of the articles of confederation and perpetual union between the United States of America, as a part of the said instrument of union. The delegates for the state of Pennsylvania, laid before Congress sundry resolutions of the general assembly of that state, which were read and ordered to be entered on the journal as follows: "State of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly, Friday, August 29, 1785, A. M. The report of the committee appointed to consider of the most eligible means for the ac commodation of Congress, should that honorable body determine to reside within this state, read August 27th instant, was read the second time; whereupon, Resolved unanimously, That until Congress shall determine upon the place of their permanent residence, it would be highly agreeable to this house, if that honorable body should deem it expedient to return to and continue in the city of Philadelphia; in which case they offer to Congress the different apartment in the state-house and adjacent buildings which they formerly occupied for the purpose of transacting the national business therein. Resolved unanimously, That this house will take effectual measures to enable the executive of the state to afford speedy and adequate support and protection to the honor and dignity of the United States in Congress, and the persons of those composing the supreme council of the nation assembled in this city. Resolved unanimously, That as this house is sincerely disposed to render the permanent residence of Congress in this state commodious and agreeable to that honorable body, the delegates of this state be instructed, to request that Congress will be pleased to define what jurisdiction they deem necessary to be vested in them, in the place wherein they shall permanently reside." THURSDAY, September 4, 1783. Major-general Howe having transmitted to the president, "a full report of the proceedings of the court-martial respecting the late mutiny," Ordered, That they be laid before Congress on Tuesday next. FRIDAY, September 5, 1783. A motion was made by Mr. Lee, seconded by Mr. Holten, That the superintendent of finance be directed to lay before Congress, an account of all the public monies which have been applied at home and abroad to the purchase of clothing for the army since his coming into office; together with an account of what part of such clothing has been received, and how it has been disposed of. On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Lee, ay> |Pennsylvania, Mr. Wilson, N-Hampshire, Mr. Foster, ay Massachusetts, Mr. Gerry, ay Montgomery, ay ay ay Higginson, ay Maryland, Rhode-Island, Mr. Ellery, ay McHenry, Connecticut, Howell, ay ay Virginia, Mr. Bland, ay ay New-York, Mr. Duane, N-Carolina, ay L'Hommedieu, ay ay So it was resolved in the affirmative. On motion of Mr. Lee, seconded by Mr. Holten, Resolved, That the secretary at war be directed to lay before Congress, copies of the returns from the clothier-general to him, of the clothing which has been received by the said clothier-general, since the 1st of January, 1781, to the present time; and also of the returns of clothing on hand, every two months in that period, as directed by the regulations passed June 10th, 1781. On motion of Mr. M'Henry, seconded by Mr. Lee, Resolved, That Friday next be assigned to decide on the place proper for a temporary residence of Congress. On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. Ellery, Mr. A. Lee and Mr. Gerry, to whom was referred a letter of the 1st, from the agent of marine, Resolved, That the agent of marine be, and he is hereby directed to cause the ship Alliance to be unladen, and her cargo freighted to Europe on the best terms. That the agent of marine discharge the officers and crew of the ship Alliance, cause her to be surveyed, and report to Congress the state she is in, with an estimate of the expense necessary to give her a good repair. MONDAY, September 8, 1783. The president being absent, Congress proceeded to the election of a chairman, for the purpose of keeping order; and, the ballots being taken, the hon. John Rutledge was elected. TUESDAY, September 9, 1783. The president and the chairman elected yesterday, being absent, Congress proceeded to the election of another chairman, for the purpose of keeping order; and, the ballots being taken, the hon. D. Carroll was elected. A motion was made by Mr. Read, seconded by Mr. Mercer, That the secretary of Congress enquire of Mr. David C. Claypoole, printer of the Pennsylvania packet, dated September 9, 1783, by what means a copy of a letter printed in his paper, dated New-York, August 17, 1783, signed Guy Carleton, and directed to his excellency Elias Boudinot, esq. came to his hands. A motion was made by Mr. Gerry, seconded by Mr. Higginson, that the motion be committed. And on the question for commitment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Howell, N-Hampshire, Mr. Foster, Mr. Carroll, ay Maryland, Massachusetts, Mr. Holten, ay 2 ay Zay Higginson, ay S Virginia, Mr. Bland, no Rhode Island, Mr. Ellery, ay Howell, no S Mr. S. Huntington, ay ay L'Hommedieu, ay ay Read, Beresford, On the question to agree to the original motion, the yeas and nays being no? no ay no ay Massachusetts, Mr. Holten, no Higginson, no no no Virginia, Mr. Bland, Rhode Island, Mr. Ellery, no no Lee, B. Huntington, no Williamson, Mr. Duane, Pennsylvania, Mr. Peters, no no no no >* Read, ay So the question was lost. According to order, the full report of the proceedings of the court-martial, respecting the late mutiny, was laid before Congress. Ordered, That the same be committed. WEDNESDAY, September 10, 1783. On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. McHenry, Mr. Peters and Mr. Duane, to whom was referred a report from the secretary at war, on a motion of Mr. Dyer, Resolved, That the secretary at war inform the pay-master general, that brevet commissions do not entitle to pay or emoluments, unless the same be expressed in the resolution granting such commissions. A motion was made by Mr. Lee, seconded by Mr. Holten, That the superintendent of finance and the treasurer, be directed to lay before Congress an account of all the notes which have been issued by them on the credit of the United States, together with an account of what part of those notes are now in circulation. Whereupon, it was moved by Mr. Read, seconded by Mr. Mercer, that the said motion be postponed, in order to take up the following: That the house proceed to appoint five committees, to be composed of five members each, for the purposes mentioned and pointed out by the act of Congress of the 17th June, 1782. And on the question to postpone for the purpose aforesaid, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Read, N.