Question of returning to Philadelphia decided by Congress-Mr. Howell and Mr. Read-Letters from Mr. Laurens received by Con- gress-Agreement of South Carolina to the impost. Nothing definitive from England-Pamphlet [Lord Sheffield's]-- Conduct of the British administration-Steps taken by the Leg- islature of Pennsylvania to obviate the default of the executive- Opposition in the New England States to the half-pay-The sale Voluminous despatches received from the Ministers-No definitive Debates in Congress on the Territorial cession, and the permanent seat of Congress-Information from Europe-No decision by Con- gress on the Peace Establishment-End of the investigation of L'Orient made a free port for the United States by France-De- Reception of the Dutch Minister-Doubt as to the epoch which ter- Deliberations of Congress on their seat-Arrival of Mr. Van Berkel. DEBATES IN THE CONGRESS OF THE CONFEDERATION, AS TAKEN DOWN IN THE YEARS 1782, 1783 AND 1787, BY JAMES MADISON, THEN A MEMBER, WITH LETTERS AND EXTRACTS OF LETTERS FROM HIM DURING THE PERIODS OF HIS SERVICE IN THAT CONGRESS. TO WHICH ARE PREFIXED THE DEBATES IN 1776, ON THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, AND ON A FEW OF THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION, PRESERVED BY THOMAS JEFFERSON. PREFATORY NOTE. Mr. Madison took his seat in the Congress of the Confederation on the twentieth day of March, 1780, but did not commence his diary of its Debates till the fourth of November, 1782. It was continued through the sequel of that year, and until the removal of Congress was decided, on the twenty-first of June, 1783, from Philadelphia to Princeton, where the task was not renewed. In February, 1787, being again a member, he resumed his diary, which was continued till the second of May of that year, when he left Congress to give his attendance in the approaching Convention at Philadelphia which was to prepare a new Constitution for the United States. On the close of that Convention he returned to his seat in Congress, which he held till March, 1788, when he was called to Virginia with a view to his being elected to the State Convention which was to decide on the Constitution proposed by the General Convention. During this period it appears that no diary was kept, the effect perhaps of the share he had in writing the Federalist. Nor was it resumed in the interval between his return from the close of 3 |