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The following paragraph being debated, viz.

That the ministers be informed that Congress do not intend to appoint any other than citizens of the United States to the office of consuls or vice consuls.

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

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So the question was lost.

Ordered, That the committee appointed to prepare instructions to the ministers of the United States prepare drafts of letters to the several ministers, to be signed by the President, on the respective subjects beforementioned.

The Committee consisting of Mr S[amuel] Huntington, Mr [Abraham] Clark and Mr [Elbridge] Gerry to whom were referred the report on the letter of President Weare of the State of New Hampshire, report:

That by an act of Congress of the 4th Sept., 1782, it is recommended to the legislatures of the respective States to levy such taxes as shall appear to them effectual for immediately raising their quotas of

1,200,000 dollars, which when raised in each State shall be applied towards paying the interest due on certificates issued from the loan office of such State, and other liquidated debts of the United States contracted therein, before any part thereof shall be paid into the public treasury. In order, therefore, that every embarrassment in the way of conducting this business to the greatest convenience to the States may be removed,

Resolved, That the legislatures of the several States be authorized to require the loan officers in their respective States, to take receipts for one year's interest upon all certificates issued from the Loan Office of each State tendered for [obliterated] on which one year's interest interest was due at the time of passing the abovesaid act, and to issue certificates for such interest under the authority of the State in such manner as the legislature shall direct, which State certificates thus issued shall not bear interest, but may be received in taxes for the quota of such State as fixed by the requisition above mentioned; That the several loan officers be required to keep an exact [line cut off] discharge the U. S. for the same against the creditors so paid [provided that no State issue certificates for interest to the amount of a greater loan than such States quota of the beforementioned requisition].1

The committee of the week [Mr. James McHenry, Mr. Silas Condict and Mr. Elbridge Gerry] report that the petition of Joseph Traversi be read in Congress."

[THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1783]

The Committee, consisting of Mr S[amuel] Huntington, Mr [James] Duane and Mr [James] Madison, to whom the Communication from the Minister of France of the 17 Instant was referred, Submit the following Report:

1 This report, in the writing of Abraham Clark, except the part in brackets at the end, which is in the writing of Samuel Huntington, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, I, folio 27. The indorsement shows that it was delivered October 1, read, and ordered to be taken into consideration on Tuesday, October 8.

2 This report, in the writing of James McHenry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, VII, folio 454. Traversi's memorial is on folio 451.

On this day, as the indorsement states, a memorial from Henry Remsen, Jr., and Benjamin Bankson, clerks in the office of the Secretary of Congress, dated Princeton, October 1, asking for an allowance for extra services and expenses, was read and referred to Mr. [Abraham] Clark, Mr. [Samuel] Holten and Mr. [Benjamin] Hawkins. According to Committee Books No. 186 and No. 191, the report was made October 6 and acted upon October 31. The memorial is in No. 41, VIII, folio 335.

Your Committee find a Report already made on a letter from the Superintendant of Finance, which contains a proper form for the ratification of the Contract made by Dr Franklin with the Count de Vergennes the 25th of February 1783 for six millions of livres, which ought to be immediately ratified—and the same being done, your Committee submit the following Resolutions,

Resolved, That the Minister of France be informed in answer to his communication of the 17th Instant, that all the Contracts and articles mentioned in his communication have been duly ratified by the United States in Congress Assembled, and that the last Contract of the 25th of February 1783 only remains to be transmitted to our Minister in France, which will be done without loss of time.1

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1783

Whereas it is provided in the sixth of the Articles of Confederation, that "no vessels of war shall be kept up in time of peace by any State, except such number only as shall be deemed necessary by the United States in Congress assembled, for the defence of such State or its trade; nor shall any body of forces be kept up by any State in time of peace, except such number only as in the judgment of the United States in Congress assembled, shall be deemed requisite to garrison the forts necessary for the defence of such State"; and the delegates of the State of Virginia having applied to Congress, for their approbation of two armed vessels being kept up by the said State at its own expence, for the purpose of securing her trade; and having also laid before Congress an act passed by the legislature of the said State, entitled "An Act directing the inlistment of guards for the public prisons and stores".

Resolved, That the State of Virginia may keep up, at its own expence, two armed vessels for the defence of the trade of that State, provided that the same do not exceed the number of 14 guns, six pounders, and seventy-five men each.

1 This report, in the writing of Samuel Huntington, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 25, II, folio 269. The indorsement states that it was passed this day. 76112°-22-VOL 25- -8

Resolved, That the State of Virginia may keep up, at its own expence, to the number of 25 privates with proper officers to guard the public prisons and stores.

Mr. [Theodorick] Bland and Mr. [Arthur] Lee, two of the delegates of the State of Virginia, laid before Congress the following extract of a letter from the governor of Virginia to the delegates of the said State, Viz:

"I have nothing to communicate to you but that my advices from our northwestern frontier tell me that if the Pensylvanians continue their settlements on the other side of the Ohio a general Indian War is to be apprehended, which I am sure we are unable to engage in at present and yet we must take part in it or suffer the depopulation of our own country. How this imprudent step is to be corrected I know not."

And thereupon they moved,

That the above intelligence be communicated to the executive of the State of Pensylvania, and that it be recommended to the said State to take the most effectual measures to restrain their citizens from settling on the aforesaid territory. After debate, the order of the day was called for; whereupon a question of order was raised, viz:

Is it in order to call for the order of the day while a question is before the house, the order of the day not having been postponed?

And on this question, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Theodorick] Bland,

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A motion was then made by Mr. [John Francis] Mercer, seconded by Mr. [Jacob] Read,

That the intelligence and motion be committed;

And on the question for committing, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Theodorick] Bland,

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