Resolved, That this Congress will, on Monday next, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the trade of the United Colonies; and that sundry motions offered by the members from Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, and Virginia, be referred to said committee. Here is an instance, in addition to many others, of an extraordinary liberty taken by the secretary, I suppose at the instigation of the party against independence, to suppress, by omitting on the Journals, the many motions that were made disagreeable to that set. These motions ought to have been inserted verbatim on the Journals, with the names of those who made them. On Monday, March 25th, I made a motion, and laid it in writing on the table, in these words, Resolved, That the thanks of this Congress, in their own name, and in the name of the thirteen United Colonies, whom they represent, be presented to His Excellency General Washington, and the officers and soldiers under his command, for their wise and spirited conduct in the siege and acquisition of Boston; and that a medal of gold be struck in commemoration of this great event and presented to His Excellency; and that a committee of three be appointed to prepare a letter of thanks, and a proper device for the medal. The members chosen, Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Jay, and Mr. Hopkins. Tuesday, March 26. Congress were informed of the death of Governor Ward, and on Wednesday, March 27th, they attended his funeral, in mourning for a month. In this gentleman, who died of the smallpox, we lost an honorable, a conscientious, a benevolent, and inflexible patriot. Thursday, March 28. A multitude of details, but no com mittee of the whole house. Friday, March 29. whole. More trifles, but no committee of the Ditto. Saturday, March 30. Monday, April 1. A measure of great importance was adopted; a treasury office with an auditor, and a sufficient number of clerks. On the 17th of February, Congress had resolved that a standing committee of five be appointed for superintending the Treasury; their duties were pointed out; and Mr. Duane, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Gerry, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Willing, were chosen on the committee. On this day, April 1st, the treasury was much improved in its system. No order of the day. April 2. "The committee appointed to prepare a letter of thanks to General Washington, and the officers and soldiers under his command, brought in a draught, which was read and agreed to. "Ordered, That it be transcribed, signed by the President, and forwarded." But the letter, a great part of the compliment of which would have lain in the insertion of it in the Journals, was carefully secluded. Perhaps the secretary, or the president, or both, chose rather to conceal the compliment to the General, than make one to the member who made the motion and the com mittee who prepared it. I never troubled myself about the Journals, and should never have known the letter was not there, if I had not been called to peruse them now, after twenty-nine years have rolled away.1 April 3. Great things were done. The naval system made great progress. 66 Agreeable to the order of the day, the Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the trade of the United Colonies, and after some time spent thereon, the President resumed the chair, and Mr. Harrison reported that the committee had taken into consideration the matters referred to them, and had come to sundry resolutions, which he was ordered to deliver in. "The resolutions agreed to by the committee of the whole Congress being read, "Ordered, To lie on the table." April 5. Good Friday. April 6. "The Congress resumed the consideration of the report from the committee of the whole, and the same being twice read, and debated by paragraphs, was agreed to." These resolutions are on the Journals, and amount to something. They opened the ports, and set our commerce at liberty, but they were far short of what had been moved by members from Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virginia. There is one resolution I will not omit. "Resolved, That no slaves be imported into any of the thirteen Colonies." I will not omit to remark here the manifest artifice in concealing in the Journals the motions which were made, and the 1 This letter is printed, together with a private letter addressed by Mr. Adams to General Washington at the same time, in the Appendix, No. xiv. to the third volume of Mr. Sparks's edition of the Washington Papers. names of the members who made them, in these daily committees of the whole. The spirit of a party, which has been before exposed, can alone account for this unfairness. "A letter from General Washington of the 27th of March, and a letter from Brigadier General Heath, being received and read, "Resolved, That the letter from General Washington, with the papers inclosed, be referred to a committee of the whole Congress." Tuesday, April 9. No committee of the whole. Wednesday, April 10. "Resolved, That the letters from General Washington, be referred to a committee of the whole Congress." April 11. "Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to inquire into the truth of the report respecting Governor Tryon's exacting an oath from persons going by the packet, and to ascertain the fact by affidavits taken before a chief justice, or other chief magistrate. "The members chosen, Mr. Jay, Mr. Wythe, and Mr. Wilson." This helped forward our designs a little. "Resolved, That it be recommended to the several Assemblies, Conventions, and Committees or Councils of Safety of the United Colonies, to use their best endeavors in communicating to foreign nations the resolutions