aforefaid States, to compofe the army a contingent proportioned to the number of its white inhabitants.-Thefe requifitions of the General Affembly shall be binding, and in confequence the legislative body of each State fhall nominate the particular officers, levy the men, arm and equip them properly; and thefe officers and foldiers, thus armed and equipped, fhall proceed to the place, and within the time fixed by the General Affembly.

But if the Gencral Affembly from fome particular circumftances, fhould think proper to exempt one or feveral of the States from raising troops, or demand of them lefs than their contingent, and fhould on the contrary judge it convenient that one or several others fhould raise more than their contingent: the number extraordinary demanded fhall be raised, provided with officers armed and equipped in the fame manner as the contingent, unless the legislative body of that, or of those of the State to whom the requifition fhall have been made, should deem it dangerous for themselves to be drained of that number extraordinary, and in that cafe, they fhall furnish no more than what they think compatible with their fafety; and the officers and foldiers fo raised and equipped, fhall go to the place and within the time fixed by the General Affembly.

The General Affembly fhall never engage in any war, nor grant letters of marque or reprifal in time of peace, nor contract any treaties of alliance or other conventions, except to make peace, nor coin money or regulate its value, or determine or fix the fums necessary to be raised, or the difburfments neceffary to be made for the defence or advantage of the United States, or of fome of them, nor create bills, nor borrow money on the credit of the United States, nor difpofe of any fums of money, nor refolve on the number of ships of war to be built or purchafed, or on the nnmber of troops to be raised for land or fea fervice, nor appoint a commander or chief of the land or fea forces, but by the united confent of nine of the States; and no queftion on any point whatsoever, except the adjourning from one day to another, fhall be determined but by a majority of the United States.

No delegate fhall be chofen for more than three years out of fix.

No perfon invefted with any employment whatever in the extent of the United States, and receiving, by virtue of that employment, either by himfelf, or through the hands of any other for him, any falaries, wages, emoluments whatever, shall be chofen a delegate.

The General Affembly shall publish every month a journal of their feffions, except what fhall relate to treaties, alliances, or military oper ations, when it fhall appear to them that these matters ought to be kept fecret. The opinions pro and con of the delegates of each State, fhall be entered in the journals as often as any one of the delegates of each State, on their demand or even to any one of the delegates of each state, at his particular requifition, a copy of the journal, except the parts abovementioned, to be carried to the legislative body of his refpective

State.

XV. The Council of State fhall be compofed of one delegate of each of the States, nominated annually by other delegates of his refpective

State;

State; and the cafe where the electors might not be able to agree, that delegate shall be nominated by the General Affembly.

--

The Council of State thall be authorised to receive and open all the letters addreffed to the United States, and answer them; but shall na contract any engagements binding to the United States. They shal correfpond with the legislative bodies of each State, and with all perfons employed under the authority of the United States, or of fome of the particular legiative bodies. They hall addrefs themselves to thefe legislative bodies, or to the officers to whom each State shall have entrusted the executive power, for aid and affiftance of every kind, as occafion fhall require. They shall give inftructions to the gen erals, and direct the military operations by land or by fea; but without making any alterations in the objects or expeditions determined by the General A fembly, unless a change of circumftances intervening and com. ing to their knowledge fiace the breaking up of the Affembly, fhould rende a change of meafures indifpenfably neceffary. They fhall be careful of the defence and prefervation of the fortreffes or fortified ports. They hall procure information of the fituation and designs of the enemy. They hall put in execution the measures and plans that fhall have been refolved by the General Affembly, by virtue of the powers with which they are invested by the prefent confederation.--They fhall draw upon the treasurers for the fums, the destination of which fhall have been fettled by the General Affembly, and for the payment of the contracts which they may have made by virtue of the powers that are granted to them. They shall infpect and reprove, they fhall even fufpend all officers civil or military acting under the authority of the United States.---In the cafe of death or fufpenfion of any officer whofe nomination belongs to the General Affembly, they may replace him by what perfon they think proper until the next Affembly.-They may publish and disperse authentic accounts of the military operations— They may convene the General Affembly for a nearer term than that to which they had adjourned when they feparated, if any important and unexpected event fhould require it for the welfare or benefit of the United States, or of fome of them.-They fhall prepare the mat. ters that are to be fubmitted to the infpection of the General Affembly,and lay before them at the next fitting all the letters or advices by them received, and fha reader an exact account of all that they have In the interim. They fhall take for their fecretary a perfon fit for that employment, who before he enters on his function fhall take an oath of fecrecy and fidelity. The prefence of feven members of the Council will empower them to act.-In cafe of the death of one of their members, the Council fhall give notice of it to the colleagues of the deceafed, that they may chufe one of themselves to replace him in the Council until the holding of the next general meeting; and in cafe there fhould be one of his colleagues living the fame notice fhall be given to him, that he may come and take his feat until the next fitting.

