The committee, to whom were referred the letters from Mr. Otis, brought in a report:

Ordered, That the consideration thereof be postponed till to-morrow. The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,

Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

WEDNESDAY, December 17, 1777.

Dr. Witherspoon, a delegate from New-Jersey, attended, and took his seat in Congress.

A letter, of the 14th and 15th, from general Washington, near the Gulph, with a copy of a letter to him from lieutenant-general Burgoyne, dated Cambridge, November the 25th; a letter, of the 10th, from William Livingston, governor of New-Jersey; and one, of the 9th, from Charles Alexander, late captain of the frigate Delaware, directed to the marine committee, were laid before Congress, and read:

Ordered, That the letter from governor Livingston be referred to the board of war; and that the letter from captain Alexander be returned to the marine committee.

Resolved, That general Washington be directed to inform general Burgoyne, that Congress will not receive nor consider any proposition for indulgence or altering the terms of the convention of Saratoga, unless immediately directed to their own body.

According to the order of the day, colonel Rawlins attended, and having informed Congress of the treatment our prisoners in the hands of the enemy receive from them, he withdrew.

THREE O'CLOCK, P. M.

Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on the letter from S. A. Otis, and, after some time spent thereon,

Resolved, That it be recommitted, and that the committee be instructed to prepare a circular letter to the states, to accompany the resolution of Congress.

Resolved, That Mr. Gerry be added to the committee.

Resolved, That the governor and council of safety of Connecticut be authorized and requested to use their utmost endeavors to lay up all the supplies of salted provisions they are able, and to employ proper persons for that purpose, and co-operate with Mr. Colt therein.

Robert Lawson, a colonel of one of the battalions of Virginia forces, having sent his commission to Congress, and requested leave to resign the same, Resolved, That his resignation be accepted.

A remonstrance from the council and general assembly of Pennsylvania, was read:

Ordered, That the consideration thereof be postponed till to-morrow.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to three o'clock to morrow, P. M.

THURSDAY, December 18, 1777.

THREE O'CLOCK, P. M.

Mr. Jonathan B. Smith, a delegate from Pennsylvania, attended and took his seat in Congress.

A letter, of the 3d, from general Gates, enclosing a letter to him from lieutenant-general Burgoyne, dated Cambridge, November the 14th, together with a list of the British and German troops, that surrendered by the convention of Saratoga; also, a letter of the 12th, and one, of the 28th of November, from R. Varick, esq. deputy muster-master-general in the northern department, with muster-rolls of the northern army, were read:

Ordered, That the letter from general Gates, with the papers enclosed, be referred to a committee of five: the members chosen, Mr. Witherspoon, Mr. Duer, Mr. Dana, Mr. F. L. Lee, and Mr. J. B. Smith.

Resolved, That Mr. Harvie be added to the marine-committee, in the room of Mr. R .H. Lee, who is absent.

Congress took into consideration the report from the committee sent to camp to confer with general Washington, and the remonstrance from the executive council and assembly of Pennsylvania, and, after some time spent thereon,

Resolved, That the farther consideration thereof be postponed till to-morrow.
A letter, of the 7th, from general Heath, at Boston, was read.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

FRIDAY, December 19, 1777.

Ordered, That the letter from R. Varick, read yesterday, with the rolls enclosed, be referred to the board of war.

A letter, of the 15th, from Monsieur de la Balme, was read.

Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee sent to confer with general Washington, and the remonstrance from the council and general assembly of Pennsylvania:

The committee having, in their report, made mention of letters containing the opinions of general officers, which were laid before them by the general, and on which they grounded their opinion:

A motion was made that the committee be asked, whether they had those letters ?

The committee informed Congress that they had brought the letters with them, but that the general, when he delivered them the letters, mentioned that they might keep them to satisfy themselves and form their judgment, and then return them to him; and that, therefore, they considered themselves obliged to return them to the general

Ordered, That the letters be laid on the table for the persual of the members.

The letters were accordingly brought in and laid on the table.

THREE O'CLOCK, P. M.

A certificate from major-general Gates, of his having promoted Denis John de Bouchet, to the rank of major, was laid before Congress : Ordered, That it be referred to the board of war.

Congress resumed the consideration of the report from the committee sent to confer with general Washington, and the remonstrance from the council and general assembly of Pennsylvania; and, thereupon,

Resolved, That a copy of the remonstrance be transmitted by express to general Washington, and that he be desired to inform Congress whether he has come to a fixed resolution to canton the army; and if he has, what line of cantonment he has proposed; in particular, what measures are agreed or for the protection of that part of Pennsylvania which lies on the easterly side of Schuylkill, and of the state of New-Jersey:

That general Washington be farther informed, that, in the opinion of Congress, the state of New-Jersey demands, in a peculiar degree, the protection of the armies of the United States, so far as the same can possibly be extended, consistent with the safety of the army and the general welfare; as that state lies open to attacks from so many quarters, and the struggles which have been made by the brave and virtuous inhabitants of that state, in defence of the common cause, cannot fail of exposing them to the particular resentment of a merciless enemy.