of Congress relative to trade." This, also, was a considerable advance; but it would now be scarcely credited if I were to relate the struggle it cost us to obtain every one of these resolutions. April 12. No committee of the whole. "Whereas, information has been this day laid before Congress, from which there is great reason to believe that Robert Eden, Esq., Governor of Maryland, has lately carried on a correspondence with the British Ministry, highly dangerous to the liberties of America; "Resolved, therefore, that the Council of Safety of Maryland be earnestly requested immediately to cause the person and papers of Governor Eden to be seized and secured, and such of the papers as relate to the American dispute, without delay, conveyed safely to Congress, and that copies of the intercepted letters from the Secretary of State be inclosed to the said Council of Safety." A similar resolution relative to Alexander Ross and his papers. No committee of the whole. Wednesday, April 17. Thursday, April 18. No committee of the whole. Friday, April 19. “Resolved, That a committee of seven be appointed to examine and ascertain the value of the several species of gold and silver coins current in these Colonies, and the proportions they ought to bear to Spanish milled dollars. Members chosen, Mr. Duane, Mr. Wythe, Mr. John Adams, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Hewes, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Whipple. "The committee to whom General Washington's letter of the 15th instant, as well as other letters, were referred, brought in their report, which being taken into consideration was agreed to, whereupon, Resolved."* One resolution was, that the resignation of James Warren, as paymaster-general of the army, be accepted. This gentleman had been appointed at my solicitation, Mr. Samuel Adams and Mr. Gerry concurring; our other colleagues notwithstanding. "The committee to whom were referred the letter from General Washington of the 4th, and the letter from General Schuyler of the second, of this month, brought in their report. "Adjourned to Monday." Monday, April 22. A letter from the Canada Commissioners, one from General Washington of the 19th, one from General Schuyler, inclosing sundry letters and papers from Canada, and one from the committee of inspection of West Augusta, with sundry papers inclosed, were referred to Mr. R. H. Lee, Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Jay, Mr. Braxton, and Mr. Johnson. Tuesday, April 23. "The committee to whom the letters from General Washington, General Schuyler, and the letters from Canada, &c., were referred, brought in their report." Wednesday, April 24. Thomas Heyward, Junior, Esq., a new member from Carolina, and an excellent one, appeared in Congress. On him we could always depend for sound measures, though he seldom spoke in public. Thomas Lynch, Junior, Esq., also appeared. Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, but came to no resolutions. Thursday, April 25. Two letters from General Washington of the 22d, and 23d, were referred to Mr. R. H. Lee, Mr. J. Adams, and Mr. Hewes. Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration, the letter from General Washington of the 27th of March last, and the papers therein inclosed, and Mr. Harrison reported that the commit * See the Journal. tee had come to a resolution on the matters referred to them, which he read and delivered in." Report read again, and postponed. Friday, April 26. Postponed. Saturday, April 27. Ditto. Monday, April 29. Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on General Washington's letter of the 20th, and came to sundry resolutions which may be seen on the Journal. Tuesday, April 30. "Congress took into consideration the report of the Committee on General Washington's letter of the 24th of March, whereupon, Resolved," As in the Journal. Of some importance, but nothing to the great objects still kept out of sight. "The delegates from New Jersey having laid before Congress a number of bills, counterfeited to imitate the continental bills of credit, "Resolved, That a committee of six be appointed to consider of this matter, and report thereon to Congress. The members chosen, Mr. W. Livingston, Mr. McKean, Mr. Sherman, Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Braxton, and Mr. Duane. Adjourned to Thursday." Thursday, May 2. "Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the Committee on General Washington's letter of the 24th of March last, and after debate, "Resolved, That it be recommitted, and, as the members of the former committee are absent, that a new committee be appointed; the members chosen, Mr. Dickinson, Mr. W. Livingston, and Mr. Rutledge." The recommitment, and the names of the new committee, show the design. Friday, May 3. "A petition from Peter Simon was presented to Congress, and read; ordered, that it be referred to a committee of three. The members chosen, Mr. McKean, Mr. Wythe, and Mr. J. Adams. "The committee to whom the report on General Washington's letter of the 24th of March last was recommitted, brought in their report, which was read; "Ordered, To lie on the table." Monday, May 6. "Congress resumed the consideration of the report on General Washington's letter of the 24th of March, and thereupon came to the following resolution; "Whereas, General Washington has requested directions concerning the conduct that should be observed towards commissioners said to be coming from Great Britain to America, "Resolved, That General Washington be informed, that Congress suppose, if commissioners are intended to be sent from Great Britain to treat of peace, that the practice usual in such cases will be observed, by making previous applica |