These regulations shall take effect on the first day of January next, and from thenceforth that all acts, resolutions, pay and appointments heretofore made in any wise respecting the department of adjutant-general and brigade-majors, shall cease and are hereby repealed.

FRIDAY, August 2, 1782.

Ordered, That Mr. Lowell have leave of absence.

MONDAY, August 5, 1782.

On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. Cornell, Mr. Clymer and Mr. Scott, to whom was referred a report of the secretary at war on a petition of Lewis I. de Beaulieu, a lieutenant of the late general count Pulaski, and now a prisoner of war on parole:

Resolved, That lieutenant Lewis I. de Beaulieu, of the legion of the late brigadier-general count Pulaski, be at liberty to go to France as a prisoner of war to the enemy on his parole, and to retire from the service of the United States as soon as he shall be exchanged: that until his exchange he continue to be entitled to the pay and emoluments belonging to his rank; and from the time of his retiring from the service of these United States, he be entitled to an annual allowance of 100 dollars, as a recompence for his wounds and loss of health in the service of these United States.

WEDNESDAY, August 7, 1782.

The committee, consisting of Mr. Cornell, Mr. Izard, Mr. Osgood, Mr. Bland and Mr. Duane, appointed to consider and report the most just and practicable means of reducing the expenditures of the United States in the several departments, and to whom was referred a motion of Mr. Bland, having reported the following resolutions:

Resolved, That the secretary at war, on or before the first day of January next, cause the non-commissioned officers and privates belonging to the lines of the respective states, including soldiers prisoners with the enemy, to be arranged in such manner as to form complete regiments agreeably to the acts of Congress of 3d and 21st of October, 1780, or regiments of not less than 500 rank and file, as circumstances and the good of the service may in his judgment require. That for this purpose the junior regiments shall be draughted to fill the senior regiments, and the surplus, should any remain after such draughts, shall be formed into a complete company or companies, as near as may be, according to the said establishment, with a proper allowance of field officers to two or more companies; the said regiments and companies shall be commanded by officers belonging to the respective states, to which the noncommissioned officers and privates so arranged shall belong.

Resolved, That the commander in chief, and commanding officer of the southern army, direct the officers of the line of each state respectively to meet together, and agree and determine upon the officers, who shall remain in service to command the troops arranged as aforesaid; provided that where it cannot be done by voluntary agreement, the junior officers of each grade shall retire, so as to leave complete corps of officers in proportion to the number of men, and to be adjusted upon the principles of the acts of the Sd and 21st of October, 1780, and the 5th resolution of the act passed the 23d day of April,

1782.

Resolved, That the commander in chief, and commanding officer of the southern army, as soon as the said arrangement shall have taken place, transmit to Congress a list of officers whom they respectively may deem proper to be employed in the several staff departments and other necessary duties in the army, to be taken from the list of retiring officers. And upon being approved VOL. IV.

8

of by Congress, and accepting such appointments, such officers shall retain their rank in the army with the pay and emoluments thereto annexed.

Resolved, That the officers retiring under the foregoing resolutions, and not employed in the staff departments as aforesaid, shall, until called into service with their proper command, be entitled to all the emoluments to which the officers are entitled, who retired under the resolutions of the 3d and 21st of October, 1780: that the said officers shall retain their rank in the army, and be called into the service, from time to time, according to seniority, in case of deficiencies of officers, upon the principles of the foregoing resolutions.

Resolved, That in arranging the non-commissioned officers and privates of the army, each state shall be credited for all the men, except deserters and such as may have died, who shall have been duly mustered to serve during the war, or for three years, in compliance with the requisitions of Congress of the 3d day of October, 1780, or the 10th day of December, 1781.

Resolved, That the preceding arrangement shall take effect on the 1st day of January, 1783, and that copies thereof be immediately transmitted by the secretary at war, to the executive authorities of the respective states.

This report being taken up pursuant to a previous order assigning this day for the consideration thereof, a motion was made by Mr. Clark, seconded by Mr. Root, to strike out the resolution," that the officers retiring," &c. And on the question, shall that resolution stand? the yeas and nays being. required by Mr. Clark,

Mr. Cornell,

Pennsylvania, Mr. Montgomery,

So it was resolved in the affirmative.

Jones,

Few,

ay S

On the question to agree to the report, the yeas and nays being required by

Mr. McKean,
Wharton,

ajay

ay >

Middleton,

ay

Georgia,

Mr. Telfair,

ay

ay ay

So it was resolved in the affirmative.

THURSDAY, August 8, 1782.

On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. Cornell, Mr. Clark and Mr. Bland, appointed to hear the pretensions of Dominique L'Eclise and Joseph

Traversie:

Resolved, That the superintendent of finance take order for paying Joseph Traversie 100 dollars, in full for his services and support since the 15th day of November, 1780; and that he be allowed 10 dollars per month in full for his support until the further order of Congress:

That the accounts of Dominique L'Eclise be settled up to this day, pursuant to the act of Congress of the 23d day of October, 1778, and agreeably to the scale of depreciation fixed for settling the value of continental currency; and that the superintendent of finance take order for paying such a part of the said account as the said Dominique L'Eclise may appear to stand in immediate need of; and that in future the said L'Eclise be allowed 10 dollars per month in full for his support until the further order of Congress.

