pact and populous States, but was totally inadmissible to the Southern States.

Mr. WILSON proposed, that returns of the quantity of land and of the number of inhabitants in the respective States should be obtained, and a rule deduced from the combination of these data. This also would have affected the States in a similar manner with the proposition of Mr. HAMILTON. On the part of the Southern States it was observed, that, besides its being at variance with the text of the Confederation, it would work great injustice, as would every mode which admitted the quantity of lands within the States into the measure of their comparative wealth and abilities.

Lastly, it was proposed by Mr. MADISON, that a valuation should be attempted by Congress without the intervention of the States. He observed, that as the expense attending the operation would come ultimately from the same pockets, it was not very material whether it was borne in the first instance by Congress or the States, and it at least deserved consideration whether this mode was not preferable to the proposed reference to the States.

The conversation ended in the appointment of a sub-committee, consisting of Mr. MADISON, Mr. CARROLL and Mr. WILSON, who were desired to consider the several modes proposed, to confer with the Superintendent of Finance, and make such report to the Grand Committee as they should judge fit.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15TH.

A letter, dated the nineteenth of December, from General Greene, was received, notifying the evacuation of Charleston. It was, in the first place, referred to the Secretary of Congress for publication; excepting the passage which recited the exchange of prisoners, which, being contrary to the resolution of the sixteenth of October against partial exchanges, was deemed improper for publication. It was in the next place referred to a committee, in order that some complimentary report might be made in favor of General Greene and the Southern army. Dr. RAMSAY, having come in after this reference, and being uninformed of it, moved that a committee might be appointed to devise a proper mode of expressing to General Greene the high sense entertained by Congress of his merits and services. In support of his motion, he went into lavish praises of General Greene, and threw out the idea of making him a Lieutenant General. His motion being opposed as somewhat singular and unnecessary after the reference of General Greene's letter, he withdrew it.

A letter was received from General Washington enclosing a certificate from Mr. Chittenden, of Vermont, acknowledging the receipt of the communication which General Washington had sent him of the proceedings of Congress on the fifth of December.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16TH.

Mr. RUTLEDGE informed Congress, that there was reason to apprehend that the train of negotiation in Europe had been so misrepresented in the State of South Carolina, as to make it probable that an attempt might be made in the Legislature to repeal the confiscation laws of that State; and even if such attempt should fail, the misrepresentations could not fail to injure the sale of property confiscated in that State. In order, therefore, to frustrate these misrepresentations, he moved that the Delegates of South Carolina might be furnished with an extract from the letter of the fourteenth of October from Dr. Franklin, so far as it informed Congress "that something had been mentioned to the American Plenipotentiaries relative to the refugees and to English debts, but not insisted on; it being answered, on their part, that this was a matter belonging to the individual States, and on which Congress could enter into no stipulations." The motion was seconded by Mr. GERVAIS, and supported by Mr. RAMSAY. It was opposed by Mr. ELLSWORTH and Mr. WOLCOTT as improper, since a communication of this intelligence might encourage the States to extend confiscations to British debts,-a circumstance which would be dishonorable to the United States, and might embarrass a treaty of peace. Mr. FITZSIMMONS expressed the same apprehensions; so did Mr. GORHAM. His colleague, Mr. OSGOOD, was in favor of the motion. By Mr. MADISON the motion. was so enlarged and varied as "to leave all the

Delegates at liberty to communicate the extract to their constituents, in such form and under such cautions as they should judge prudent." The motion so varied was adopted by Mr. RUTLEDGE, and substituted in place of the original one. It was, however, still opposed by the opponents of the original motion. Mr. MADISON observed, that as all the States had espoused, in some degree, the doctrine of confiscations, and as some of them had given instructions to their Delegates on the subject, it was the duty of Congress, without inquiring into the expediency of confiscations, to prevent as far as they could any measures which might impede that object in negotiations for peace, by inducing an opinion that the United States were not firm with respect to it; that in this view it was of consequence to prevent the repeal, and even the attempt of a repeal, of the confiscation law of one of the States; and that if a confidential communication of the extract in question would answer such a purpose, it was improper for Congress to oppose it. On a question, the motion was negatived, Congress being much divided thereon. Several of those who were in the negative were willing that the Delegates of South Carolina should be licensed to transmit to their State what related to the refugees, omitting what related to British debts, and invited Mr. RUTLEDGE to renew his motion in that qualified form. Others suggested the propriety of his contradicting the misrepresentations in general, without referring to any official information received by Congress. Mr. RUTLEDGE said he would think further on the subject, and desired that it might lie over.

VOL. I.-17*

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17TH.

The Committee on the motion of Mr. PETERS, of the thirteenth instant, relative to a further application for foreign loans, reported that they had conferred with the Superintendent of Finance, and concurred in opinion with him, that the applications already on foot were as great as could be made prudently, until proper funds should be established. The latent view of this report was to strengthen the argument in favor of such funds, and the report, it was agreed, should lie on the table, to be considered along with the report which might be made on the memorial from the army, and which would involve the same subject.50

The report thanking General Greene for his services was agreed to without opposition or observation. Several, however, thought it badly composed, and that some notice ought to have been taken of Major Burnet, Aid to General Greene, who was the bearer of the letter announcing the evacuation of Charleston.

Mr. Webster and Mr. Judd, agents for the deranged officers of the Massachusetts and Connecti cut lines, were heard by the Grand Committee in favor of their constituents. The sum of their representations was, that the said officers were equally distressed for, entitled to, and in expectation of, provision for fulfilling the rewards stipulated to them as officers retained in service.