supreme court, and is now confined in the common prison, where we have ordered him to be detained. Our respect for Congress induces us to inform them of this affair, and we should have done ourselves the honor of making the communication sooner, but that the criminal was not in confinement till yesterday. We should be much pleased to be favoured with the sentiments of Congress upon this business, being extremely desirous that our proceedings may correspond with their judgment, and to testify our determined resolution, with all our powers, to maintain the dignity of the United States, to preserve the public repose, to assert the law of nations, and to manifest our entire regard for the representatives of the sovereignty of the union. With the most perfect esteem, I have the honor to be, sir, &c. (Signed) JOHN DICKINSON.1

His Excellency the President of Congress.

Whereupon, the following was moved by Mr. [Edward] Hand, seconded by Mr. [John] Montgomery, "That Congress highly approve the determined resolution of the supreme executive council of the State of Pensylvania, to maintain the dignity of the United States, to preserve the public repose, to assert the law of nations, and to manifest their entire regard for the representatives of the Sovereignty of the Union, expressed by their letter of the 28th instant.

A motion was made by Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, seconded by Mr. [Hugh] Williamson, "That the letter with the motion be committed:" And on the question to commit, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Edward] Hand,

1 This letter and the motion and vote upon it were also entered in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs.

So it was resolved in the affirmative.

On motion of Mr. [Charles] De Witt, seconded by Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry,

Whereas on the 25 day of January, 1776, Congress did resolve, that a monument be procured at Paris, or any other place in France, with an inscription, sacred to the Memory of General Montgomery; which, in consequence thereof, was procured and sent to the care of Mr. Hewes, in North Carolina, and is now supposed to be in the care of his executors:

Resolved, That the executors of Joseph Hewes, esq. be requested to send the said monument by the first oppor tunity to in New York [or the person in whose hands the Monument is, be requested to deliver the same to the order of the Superintendant of finance, to be transported to the City of New York,] to be erected in such part of the State of New York, as the legislature thereof

may judge proper; and that the expence accruing thereon, be paid by the United States of America.1

The President having requested the decision of Congress in the following question,

Is it expedient that the President should continue in Office during the recess of Congress?

On motion of Mr. [James] McHenry, seconded by Mr. [Edward] Hand,

Resolved, That it is the sense of Congress, that on the adjournment of the present Congress, the duties of their President cease; and that when the United States assemble pursuant to such adjournment, or in consequence of a call from the Committee of the states, his Excellency Thomas Mifflin, do resume the chair.

On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Hugh] Williamson, Mr. [Edward] Hand and Mr. [Roger] Sherman, to whom was referred a letter from the paymaster general,

Resolved, That the Supreme executive of the State of Virginia, be requested to instruct their auditors, to furnish the officer who is appointed to settle the accounts of the line of the army, with such accounts or extracts from the settlements they have made with the line of that State, as may be necessary to enable him finally to close the accounts of those officers with the United States.

That in settling the accounts of the line of the army, the paymaster general be, and he hereby is authorised to settle with the commissioned officers on their oath, and with noncommissioned officers and privates, on a certificate from the field officer who commanded them, in cases where, from capture, or other inevitable disasters, the musters or vouchers

1 This report, in the writing of Charles De Witt, except the part in brackets, which is in the writing of Hugh Williamson, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, II, folio 403.

have been lost, and where from circumstances he shall be convinced that other satisfactory and more regular evidence is not to be obtained.

That in settling the accounts of the deputy-paymasters in the main and southern armies, who are appointed in pursuance of the act of the 8th of April, 1782, they be allowed at the rate of seventy-five dollars per month, while they were in service, including such advances as have been made under the head of subsistence, or otherwise.

That Hezekiah Witmore's account be credited for the sum of eight hundred and seventy-three dollars, on his making oath that such a sum of the public money has been lost, as stated in his memorial.1

On the report of a grand committee, consisting of Mr. [Thomas] Stone, Mr. [Jonathan] Blanchard, Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, Mr. [David] Howell, Mr. [Roger] Sherman, Mr. [Charles] De Witt, Mr. [Samuel] Dick, Mr. [Edward] Hand, Mr. [Samuel] Hardy, Mr. [Hugh] Williamson and Mr. [Jacob] Read:

Resolved, That the several states shall be credited in their accounts with the United States, for the specie value of all sums by them paid to their officers and soldiers in the continental army, due from the United States; provided such payments shall have been notified to the paymaster general, and by him charged to such officers and soldiers, in settling their accounts with the United States; and said states shall be allowed interest on the sums so paid, from the time of payment.

That the Superintendant of Finance be directed 2 to render to Congress a particular statement of the articles comprised under the head of contingencies, in his accounts already

1 This report, in the writing of Hugh Williamson, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 1,9 V, folio 1852.

'From this point the entries in the Journal are by Benjamin Bankson.

rendered: and that when the said statement, and also his accounts shewing the expenditure of 2,486,511.71, of the 8 millions of dollars, required by a resolve of the 30th of October, 1781, shall be rendered, the Committee of the States shall transmit a copy of the said statement, and also of such expenditures, specifying contingencies, to any State whose delegates may require the same.

That 190,000 dollars, and 687,828 dollars, contained in the estimate of the 18th of April, 1783, being comprised in the requisition of the present years under the article of interest of the domestic debt, to the 31st of December, 1782, are, when paid agreeably to the said requisition, to be deducted from the estimate first mentioned.'

On a report of the same committee, to whom was referred a motion of Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, relative to contractors for ox teams and conductors, in the State of Massachusetts:

That ox teams and conductors were contracted for in consequence of orders from the Quarter Master General for the Campaign of 1781-under-an-assurance that the persons contracting to furnish such teams and conductors would be paid in specie or other money equivalent, the contract for the hire of these teams being made before and the service performed after the appointment of the Superintendent of Finance, he did not think it proper to apply the money which came into the Treasury-after his appointment to the discharge of the sums due to the con tractors for these teams.

That application has been made to the State of Massachusetts by the Contractors, but the State has refused to pay-them-unless authorised to deduct the money paid out of the requisitions made by Congress; and that the money

1 This report, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, except the first paragraph, which is in the writing of Roger Sherman, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, I, folio 163.