On the arrival of the French cutter with the account of the signing of the general preliminaries, it was thought fit by Congress to hasten the effect of them by calling in the American cruisers. It was also thought, by all, not amiss to notify simply the intelligence to the British commanders at New York. In addition to this, it was proposed by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and urged by the Delegates of Pennsylvania, by Mr. LEE, Mr. RUTLEDGE and others, that Congress should signify their desire and expectation that hostilities should be suspended at sea on the part of the enemy. The arguments urged were, that the effusion of blood might be immediately stopped, and the trade of the country rescued from depredation. It was observed, on the other side, that such a proposition derogated from the dignity of Congress; showed an undue precipitancy; that the intelligence was not authentic enough to justify the British commanders in complying with such an overture; and, therefore, that Congress would be exposed to the mortification of a refusal. The former consideration prevailed, and a verbal sanction was given to Mr. Livingston's expressing to the said commanders the expectation of Congress. This day their answers were received, addressed to Robert R. Livingston, Esquire, &c., &c., &c., declining to accede to the stopping of hostilities at sea, and urging the necessity of authentic orders from Great Britain for that purpose. With their letters, Mr. Livingston communicated resolutions proposed from his office, "that, in consequence of these letters, the orders to the American cruisers should be revoked; and that the

Executives should be requested to embargo all vessels." Congress were generally sensible, after the receipt of these papers, that they had committed themselves in proposing to the British commanders, at New York, a stop to naval hostilities, and were exceedingly at a loss to extricate themselves. On one side, they were unwilling to publish to the world the affront they had received, especially as no written order had been given for the correspondence; and, on the other, it was necessary that the continuance of hostilities at sea should be made known to American citizens. Some were in favor of the revocation of hostilities; others proposed, as Colonel BLAND, and General MIFFLIN, that the Secretary of Foreign Affairs should be directed, verbally, to publish the letters from Carleton and Digby. This was negatived. The superscription was animadverted upon, particularly by Mr. MERCER, who said, that the letters ought to have been sent back unopened. Finally, it was agreed that any member might take copies and send them to the press, and that the subject should lie over for further consideration.

TUESDAY, APRIL 1ST.

Mr. GORHAM called for the order of the day, to wit, the Report on revenue, &c., and observed, as a cogent reason for hastening that business, that the Eastern States, at the invitation of the Legislature of Massachusetts, were, with New York, about to

form a convention for regulating matters of common concern, and that if any plan should be sent out by Congress during their session, they would probably co-operate with Congress in giving effect to it.

Mr. MERCER expressed great disquietude at this information; considered it as a dangerous precedent; and that it behoved the gentleman to explain fully the objects of the convention, as it would be necessary for the Southern States to be, otherwise, very circumspect in agreeing to any plans, on a supposition that the general confederacy was to continue.

Mr. OSGOOD said, that the sole object was to guard against an interference of taxes among States, whose local situation required such precautions; and that if nothing was definitively concluded without the previous communication to, and sanction of, Congress, the Confederation could not be said to be in any manner departed from; but that, in fact, nothing was intended that could be drawn within the purview of the Federal Articles.

Mr. BLAND said he had always considered those conventions as improper, and contravening the spirit of the Federal Government. He said they had the appearance of young Congresses.

Mr. GORHAM explains as Mr. OSGOOD.

Mr. MADISON and Mr. HAMILTON disapproved of these partial conventions, not as absolute violations of the Confederacy, but as ultimately leading to them, and, in the mean time, exciting pernicious jealousies; the latter observing, that he wished instead of them to see a general convention take place, and that he should soon, in pursuance of instructions from his constituents, propose to Congress a plan for that

purpose; the object would be to strengthen the Federal Constitution.

Mr. WHITE informed Congress that New Hampshire had declined to accede to the plan of a convention on foot.

Mr. HIGGINSON said that no gentleman need be alarmed at any rate, for it was pretty certain that the convention would not take place. He wished, with Mr. HAMILTON, to see a general convention for the purpose of revising and amending the Federal Government.65

These observations having put an end to the subject, Congress resumed the Report on Revenue, &c. Mr. HAMILTON, who had been absent when the last question was taken for substituting numbers in place of the value of land, moved to reconsider that vote. He was seconded by Mr. OSGOOD. (See the Journal.) Those who voted differently from their former votes were influenced by the conviction of the necessity of the change, and despair on both sides of a more favorable rate of the slaves. The rate of three-fifths was agreed to without opposition. On a preliminary question, the apportionment of the sum, and revision of the same, was referred to the Grand Committee.

The report as to the resignation of Foreign Ministers was taken up, and in the case of Mr. Jefferson, his mission was dispensed with; Mr. Dana's intimated return to America was approved of, unless engaged in a negotiation with the Court of St. Petersburg. (See the Journal.) The Eastern Delegates were averse to doing any thing as to Mr. Adams until further advices should be received. Mr. Laurens was indulged, not without some opposition. The

acceptance of his resignation was particularly enforced by Mr. IZARD.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2ND-THURSDAY, APRIL 3RDFRIDAY, APRIL 4TH-SATURDAY, APRIL 5TH.

See Journals.

The Grand Committee appointed to consider the proportions for the blanks in the Report on Revenue, &c., reported the following, grounded on the number of inhabitants in each State; observing that New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maryland, had produced authentic documents of their numbers; and that, in fixing the numbers of other States, they had been governed by such information as they could obtain. They also reduced the interest of the aggregate debt to two millions and a half.

nual interest of debt, after deducting one million of dollars, expected from impost

on trade.