-Hampshire, Mr. Foster, * ΠΟ Maryland, Mr. Carroll, ay div. Massachusetts, Mr. Gerry, Virginia, Mr. Bland, no So the question was lost. On the question to agree to the original motion, the yeas and nays being re quired by Mr. A. Lee, That the superintendent of finance and the treasurer be, and they are hereby directed to lay before Congress, an account of all the notes which have been issued by them on the credit of the United States, together with an account of what part of those notes are now in circulation. It was then moved by Mr. Read, seconded by Mr. Holten, That Congress proceed to-morrow to appoint five committees, to be composed of five members each, for the purposes mentioned and pointed out by the act of Congress of the 17th of June, 1782. On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Carroll, A motion was made by Mr. Mercer, seconded by Mr. Read, in the words. following: Whereas the offices of Congress have been ever open to the members thereof for information; and the late removal of Congress from Philadelphia, having rendered access to the office of finance inconvenient to the members; Resolved therefore, that the superintendent of finance be directed to transmit any information relating to that office which shall be required by a member of Congress. A motion was made by Mr. Howell, seconded by Mr. Higginson, that the preamble be struck out: and on the question, shall the preamble stand? the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Mercer, So the question was lost, and the preamble was struck out. The previous question was then moved on the resolution by the state of New-York, and seconded by the state of Connecticut; and on the question to agree to the previous question, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Mercer, Read, ay ay ay THURSDAY, September 11, 1783. On motion of Mr. M'Henry, seconded by Mr. Peters, Resolved, That the secretary at war be, and he is hereby directed to issue to captain North, aid-de-camp to major-general the baron Steuben, the brevet commission of major in the army of the United States. Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on the cession of Virginia; after debate, a motion was made by Mr. M'Henry, seconded by Mr. Carroll, That the consideration of the report on the cession from Virginia, be postponed till Thursday next, in order that notice may be given to the states of New-Jersey and Delaware, or those states which it may be reasonably expected can give their attendance. A motion was made by Mr. Higginson, seconded by Mr. Holten, to strike out what follows the words "Thursday next :" And on the question, shall those words stand? the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Carroll, So it passed in the negative, and the words were struck out. On the question to agree to the motion as amended, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Bland, A memorial from the hon. the minister plenipotentiary of France, was read, enclosing a commnission of chevalier D'Annemours, consul-general of France, in the state of Maryland, the commonwealth of Virginia and the states of NorthCarolina, South Carolina and Georgia; Whereupon, Ordered, That the commission be registered, and that it be recognised, and an exequatur issued in due form. Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on the Virginia cession, and the same being amended, a motion was made by Mr. Carroll, seconded by Mr. M'Henry, to postpone the further consideration of the report, in order to take up the following: "Whereas by the 6th article of the preliminary articles of peace between his Britannic majesty, and their most Christian and Catholic majesties, signed on the 3d day of November, 1762, and ratified the 10th day of February, 1765, it is stipulated and agreed, that, "the confines between the dominions of Great-Britain and France, on the continent of North-America, shall be irrevocably fixed by a line drawn along the middle of the river Mississippi, from its source as far as the river Iberville, and from thence by a line drawn along the middle of this river, and of the lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain to the sea; and to this purpose the most Christian king ceded in full right, and guarantees to his Britannic majesty, the river and port of Mobile, and every thing that he possesses on the left side of the river Mississippi, except the town of NewOrleans, and the island on which it is situated, which shall remain to France; provided that the navigation of the river Mississippi, shall be equally free to the subjects of Great-Britain and France, in its whole breadth and length from its source to the sea, and that part expressly which is between the said island of New-Orleans, and the right bank of that river, as well as the passage both in and out of its mouth. And whereas by the 19th article of the said treaty, his Catholic majesty cedes and guarantees in full right to his Britannic majesty, all that Spain possesses in the continent of N.-America, to the east or to the southeast of the river Mississippi." And whereas by the articles of treaty between Great-Britain and the United States, done at Paris the 30th day of November, 1782, the boundaries of the United States are set forth, described and agreed to be by the 2d article of the said treaty, viz. "From the north-west angle of Nova-Šcotia, viz. that angle which is formed by a line drawn due north from the source of St. Croix river, to the Highlands which divide those rivers that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, from those which fall into the Atlantic ocean, to the north-westernmost head of Connecticut river, thence down along the middle of that river to the 45th degree of north latitude; from thence by a line due west on said latitude, until it strikes the river Iroquois or Cataraquy; thence along the middle of said river into lake Ontario, through the middle of said lake until it strikes the communication by water between that lake and lake Erie; thence along the middle of said communication into lake Erie, through the middle of said lake, until it arrives at the water communication between that lake and lake Huron; thence along the middle of said water communication into lake Huron; thence through the middle of the said lake to |