ay} * And on the question to agree to this amendment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] Duane, Massachusetts, Montgomery, no ay ay New York, Mr. Duane, Rhode Island, Mr. Ellery, Connecticut, Mr. S. Huntington, ay B. Huntington, ay L'Hommedieu, ay } no ay Virginia, ay ay North Carolina, New Jersey, Mr. Boudinot, ay Williamson, no no So it passed in the negative. On the question to agree to the main question, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Jacob] Read, The committee, consisting of Mr. S[amuel] Huntington, Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry and Mr. [James] Duane, to whom were referred the letters from General Du Portail, relating to himself and the other Engineers of the Royal Corps, in the service of his Most Christian Majesty, report, That Major General Du Portail, Brigadier General Laumoy, and Colonel Gouvion, were permitted by his Most Christian Majesty to serve in the army of the United States at an early period of the war and further suppose for this purpose furloughs were granted to them by the king of France, from time to time, and it appears that from a desire to give a repeated manifestation of his affection for attachment to the United States, the services of these Engineers were considered equally entitling them to the favour of their sovereign, as if they had been performed in the armies of France. That these Gentlemen have distinguished themselves in their profession, during their service in America, as active, intelligent, and useful officers, and considering that they entered our service with the particular approbation and consent of their Sovereign, it appears to your committee that it will be expedient to grant them some peculiar testimonies of the sense Congress entertain of their services, as well as to expedite their return to the Corps to which they are attached in France; Whereupon, Resolved, That Major General Du Portail, Brigadier General Laumoy and Colonel Gouvion, who have served with dis tinguished merit in the Department of Engineers, have leave to retire from the service of the United States, their affairs requiring their presence in Europe, and however desirous Congress might be of their continuing in service no arrangements in which they can be employed having been yet compleated no arrangements having yet been made by which Congress might employ the abilities of those gentlemen, however desirous they might be of their services. Resolved, That the Secretary at War express to the Minister Plenipotentiary of his Most Christian Majesty in America, the high sense Congress entertain of the zeal, abilities and conduct of these officers during their service in the Army of the United States, to the end that the said Minister may convey to his Court, the approbation of Congress of their distinguished merit. Resolved, That the Superintendant of finance cause the accounts of Major General Du Portail, Brigadier General Laumoy and Colonel Gouvion, to be immediately adjusted, and advance to them respectively, such sums as the state of the public finances will, in his opinion, admit, giving them certificates on interest for the balances which may be found due to them.1 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1783 The committee, consisting of Mr. [John] Rutledge, Mr. [Richard] Peters, Mr. [Daniel] Carroll, Mr. [Alexander] Hamilton and Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, appointed pursuant to the act of 17 June, 1781, to enquire fully into the proceedings of the department of war, reported the result of their enquiries. The order of the day being called for, a motion was made by Mr. [William] Ellery, seconded by Mr. [Samuel] Holten, 1 This report, in the writing of a clerk, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, II, folio 167. It was entered in the Public Journal by Henry Remsen, Jun. It was also entered in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs. Duportail's letter, of October 6, is in No. 78, VIII, folio 31. That the President of Congress be, and he is hereby authorised and directed to adjourn Congress on the 22, to meet at Annapolis, in the State of Maryland, on the 31 of October instant, there to sit for the despatch of public business, till the first Monday in June next, at which time the President is hereby empowered and directed to adjourn Congress to meet at Trenton on the Wednesday following. A motion was made by Mr. [David] Howell, seconded by [James] McHenry, to strike out the words, "there to sit for the despatch of public business, &c." to the end. And on the question, shall the words moved to be struck out stand? the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Howell [Daniel] Carroll, So the question was lost, and the words were struck out. A motion was then made by Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, seconded by Mr. [Samuel] Holten, to add to the motion as amended, the following words: "for the place of their temporary residence": And on the question to agree to this amendment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Madison [John Francis] Mercer, Massachusetts, Mr. Gerry, Rhode Island, ay ay Jay Mr. Hawkins, South Carolina, Mr. Boudinot, ay Clark, ayay ay} div. So it was resolved in the affirmative. On the question to agree to the motion as amended, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Daniel] Carroll, |