that the division is precisely into civil and military. We will not presume to send foreign news from Annapolis to Philadelphia. Congress expects to adjourn on the 3d of June. They have passed the estimate and requisitions for the year, and some recommendations to the states to vest Congress with such much power over their commerce as will enable them to retaliate on any nation who may wish to grasp it on unequal terms; and to enable them if it should be found expedient to pass something like the British navigation act. You say [sic] in the public papers a report of a committee, erroneously said to be an act of Congress, for dividing the Western country into That report was recommitted, the paragraphs of names struck off, the principles of government somewhat varied & the act then passed. Foreign treaties of commerce occupy us at present. I am not yet fixed as to the time of my coming to Philadelphia, tho' think it will not be long [after the] first new states. REPORT ON CONTINENTAL BILLS OF CREDIT.' [May 7, 1784.] The Grand Committee. To whom was referred a Letter of the Governor of Massachusetts of the 28th of October 1783 relative to the Continental Bills of Credit of the old Emissions, submit the following. 'Endorsed: "No. 88 Report of grand Come on Old Cont: Money. Entd. Read May 17, 1784. Monday 24 May assigned for consideration." This report, as adopted by Congress, was printed as : The Grand Committee to whom was referred / a Letter of the Governor of Massachusetts, of the 28th of Oc-/tober, 1783, relative to the Continental Bills of Credit / of the Old Emissions, submit the following. / 4 to. Broadside. Resolved. That all sums of Continental bills of credit paid by or to any State on account of the United States shall be credited or debited in account according to the specie value of such bills at the time of paiment, as settled by the legislature of the same state in their table of depreciation formed for the use of their state: and where none such has been formed, an average shall be taken from those of the states adjoining wherein such tables have been formed, on which paiments an interest shall be allowed at the rate of 6 per centum per annum from the time of paiment. That all such bills now in the Treasury of any state shall be credited to such state at the value they bore in specie at the time they were received by the state, which value shall be settled by a table of depreciation as directed in the preceding resolution for all the period of time comprehended in such depreciation table and if the sd bills were received after the last day to which such table descends they shall then be credited at the rate at which they were actually purchased or received, or if not purchased or received at any particular rate, then at the market value of such bills within the state at the time, to be estimated on the best evidence which may be obtained, on which sums also a like interest of 6 per cent per annum from the time of receipt shall be allowed, and the affidavit of the Treasurer receiving the sd bills shall be evidence of the time and rate at which they were received. That all such bills now in the hands of individuals shall be redeemed at the same rates prescribed for those in the Treasury of their state. That the holders of such bills shall be at liberty to carry them to the loan officer of the U. S. within their state who shall give them in exchange for the same a certificate expressing the sum in specie which the U. S. owe in lieu thereof & the time from which it bears interest, which time shall be the 1st day of April 1781, where the sd bills were received before that day, & when received afterwards the time of their actual receipt. The loan officer shall require from the holder the best evidence of the time of his receiving them which the nature of the case will admit, viz. that of circumstances & disinterested persons where to be had, and where not to be had to his satisfaction, then resorting to the examination of the party himself on oath, & giving thereto so much credit as in his conscience he shall think it deserves and in all cases of importance & difficulty shall associate to himself two honest & able persons to assist him in the examination & judgment. These certificates shall be funded & paid as the other debts of the U. S., but no certificate shall be issued for a less sum than twenty specie dollars. That the Superintendent of finance direct the form & mode of issuing the aforesd certificates, & take order for destroying the Continental bills of credit brought in. Passed in Commee May. 7. 1784. TO THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA. V. S. A. ANNAPOLIS May 7, 1784 SIR,--The duty of correspondence for the Month being devolved on me, and no authentic intelligence from abroad having been received, I have it in my power to communicate to you only what we get through the channel of the public papers. The inclosed will present to you some of the late debates of the H. of Commons, their address to the king & his answers. These seem to exclude the prospect of accomodation. In my last I inclosed you a copy of the estimate & requisitions for the year, and the act for the division of the Western territories as they had ultimately passed Congress, since that, the resolutions have been passed which have been forwarded to you by the President recommending to the legislatures to invest Congress with certain powers in some cases of commerce. The principles on which treaties of commerce are to be formed with foreign powers, occupy the attention of Congress at this time. These will then remain for discussion before their adjournment. 1. The opening of their land office. 2. Indian affairs. 3. The Western posts. 4. A proposed arrangement of the treasury on the resignation of Mr. Morris is expected. & 5. A definition of the powers of the Committee of the states. In your favour of the 23a of Apr. you ask at what rate the Loan-office debt is to be discharged? The resolutions of June 28. 1780 which fix the rate of depreciation, declare that the principal of the loans shall be discharged in Spanish dollars according to those rates. We have had information of the adoption of the impost by every state except Georgia, N. Carolina, New York, Connecticut & Rhode Island. From the three first there is no reason to apprehend any opposition. Connecticut declares itself opposed unless the Commutation can be separated from it. The firmness of Congress on this head will exclude her from every hope of that, and I am informed it is probable she will yield that point & adopt the measure. I have frequently heard the gentleman of Rhode island, to whom the opposition of that state has been generally imputed, declare that Rhode island would never come into the measure of the impost as long as any other state would hold off. That if every other acceded however, she would not solely oppose the will of the whole union, but in that case would yield. The probability is therefore that the measure will get through all the legislatures in the course of this summer. TO THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA. V. S. A. ANNAPOLIS, May 7, 1784 SIR, Since my letter of this morning the post has arrived and brought us a letter from Dr Franklin of Mar. 9. He had received a letter from Congress informing him of the reasons of delaying our ratification. He apprehends no difficulty from this circumstance, & the rather as he had received a letter from Mr Hartley dated Mar. 2. (the day before the exchange should have taken place) desiring him he would inform him when the American ratification should arrive, & he would then apply for the British & attend the exchange. Letters this moment received from Holland inform us that the protested bills will be taken up but by pushing a plan of loan on terms most ruinous and disgraceful: yet less so than nonpaiment would have been. This shows the necessity of doing something effectual in the business of supplies. P. S. Mr Hardy desires me to present his compliments and to inform you that the want of anything material to be added to the intelligence I have communicated prevents him troubling you with a letter. INSTRUCTIONS TO THE MINISTERS PLENIPOTENTIARY APPOINTED TO NEGOTIATE TREATIES OF COMMERCE WITH THE EUROPEAN NATIONS.1 May 7, 1784. WHEREAS, instructions bearing date the 29th day of October, 1783, were sent to the Ministers Plenipotentiary of the United States of America at the Court of Versailles, empowered to nego |