and if the consumer pays the taxes, and every state, whether it imports or not, contributes to the consumption, the produce of the duty ought to be credited to the United States; or it is easy to see that the proposition will be rejected. Your committee are upon the whole of opinion, that the necessity of a compliance with the proposition in question should be strongly urged to the legislature of Massachusetts, as a measure just and expedient in itself, and which will operate with impartiality and facility, and better than any other afford a prospect of some satisfaction to the publick creditors, whose just complaints ought to be redressed without delay. Ordered, That a copy of the foregoing report be transmitted to the general court of Massachusetts, in answer to their letter of the tenth of March last. APRIL 3, 1781. On motion of Mr. Bee, seconded by Mr. M'KeanResolved, That the commander in chief be and he is hereby directed, to recall lieutenant general Burgoyne and all other British or German officers, prisoners of war, now absent on their paroles from America, to return immediately. APRIL 23, 1781. A letter of the 16th from general Washington was read: Whereupon, Resolved, That the board of war be and they are hereby directed, to take effectual measures for the removal of all publick stores, and also all beef cattle, and provisions and forage, collected, or stored, from the peninsula between the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, and on the Jersey shore adjacent to the Delaware, which may probably fall into the hands of the enemy on an invasion. That the said cattle, provisions, and forage, be transported to places of security, and valued by proper persons, and certificates given by the commissary general of purchases to the owners thereof, specifying quantity, quality and value. That it be, and hereby is recommended to the executives of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, to give every assistance in their power to the officers appointed to secure the cattle, provisions and forage aforesaid, Whereas it is represented by the commander in chief, that he has taken measures for the exchange of lieutenant general Burgoyne Resolved therefore, That he be authorized, if he shall think fit, to proceed in perfecting the said exchange, the resolution of the third instant notwithstanding. MAY 8, 1781. On motion of Mr. Sullivan, seconded by Mr. SharpeOrdered, That a committee of five be appointed to devise further ways and means to defray the expenses of the ensuing campaign, and what further measures may be adopted for the better regulation of the publick finances. The members chosen-Mr. Witherspoon, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. M. Smith, Mr. Clymer, and Mr. Rodney. MAY 14, 1781. The report of the committee on further ways and means to defray the expenses of the ensuing campaign, &c. was taken into consideration; and the following paragraph being under debate, viz. "That the treasury be directed to issue no more "bills to the states in pursuance of the act of Con66 gress of March 18, 1780; that the states be required "to call out of circulation every year the same pro"portions of what they have already issued as they "were in that act directed to redeem of the whole; "and that they be required to do this by taxes at "the nominal or full value of the bills, and by no "means to exchange them at a discount or by a scale "of depreciation”— A division was called for; and on the question to agree to the first clause as far as "1780" inclusive, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Ward So it passed in the negative; and the remaining clauses of the proposition fell of course. The following proposition being under consideration, viz. "That the states be called upon for their propor"tions of a tax, to be paid in the new money, or in "gold and silver, of three millions of dollars, to be "returned into the continental treasury on or before "the first day of October next; and that whatever "sum is paid in the new money, one half thereof shall "be cancelled and the other half only applied to the "" publick service”— A motion was made by Mr. Matthews, seconded by Mr. Sharpe, to strike out the words "in the new "money or." And on the question, Shall those words |