XVI. In cafe that Canada fhould be willing to accede to the prefent confederation, and come into all the measures of the United States, it shall be admitted into the union, and parcipitate in all its benefits. But no other colony fhall be admitted without the confent of nine of the States.

The

The above articles fhall be proposed to the legislative bodies of all the United States, to be examined by them; and if they approve of thew, they are defired to authorife their delegates to ratify them in the General Affembly; after which all the articles which conftitute the prefent confederation, fhall be inviolably obferved by all and every of the United States, and the union fhall be established for ever.

There fhall not be made hereafter any alteration in these articles, nor in any of them, unless that the alterations be previously determined in the General Affembly, and confirmed afterwards by the legislative bodies of each of the United States.

Refolved and figned at Philadelphia, in Congrefs, the 4th of October 1776.

Treaty of Alliance, Eventual and Defenfive, between his Moft Chriftian Majefty Louis the Sixteenth, King of France and Navarre, and the Thirteen United States of America, concluded at Paris, 6th of February, 1778,

The Moft Chriftian King and the United States of North America, to wit, New-Hampshire, Maffachufett's-Bay, Rhode-Inland, Connecticut, New-Jersey, Penfylvania, Deleware, Maryland, Virginia, NorthCarolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, having this day concluded a treaty of amity and commerce, for the reciprocal advantage of their fubjects and citizens, have thought it neceffary to take into confideration the means of ftrengthening thofe engagements, and of rendering them ufeful to the fafety and tranquility of the two parties; particu larly in cafe Great Britain, in refentment of that connection, and of the good correfpondence which is the object of the faid treaty, should break the peace with France, either by direct hoftilities, or by hindering her commerce and navigation, In a manner contrary to the rights of nations, and the peace fubfifting between the two crowns.---And his Majefty and the faid United States having refolved in that cafe to join their councils and efforts against the enterprizes of their common enemy,

The refpective Plenipotentiaries, impowered to concert the claufes and conditions proper to fulfil the faid intentions, have, after the moft mature deliberation, concluded and determined on the following articles.

ARTICLE I. If war fhould break out between France and Great Britain, during the continuance of the present war between the United States and England, his Majefty and the faid United States fhall make it a common caufe, and aid each other mutually with their good offices, their councils, and their forces, according to the exigency of conjunctures, as becomes good and faithful allies.

II. The effential and direct end of the prefent defonfive alliance is, to maintain effectually the liberty fovereignity, and independence, ab. folute and unlimited of the faid United States, as well in matters of government as of commerce.

III, The two contracting parties fhall each on its own part, and in

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the manner it may judge most proper, make all the efforts in its power against the common enemy, in order to attain the end proposed.

IV. The contracting parties agree, that in cafe either of thera fhould form a particluar enterprize in which the concurrence of the other may be defired, the party whofe concurrence is defired, shall readily and with good faith join to act in concert for that purpose, as far as -circumftances and its own particular fituation will permit; and in that cafe, they shall regulate by a particular convention the quantity and kind of fuccour to be furnished, and the time and manner of its being brought into action, as well as the advantages which are to be its compenfation.

V. If the United States hould think fit to attempt the reduction of the British power, remaining in the Northern parts of America or the islands of Bermudas, thofe countries or islands in case of fuccefs, shall be confederated with, or dependant upon, the said United States.

