:

"Whereas it is

That all the troops in the service of the U. S. except the garrisons of West Point and Fort Pitt be discharged.”

On this day a letter of October 18 from John Paul Jones, which was referred to Mr. [Samuel] Huntington, Mr. [Arthur] Lee and Mr. [James] Duane, was read. It is in No. 137, III, folio 207. Committee Book, No. 186, says the committee reported October 29, and No. 191 that the report was acted upon November 1.

4. A statement of Mr. Grand's last account current, on the principles of the former arrangement of his account, dated 19 August, 1782.1

On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [William] Ellery and Mr. S[amuel] Huntington, to whom was referred a motion for transmitting copies of the preliminary articles of peace to the respective states;

Resolved, That an exemplification of the provisional articles for restoring peace between the United States of America and Great Britain, and of the act of ratification thereof by the United States, be transmitted to each of the respective states.2

And your committee submit the annexed draft of a circular letter to accompany the same.

CIRCULAR.

SIR.

In Congress Princeton 1783.

Firmly persuaded that the honor and interest prosperity of the United States must depend on a faithful performance of every national engagement and eminently so, of treaties with Foreign powers, Congress would consider with deep regret any act which might render it impracticable to give a just efficacy to the provisional articles for the restoration of peace, which are expressly stipulated to be inserted in the Definitive treaty. They have therefore directed exemplifications of those provisional articles, and their own ratification thereof to be transmitted to the respective states. This communication is rendered-the-more-necessary as by late advices from the ministers of the United States at the Court of Versailles it appears to be their opinion that it is the most fair and true construction of the 6th Article that it relates to the date of the cessation of hostilities, which date (they observe) is the time when peace in fact took place in consequence of prior informal the binding contracts to terminate

1 The estimates enumerated here are to be found in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 144, folios 133, 140, 147, 151–167. They were enclosed in a letter of October 18, from Joseph Nourse, which is on folio 136, and were transmitted to Congress by Morris, in a letter dated October 21. Morris's letter is on folio 145. The estimates were entered in No. 12, Book of Estimates, and not in the Journal.

2 This resolution was also entered in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs.

the war. The definitive treaty they conceive as only giving the dress-of-form to those contracts and not as constituting their obli gation. Congress however conceive it would be premature to send forward the recommendation stipulated by the said articles until the exchange of the ratification thereof by the Court of Great Britain shall be formally announced or at least till the British forces shall be withdrawn from the United States:

-I-am-with-great respect

Your Excellency's most obedient humble servant.1

His Excellency.

The committee, consisting of Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [Daniel] Carroll and Mr. [Richard] Peters, to whom was referred a motion of Mr. [Richard] Peters, together with an application of the legislature of Pensylvania, relative to the purchase of the Indian claim of land within the jurisdiction of that State; report,

That it appears to them, that the application of the legislature of Pensylvania, relative to a treaty for the purchase of the Indian claim to lands within the jurisdiction of that State, proceeded from a respectful attachment to the federal government, and a desire to guard against prejudices which might arise from the interference of their own particular views with the authority of the United States: That the public interest might have been deeply affected by a negotiation for such purchase independent of, and unconnected with the general treaty to be holden on behalf of the United States. For, in the opinion of the committee, the idea of a division of councils, of separate interests, and a competition in purchase which two distinct treaties must have impressed on the minds of the Indians, could not but

1 This report, in the writing of James Duane, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 29, folios 331-333. The following, without date, in the writing of James Madison, is on folio 335:

"That as an exemplification of the articles, concluded on the day of between the Minister Plenipo. of the United States and the King of G. B. as ratified by Congress on the day of be transmitted to each of the states and that they be informed that Congress deem it indispensable to the honor of the Confederacy, and to the principles of good faith, that every act within the states respectively should be forborne which may tend to render any of the stipulations in the said articles hereafter impracticable on the part of the U. S."

have had a tendency to diminish the dignity and authority of our government in their estimation, and expose both the United States and the individual State to unreasonable and extravagant impositions, and our public councils to great embarrassments. The committee, therefore, think it proper that it should be

Resolved, That the commissioners for holding the convention with the Indians under the act of the 15 day of October instant, give notice to the supreme executive of the State of Pensylvania, of the time and place of holding such treaty, to the end, that the persons to be appointed by that State, for purchasing lands within the limits thereof, at the expence of the said State, may attend at the time and place appointed for holding the said treaty: and the commissioners on the part of the United States, are instructed to give every aid in their power, to the commissioners on the part of Pensylvania, in such manner as will best promote the object which the said State shall have in view, and not be incompatible with the national interests which the United States propose by the said treaty.1

A motion was made by Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, seconded by Mr. [David] Howell, to strike out the words "and not be", before incompatible, and in lieu thereof to insert, "provided nothing shall be done by virtue of this resolve":

And on the question to agree to this amendment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry,

1 This report, in the writing of James Duane, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, II, folio 165.

On the question to agree to the report of the committee, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John] Montgomery,

The Committee [Mr. Hugh Williamson, Mr. Abraham Clark and Mr. Theodorick Bland] to whom was referred the memorial of J. Lucas of May 19th 1783 respecting the settlement of his accounts submit the following resolves:

That the Superintendent of Finance cause the accounts produced by Mr Jno. Lucas who was appointed by the State of Massachusetts to examine the claims of wounded soldiers and seamen in the service of the U. S. to pensions in pursuance to certain resolutions of Congress of the 26th of August 1776 to be settled so far as respects advances made to such wounded soldiers and seamen according to such reso

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