And on the question to postpone for the purpose afore

said, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Jacob] Read,

Massachusetts,

} div.

Virginia,

On the question to agree to the original motion, the yeas

and nays being required by Mr. A[rthur] Lee,

That the Superintendant of finance and the treasurer be, and they are hereby directed to lay before Congress, an account of all the notes which have been issued by them on the credit of the United States, together with an account of what part of those notes are now in circulation.

It was then moved by Mr. [Jacob] Read, seconded by Mr. [Samuel] Holten,

That Congress proceed to-morrow to appoint five committees, to be composed of five members each, for the purposes mentioned and pointed out by the act of Congress of the 17 June, 1782.

And on the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Daniel] Carroll,

So it was resolved in the affirmative.

A motion was made by Mr. [John Francis] Mercer, seconded by Mr. [Jacob] Read, in the words following:

Whereas the offices of Congress have been ever open to the members thereof for information; but the late removal of Congress from Philadelphia, having rendered access to the office of finance inconvenient to the members;

76112°-22-VOL 25-2

Resolved therefore, that the Superintendant of finance be directed to transmit any information relating to that office which shall be required by a member of Congress.1

A motion was made by Mr. [David] Howell, seconded by Mr. [Stephen] Higginson, that the preamble be struck out: and on the question, shall the preamble stand? the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John Francis] Mercer,

So the question was lost, and the preamble was struck out. The previous question was then moved on the resolution by the State of New York, and seconded by the State of Connecticut; and on the question to agree to the previous question, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John Francis] Mercer,

1 This motion, in the writing of John Francis Mercer, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, II, folio 227. The following is in the writing of James McHenry. It is on the same folio with Mercer's motion.

Resolved, That the Superintendant of Finance furnish the Members of Congress or any of them when called upon by said Members with an account of all expenditures of money made either at home or abroad and with an account of notes issued by the said office and in circulation or that may be issued by way of anticipation or otherwise." The vote is indorsed on these two motions.

So the previous question was lost.

The Committee consisting of M: S[amuel] Huntington, M: [Arthurs Lee, and M: [Ralph] Izard, to whom were referred the letters from Mr Dana of the 6th, 11th, 14th, and 28th of April with the papers enclosed,

Report that in the opinion of your Committee, the proceedings and conduct of Mr Dana at the Court of Petersburgh merit the approbation of Congress; nevertheless but your Committee cannot diseever do not think that there are any sufficient reasons for changing the Resolution of Congress, of the first Day of April, respecting his return agreeably to his intimation.

Your Committee therefore submit the following resolution:

Resolved, That Congress approve of the proceedings and conduct of Mr Dana at the Court of Petersburgh.

Resolved, That M: Dana have leave to return to America agreeably to his former intimation request pursuant to the resolution of Congress of the first of April last, to which he is referred for his government and direction.1

1This report, in the writing of Samuel Huntington, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, II, folio 5. The indorsement states that it was delivered this day and read. According to the record in Committee Book No. 186, the first three letters were referred to the committee on August 9, and that of April 28 added at a later date. Dana's letters of April 17, 22, 25, and May 9 (April 6, 11, 14, and 28, O. S.), are printed in the Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (Wharton) VI, pages 381, 390, 392, and 417.

Resolved, That Mr Dana be informed that Congress consent to his embracing an early opportunity to return to America, having no expectation of any Treaty with the Court of Russia which will comport with the Dignity of the United States.1

The Come [Mr. James Duane, Mr. Arthur Lee and Mr. Daniel Carroll] to whom was referred the letter from Francisco Rendon dated the 14th of August, a memorial of Antonio Argote representing himself to be owner of the Spanish Flag St Antonio, together a certain Writ of attachment issued from the Court of Appeals for the United States in Cases of Captures and a petition from Isaac Sears and others owners of the Letter of Marque Patty submit the following Report:

That it appears to your Committee that the petitioners Isaac Sears and others were owners of a Letter of Marque Brigantine called the Patty. That the said Brigantine captured in the Bay of Mexico the Brigantine St Antonio commanded by Andrew Dumont. That she was conveyed to the port of Boston in the State of the Massachusetts and libelled and condemned in the Maritime Court of the middle district of the said State. That Pere Debade in behalf of the said Antonio De Argote appealed from the said sentence to the Court of Appeals for the United States in Cases of Capture; and it was so provided that by a final sentence and decree of the said Court of Appeals in which the said William Haydon was libellant and appellee the decree of condemnation of the said Brigantine St Antonio then lately pronounced in the said Maritime Court of the middle district of the State of Massachusetts was in all its parts revoked and annulled and the said Brigantine St Antonio and her Cargo ordered to be restored to the said Peter Pere Debade the appellant to and for the use and benefit of the said Antonio De Argote on whose behalf the said Debade appealed; and it was further ordered and decreed that the appellees should pay all the costs as well of the Court below as of the said Court of appeals and also the sum of one thousand dollars as damages for the capture and detention of the said Vessel and Cargo to the appellant in the said cause.

That it further appears to your Committee from the attachment under the Seal of the said Court of appeals, that after pronouncing the definitive sentence or decree in the said Court of Appeals, a transcript thereof duly authenticated was produced and shewn by the persons

1 This resolution, in the writing of James Duane, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, II, folio 7. It is undated, but was probably also presented on this day.