VI. The moft Chriftian King renounces for ever the poffeffion of the islands of Bermudas, as well as of any part of the continent of America, which before the treaty of Paris, in 1763, or in virtue of that treaty, were acknowledged to belong to the crown of Great Britain, or to the United States, heretofore called British Colonies, or which are at this time, or have lately been, under the power of the King and crown of Great Britain.

VII. If his Moft Chriftian Majefty fhall think proper to attack any of the islands fituated in the Gulph of Mexico, or near that Gulph which are at prefent under the power of Great Britain, all the faid ifles, in cafe of fuccefs, fhall apertain to the crown of France.

VIII. Neither of the two parties fhall conclude either truce or peace with Great Britain, without the formal confent of the other first obtained; and they mutually engage not to lay down their arms, until the independence of the United States fhall have been formally or ta citly affured by the treaty or treaties that shall terminate the war,

IX. The contracting parties declare, that, being refolved to fulfil, each on its own part, the claufes and conditions of the prefent treaty of alliance, according to its own power and circumstances, there fhall be no after-claims of compenfation, on one fide or the other, whatever anay be the event of the war.

X. The Mott Chriftian King and United States agree, to invite or admit other powers, who may have received injuries from England, to make a common caufe with them, and to accede to the prefent alliance, under fuch conditions as shall be freely agreed to, and settled between all the parties.

XI. The two parties guarantee mutually from the prefent time, and for ever, against all other powers, to wit-The United States to his Moft Chriftian Majesty the prefent poffeffions of the crown of France in America, as well as thofe which it may acquire by the future treaty of peace; and his moft Chriftian Majefty guarantees on his part to the United States, their liberty, fovereignity, and independence, abfolute and unlimited, as well in matters of government as commerce, and allo their poffeffions, and the additions or conquefts that their confederation obtaiu during the war, from any of the dominions now or hereto

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tore poffeffed by Great Britain in North America; conformable to the fifth and fixth articles above written, the whole as their poffeffions fhall be fixed and affured to the faid States, at the moment the ceffation of their prefent war with England.

XII. In order to fix more precifely the fenfe and application of the preceding article, the contracting parties declare, that in cafe of a rupture between France and England, the reciprocal guarantee declared in the faid article fhall have its full force and effect the moment such war fhall break out; aud if fuch rupture shall not take place, the mutual obligations of the faid guarantees fhall not commence until the moment of the ceffation of the prefent war between the United States and England, shall have ascertained their poffeffions.

XIII. The present treaty fhall be ratified on both fides, and the ratifications shall be exchanged in the space of fix months, or fooner if poffible.

In faith whereof the refpective Plenipotentiaries, to wit, on the part of the Moft Chriftian King, Conrad Alexander Gerard, Royal Sydnic of the city of Strasbourg, and Secretary of his Majefty's Council of State-And on the part of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, deputy to the General Congress, from the State of Penfylvania, and Prefident of the convention of the faid State; Silas Deane, heretofore deputy from the State of Connecticut; and Arthur Lee, Councellor at Law, have figned the above articles both in the French and English languages; declaring nevertheless, that the prefent treaty was originally compofed and concluded in the French language, and have hereunto fixed their feals.

Done at Paris, the fixth Day of February, one thousand seven hundred and feventy-eight.

(L.S.)

C. A. GERARD,

(L.S.)

B. FRANKLIN,

(L.S.)

SILAS DEANE,

(L.S.)

ARTHUR LEE.

Evidence as given before a Committee of the Houfe of Commons, on the enquiry into the conduct of the American War, under the command of Lord and General Sir William Howe.

Major-General Lord Cornwallis was the first witnefs called, and, as a Peer, was allowed to fit within the bar. He was examined by Siz William Howe, Mr De Grey, Mr James Luttrell, Commiffioner Eden, Mr G. Onflow, and others; but the greatest part of the questions put to him relating to mere matter of opinion, his Lordship declined anfwering them, and confined himfelf to matters of fact.

The iffue of a very long examination was a clear and honourable juftification of the military operations of the army, and of the fleet; his Lordship declared that he knew of no delay, nor of any opportunity loft to bring the enemy to action; and it appeared that the General's

humanity