Congress took into consideration the report of the board of war of the 12th, and thereupon, came to the following resolution:

Whereas, sir William Howe, commander in chief of his Britannic majesty's forces, has required that provisions should be sent in for the subsistence of the American prisoners in his possession, and for the purchase of such necessaries as they may stand in need of, and has prohibited the circulation of the money struck by the authority of these states, within such parts of the country as are at present subjected to his power; whereby great difficulties have occurred in relieving the distresses of the American prisoners; and whereas large sums of continental bills of credit have been counterfeited and issued by the agents, emissaries and abettors of sir William Howe :

Resolved, That the accounts of all provisions and other necessaries which already have been, or which hereafter may be supplied by the public to prisoners in the power of these states, shall be discharged by either receiving from the British commissary of prisoners or any of his agents, provisions or other necessaries, equal in quality and kind to what have been supplied, or the amount thereof in gold and silver, at the rate of 4s 6 for every dollar of the currency of these states: and that all these accounts be liquidated and discharged, previous to the release of any prisoners to whom provisions or other necessaries shall have been supplied.

Ordered, That Monday next be assigned for taking into consideration the report of the committee, respecting the establishment of a French legion. The committee on the treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,

Ordered, That 6000 dollars be advanced to John Gibson, auditor-general, to enable him to discharge a part of a warrant of Congress of the 1st of September last, drawn on him in favor of the delegates of Georgia; the said auditor-general to be accountable.

Ordered, That 400 dollars be paid to the honorable H. Laurens, to discharge a draught of William Palfrey, pay-master general, of December 11th, in favor of colonel Moses Rawlins; the said pay-master-general to be accountable.

Ordered, That 600 dollars be paid to Isaac Wikoff, in discharge of John Ashe's third draught, dated state of North-Carolina, the 5th of March last, in favour of William Dry, expressed to be for the payment and support of continental troops; the state to be accountable, and the sum to be considered as a part of the 500,000 dollars, appropriated for the use of that state. The several matters to this day referred, being postponed, Adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow.

SATURDAY, December 20, 1777.

Whereas, it is represented to Congress, that a considerable number of the nine first regiments of Virginia forces, in the continental service, whose times of inlistment are near expiring, are willing to re-inlist, and many of them have re-inlisted for three years or during the war, upon condition of receiving the continental bounty of 20 dollars, the suit of clothes allowed by Congress, and a farther bounty of 20 dollars; and whereas, the state of Virginia have engaged to pay the additional bounty, but the clothier-general has not sufficiency of clothing to supply the men; and it being represented that the men are willing to take money in lieu of the clothes that cannot be supplied, and to furnish themselves with necessary clothing:

Resolved, That the board of treasury be directed to settle the accounts of the said men, and to pay or order them to be paid for the articles of clothing, with which they cannot be supplied by the clothier-general, agreeably to the estimate fixed by Congress.

The medical committee, to whom it was referred to enquire into the conduct of the director of the hospital at Alexandria, reported, "that from the

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informations of several officers in the Virginia and North-Carolina regiments, which are annexed, it appears obvious to the committee that Dr. Rickman, director of the said hospital, has been guilty of great neglect in not giving proper attendance to the officers and soldiers under inoculation at Alexandria:"

The said report and the informations being read,

Resolved, That Dr. Rickman be immediately suspended, and that he attend the medical committee, to answer the several complaints exhibited against him.

Ordered, That the medical committee transmit to Dr. Rickman a copy the complaints against him, and direct his attendance:

of

That the said committee write to Dr. Shippen, director-general, and direct him to send immediately a skilful physician to take care of the sick and superintend the inoculation of the soldiers at Alexandria.

Application being made by Robert Yancey, to be reimbursed a sum of public money entrusted to him as pay-master of colonel Bird's regiment, and which he lost;

Ordered, That it be referred to the board of treasury to enquire into the circumstances, and report specially thereon.

Resolved, That Mr. Frost be added to the marine committee, in the room of Mr. Folsom, who being engaged at the treasury, desires to be excused. A letter, of the 2d, from brigadier Parsons, with a copy of a letter from him to general Tryon, and general Tryon's answer, were read.

Ordered, That brigadier Parsons be directed to send to Congress an authentic account of the treatment which John and Philip Vantassel and their families received from the enemy.

