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A committee, consisting of Mr. HAMILTON, Mr. MADISON, and Mr. ELLSWOTRH, was appointed to report the proper arrangements to be taken in consequence of peace. The object was to provide a system for foreign affairs, for Indian affairs, for military and naval establishments; and also to carry into execution the regulation of weights and measures, and other Articles of the Confederation not attended to during the war. To the same committee was referred a resolution of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania, requesting the Delegates of that State to urge Congress to establish a general peace with the Indians."

MONDAY, APRIL 7TH.

The sense of Congress having been taken on the truth of the numbers reported by the Grand Committee, the number allotted to South Carolina was reduced to one hundred and fifty thousand, on the representation of the Delegates of that State. The Delegates of New Jersey contended also for a reduction, but were unsuccessful. Those of Virginia also, on the principle that Congress ought not to depart from the relative numbers given in 1775, without being required by actual returns, which had not been obtained, either from that State or others, whose relation would be varied. To this reasoning were opposed the verbal and credible information received from different persons, and particularly Mr. MERCER, which made the number of inhabitants in

Virginia, after deducting two-fifths of the slaves, exceed the number allotted to that State. Congress were almost unanimous against the reduction. A motion was made by Mr. GERVAIS, seconded by Mr. MADISON, to reduce the number of Georgia to fifteen thousand, on the probability that their real number did not exceed it, and the cruelty of overloading a State which had been so much torn and exhausted

by the war. The motion met with little support, and was almost unanimously negatived.

A letter was read from General Washington, expressing the joy of the army at the signing of the general preliminaries notified to him, and their satisfaction at the commutation of half-pay agreed to by Congress.

TUESDAY, APRIL 8TH.

Estimate of the debt of the United States, reported by the Grand Committee.

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On commutation of half-pay, estimated at 5,000,000, at six per cent.
Bounty to be paid, estimated at 500,000, at six per cent.

300,000

30,000

$2,362,320

Aggregate of interest

A motion was made by Mr. HAMILTON, who had been absent on the question on the ninth paragraph of the Report on Revenue assessing quotas, to reconsider the same. Mr. FLOYD, who, being the only Delegate from New York then present on that question, could not vote, seconded the motion. For the arguments repeated, see the former remarks, on the seventh of April.

On the question the votes were Massachusetts, no; Rhode Island, no; Connecticut, no; New York, aye; New Jersey, aye; Pennsylvania, aye; Maryland, no; Virginia, aye; South Carolina, no."

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9th.

A memorial was received from General Hazen in behalf of the Canadians, who had engaged in the

cause of the United States, praying that a tract of vacant land on Lake Erie might be allotted to them.

Mr. WILSON, thereupon, moved that a committee be appointed to consider and report to Congress the measures proper to be taken with respect to the Western Country. In support of his motion, he observed, on the importance of that country, the danger, from immediate emigrations, of its being lost to the public; and the necessity, on the part of Congress, of taking care of the federal interests in the formation of new States.

Mr. MADISON observed, that the appointment of such a committee could not be necessary at this juncture, and might be injurious; that Congress were about to take in the Report on Revenue, &c., the only step that could now be properly taken, viz : to call again on the States claiming the Western Territory to cede the same; that, until the result should be known, every thing would be premature, and would excite in the States irritations and jealousies that might frustrate the cessions; that it was indispensable to obtain these cessions, in order to compromise the disputes, and to derive advantage from the territory to the United States; that if the motion meant merely to prevent irregular settlements, the recommendation to that effect ought to be made to the States; that if ascertaining and disposing of garrisons proper to be kept up in that country was the object, it was already in the hands of the Committee on Peace Arrangements, but might be expressly referred to them.

Mr. MERCER supported the same idea.

Mr. CLARK Considered the motion as nowise connected with the peace arrangements; his object was to define the western limits of the States, which Congress alone could do, and which it was necessary they should do, in order to know what territory properly belonged to the United States, and what steps ought to be taken relative to it. He disapproved of repeatedly courting the States to make cessions which Congress stood in no need of.

Mr. WILSON seemed to consider, as the property of the United States, all territory over which particular States had not exercised jurisdiction, particularly northwest of the Ohio; and said, that within the country confirmed to the United States by the Provisional Articles, there must be a large country over which no particular claims extended.

He was answered, that the exercise of jurisdiction was not the criterion of territorial rights of the States; that Pennsylvania had maintained always a contrary doctrine; that if it were a criterion, Virginia had exercised jurisdiction over the Illinois and other places conquered northwest of the Ohio; that it was uncertain whether the limits of the United States, as fixed by the Provisional Articles, did comprehend any territory out of the claims of the individual States; that, should it be the case, a decision or examination of the point had best be put off till it should be seen whether cessions of the States would not render it unnecessary; that it could not be immediately necessary for the purpose of preventing settlements on such extra lands, since they must lie too remote to be in danger of it. Congress refused to refer the motion to the Committee on Peace

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