Richard Henry Lee, John Banister, Francis Lightfoot Lee, John Penn, July 21st, 1778, Corn Harnett, Jn! Williams, Henry Laurens, William Henry Drayton, Jn Mathews, Rich Hutson, Tho' Heyward, junꞌ. Jn Walton, 24th July, 1778, Edwa Telfair, Adjourned. On the Part and Behalf of the State of Virginia. On the part and behalf of the State of North Carolina. On the part and on behalf of the State of South On the part and behalf of the State of Georgia.1 THE UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, 2 The ratification of the Articles of Confederation being yesterday compleated by the accession of the State of Maryland: The United States met in Congress, when the following members appeared: His excellency Samuel Huntington, delegate for Connecticut, President. 1 The proceedings of this day with respect to the signing of the Articles of Confederation, the Articles themselves and the signers are entered in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 9 (History of the Confederation), but not in the Journal itself. The Articles are printed here from the original roll in the Bureau of Rolls and Library, Department of State. 2 "The United States in Congress Assembled" was put at the head of each page of the Journal, with occasional omissions, from this date until August 1st. A letter, of 26 February, from General Washington, was read:2 Ordered, That so much thereof as relates to the frigates be referred to the Board of Admiralty. 3 A letter, from B. Stoddert, was read: Ordered, That a committee of five be appointed to confer with the said minister. 1 The following resolution, in the writing of James Duane, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 43, folio 189, but does not appear to have been offered: Resolved, That nine or more states represented by two or more delegates respectively are sufficient, as heretofore, to constitute a Congress for the dispatch of business. And that the suffrage of a majority of such nine or more states in Congress assembled shall decide all questions except in the cases wherein the 9th article of the Confederation requires the assent of nine states. 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, X, folio 1; it is printed in the Writings of Washington (Ford), IX, 168. This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XXI, folio 29. This letter is printed in the Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (Wharton), IV, 271. The members, Mr. [Joseph] Jones, Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [Samuel] Adams, Mr. [Daniel] Carroll, Mr. [Thomas] Bee. On motion of Mr. [John] Mathews: Ordered, That a committee of three be appointed, to revise the rules of the late Congress. The members, Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [John] Mathews, Mr. [Thomas] Burke. Ordered, That Mr. [James Mitchell] Varnum have leave of absence. The committee to whom were referred the letter from the president of the senate and speaker of the house of assembly of the State of New York, and the letter from Governor Clinton; The Committee to whom was referred the letters of Governor Clinton, Pierre Van Courtland &c. beg leave to report, that in order to afford relief to the State of New York and other States under similar circumstances the following resolutions will be necessary: Resolved, That it be recommended to the respective States to repeal all laws now in force for making bills of credit a legal tender. Resolved, That the quarterly tax requested by an Act of Congress of the day of be considered as a Specie tax and that the bills issued by either State in pursuance of the Act of the 18th of March last be received agreable to their nominal value equal with silver and gold. Resolved, That the respective States be authorized to issue their new money of the 18th of March in exchange for old Continental Bills, or for Quarter Master's or Commissaries Certificates at the relative value between them and specie. Resolved, That the respective States, be directed not to issue new bills in future, but in exchange for bills of the old emissions, or for the certificates before mentioned, at the current rate of exchange, agreeable to the relative value between them and specie. Resolved, That the embargo be taken off from the State of New York.1 1 This report, in the writing of John Sullivan, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, I, folio 365. It is in the list of postponed reports in No. 31, folio 371. 86382°--VOL 19-12-15 The committee on the letter, of 28 February, from Doctor W. Burnet; The Committee to whom was referred the letter of D: William Burnet beg leave to report, That on the eleventh of April 1777 D: Burnet was elected Physician and Surgeon General of the army in the eastern department, and continued in the exercise of that office until the new election of officers in the medical department on the 6th day of October last, when D: Burnet was elected a Physician and Surgeon of the Hospital, That by the appointment of D: Cochran Chief Physician and Surgeon of the army to the Directorship of the Hospital-there is now a vacancy in the office of the Chief Physician and Surgeon of the army, Whereupon y Committee submit the following Resolution: Resolved, That to morrow Congress will proceed to the election of a Chief Physician and Surgeon to the army.1 The committee on the letter, of 26 February, from the Board of War; The committee on the letter, of 22 January, from Colonel Broadhead; The Committee to whom was referred the letter from Colonel Brodhead commanding Officer at Fort Pitt of the 22nd ult. to Richard Peters of the Board of War, beg leave to report that it be recommended to the executive of the State of Virginia to permit such provisions as are or may be purchased in the upper part of that State for the use of the Army in the Western Department to be transported to Fort Pitt, or if the said State should not think proper to give such permission then that so much of the provisions purchased by order of the said State on the Western Waters and within the State of Pennsylvania as may be absolutely necessary for the support of the Army under the command of Col Brodhead, be applied for that purpose and that Virginia be credited for the just value of the same." 1 This report, in the writing of Theodorick Bland, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, I, folio 471. It was postponed, as the indorsement shows, and a resolution in lieu of it passed March 3. 2 This report, in the writing of James Mitchell Varnum, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 27, folio 125. The indorsement says: "August 24, 1781, not to be acted upon." The committee to whom was referred the case of the honble H. Laurens, made a prisoner on his passage to Europe, and said to be committed to the Tower of London on suspicion of high treason; and The Committee to whom was referred the information of the Honorable Henry Laurens Esq. being committed to the Tower of London beg leave to report, That they have taken the Matter into their serious Consideration and submit to Congress the following State of Facts and Resolutions: That Mr Laurens who was formerly President of Congress came into that Body long after the Independence of these States was solemnly declared and being in a high Character in their Service, and taken upon the high seas, instead of being treated as a Prisoner of War, was sent to the Tower of London, put into close confinement, and by the tenor of his commitment is pretended to be considered as a traitorous subject of the King of Great Britain; That the United States are and of Right ought to be free and independent, and their Citizens ought to receive the same treatment when taken Prisoners as the subjects of other Independent States do among civilized Nations, the rather that their Independence has been explicitly acknowledged by one of the greatest and most enlightened Powers of Europe; That they have been in full Possession of their Independence for several years, which alone ought to have protected their subjects Citizens from such cruel and barbarous Treatment as is seldom given but to those who are guilty of causeless and seditious Insurrections against Law and order in general in a Government formerly at peace; That their Independence has been acquiesced in and virtually acknowledged by the Court of Great Britain so far as regards the Treatment of Prisoners, and the Conduct of the War many public Exchanges having taken place by agreement of the Commanders in Chief of both armies of Soldiers, Mariners, and Citizens of all Ranks, and even Cartels having been settled fixing the Principles upon which they are still to be conducted. Your Committee upon these Grounds are of opinion that it is incumbent on the Congress of the United States speedily and strongly to express their Resentment against this Infraction of their Rights and take effectual Measures for preventing any similar conduct in |