A letter, of the 14th, from the navy board at Bordentown, in New-Jersey, directed to the marine committee, was laid before Congress :

Ordered, That it be returned to the marine committee, and that they be directed to prepare proper resolutions for supporting the authority of the navy board, and report the same to Congress.

A letter from Flobergue de la Rocatelle, with a memoir annexed, was laid before Congress, and read:

Ordered, That it be referred to the committee on foreign affairs.

The committee on the treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,

Ordered, That 68 dollars be paid to Patrick M'Closkey, for a horse bebelonging to him, which was sent with an express to the eastward in February last, and not returned, as appears by the certificate of Mr. Hancock, and Mr. Abeel, assistant quarter-master general:

That 39 65-90 dollars be paid to Mr. A. Clark, for the amount of the expenses of himself and others, with the public papers, &c. at Bristol:

That 600,000 dollars be advanced to William Buchanan, commissary general of purchases, of which sum 200,000 to be sent to Mr. Cuyler, his deputy in the northern department, 200,000 to Mr. Colt, his deputy in the eastern department, and 200,000 to his deputy in the southern department; the said commissary general to be accountable:

That a warrant issue on John Lawrence, commissioner of the continental loan-office in the state of Connecticut, for 200,000 dollars, in favour of the governor and council of safety of the said state, for the purpose of purchasing provisions agreeably to a resolution of Congress; the said governor and council to be accountable:

That the following warrants be drawn on Thomas Smith, commissioner of the loan office of the state of Pennsylvania, viz.

One in favor of Elias Boudinot, for 5000 dollars, to be paid in loan-office certificates, bearing date the 21st of May last, being in discharge of so much borrowed of him at that time by William Palfrey, pay-master general, who

is to be accountable:

One in favor of Elias Boudinot, for 1200 dollars, to be paid in loan-office certificates, to be dated the 7th of July last, being in discharge of so much borrowed of him at that time by W. Palfrey, pay-master general, who is to be accountable :

One in favor of John Morton, for 14,900 dollars, to be paid in loan-office certificates, bearing date the 27th of May last: and that there be paid to Elias Boudinot, for the said John Morton, 72 80-90 dollars; the two last sums being for 14,970 dollars, borrowed on interest of the said John Morton, by William Palfrey, pay-master general, as appears by his two receipts, dated at Morristown, the 27th of May last, one for 4700 dollars, the other for 10,270, for which he is to be accountable; and also in discharge of the interest due on 70 dollars, from the 27th of May to the 20th of December.

The said committee having also represented to Congress, that the warrant drawn in favor of William Buchanan, commissary-general of purchases, on the 16th of September last, by the president of Congress, on John Lawreuce, esq. commissioner of the loan-office in the state of Connecticut, for 200,000 dollars, is returned for want of payment, and that Mr. Buchanan desires the same to be cancelled; it was, thereupon,

Resolved, That the said warrant be cancelled, and that proper entries be accordingly made in the public books at the treasury office.

The committee to whom was re-committed the report on the letters from S. A. Otis, brought in their report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,

Resolved, That it be most earnestly recommended to the respective legislatures of the United States, forthwith to enact laws, appointing suitable persons to seize and take, for the use of the continental army of the said states, all woollen cloths, blankets, linens, shoes, stockings, hats, and other necessary articles of clothing, suitable for the army, which may be in the possession of any persons inhabitants of, or residents within, their respective states, for the purpose of sale and not for their own private use or family consumption, giving them certificates or receipts for the same, expressing the quantity and quality of the goods; provided, that such laws do not extend to any goods, wares, or merchandises which are, or shall be, bona fide, imported into the respective states on account of any persons not citizens of any of these United States, so long as the same shall continue their property, and no longer: and that they inflict such penalties as may be deemed proper on such persons possessed of any of the above enumerated goods, wares, or merchandise, or other articles of clothing suitable for the army, who, to evade the good intention of the said laws, shall falsely affirm or declare the same to be the property of persons not citizens of any of the said United States.

2. That it be further recommended to make provision in the said laws to empower the commissary-general of purchases, or any of his deputies, or such other persons as the respective legislatures may deem expedient, to seize all stock and every kind of provision necessary for the army, which may have been purchased up or engrossed by any person with a view of selling the same, giving to the person, from whom such stock or provisions have been taken, certificates as aforesaid.

3. That the value of all such goods, wares, and merchandise as are above enumerated, or other articles of clothing, stock, or provisions necessary for the army, which shall be so seized and taken, be ascertained at the rate at which the said articles shall be stated by the convention of the committees of the several states, to be held agreeably to the recommendation of Congress of the 22d of November last: the articles of clothing to be paid for by draughts made by the respective states upon the clothier-general; and the stock or provisions by the purchasing commissaries receiving them.