On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Cornell and Mr. Bland, to whom was referred a letter of the 6th from the secretary

at war:

Resolved, That it be recommended to the states of Pennsylvania and Virginia, immediately to draw out and order to Fort-Pitt, each state 150 men, property officered and accoutred, to be under the orders of the commanding officer of that post, to enable the said officer more effectually to cover and protect the country:

That the secretary at war and superintendent of finance take order that proper magazines be laid up in the said fort, which may enable the commanding officer, in case the said post should be invested by the enemy, to render it tenable until relieved.

MONDAY, August 12, 1782.

In pursuance of the resolution of the 16th day of July last, the agents of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and for Connecticut made report as follows: To the honorable the Congress of the United States of America :

We the underwritten agents on the part of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and of the state of Connecticut, do humbly certify, that in pursuance of the resolution of Congress bearing date the 16th day of July last, we have met and conferred together, and by joint consent have appointed the following gentlemen as commissioners to constitute a court for hearing and determining the matter in question between the said states, that is to say, the hon. WilIn Whipple, esq. of New-Hampshire; the hon major-general Nathaniel Greene, of RhodeIsland; the hon. David Brearley and William Churchill Houston, esqrs. of New-Jersey; the hon. Cyrus Griffin and Joseph Jones, esqrs. of Virginia; and the hon. John Rutledge, esq. of South-Carolina, any five or more of whom we have agreed shall constitute a court, and have authority to proceed and determine the matter and difference between the said states. the same time we beg leave most humbly to request that Congress will be pleased to determine how much shall be allowed to the said commissioners as a compensation for their services, and also in what manner and by whom they shall be paid.

At

Dated the 8th day of August, in the year of our Lord 1782, and in the 7th year of our independence.

On the report of a committee,

consisting of Mr. Lowell, Mr. Cornell, and

Mr. Madison, to whom was referred a letter of the 9th of July from the commander in chief, with sundry papers enclosed:

Resolved, That Congress approve the conduct of gen. Washington in refuś- ing to enter into any discussion with gen. Carleton on the subject of the treason laws passed by the several states.

Resolved, That the states of America which compose the union, being sovereign and independent, the laws respectively passed by them for their internal government and the punishment of their offending citizens, cannot be submitted to the discussion of a foreign power, much less of an enemy.

On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. Lee, Mr. Witherspoon, and Mr. Rutledge, to whom was referred a letter of the 5th, from gen. Washington, Congress came to the following resolutions:

Whereas from the late publications the people throughout the United States may be induced to believe that Congress have received authentic communications upon the subject of an approaching peace :

Resolved, That the letter of August the 2d, 1782, from sir Guy Carleton and admiral Digby, to the commander in chief, be made public.

Resolved, That Congress consider the above letter as mere matter of information, inexplicit as to the nature and extent of the independency directed to be proposed by the British plenipotentiary; and as Congress have received no information on this subject from their ministers for negotiating a peace, therefore no public measure can or ought to be taken upon it in its present form.

Resolved, That it be, and it is hereby, recommended to the several states in the union, not to remit of their exertions for carrying on the war with vigor, as the only effectual means of securing the settlement of a safe and honorable peace.

Resolved, That the commander in chief be directed to propose to his Britannic majesty's commanders at New-York, the appointment of commissioners to settle forthwith a general cartel for the exchange of prisoners, taking care that the liquidation of accounts and settlement of the balance due for the maintenance of prisoners, be provided for therein.

WEDNESDAY, August 14, 1782.

The committee, consisting of Mr. Lee, Mr. Rutledge, and Mr. Cornell, to whom was referred a letter of the 5th, from major-gen. Gates, brought in a report; Whereupon,

On motion of Mr. Rutledge, seconded by Mr. Cornell,

Resolved, That the resolution of the 5th day of October, 1780, directing a court of enquiry on the conduct of major-general Gates, be repealed; and that he take command in the main army, as the commander in chief shall direct. On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Clark,

THURSDAY, August 15, 1782.

The proceedings and sentence of a general court-martial on the trial of major-general McDougall, having been read:

Resolved, That Congress approve the sentence of the said court.

Ordered, That a letter of the 14th from John Mitchell, late deputy quartermaster general, complaining that a suit has been brought against him for articles purchased for the use of the army, be sent to the legislature of the state of Pennsylvania, to make provision as required by the requisition of the 19th of March last.

MONDAY, August 19, 1782.

Mr. Wright, a delegate for Maryland, returned, and took his seat.

TUESDAY, August 20, 1782.

The committee, consisting of Mr. Carroll, Mr. Randolph and Mr. Montgomery, to whom was referred the report of a committee on instructions to the delegates of Massachusetts, having reported, "that the facts and observations collected by the committee, be referred to the secretary for foreign affairs to be by him digested, completed, and transmitted to the ministers plenipotentiary of the United States for negotiating a treaty of peace."

A motion was made by Mr. Rutledge, seconded by Mr. Williamson, to postpone the consideration of the report to make way for a motion, which he read in his place by way of argument.

On the question for postponing, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Telfair,

N-Hampshire, Mr. Gilman,

Massachusetts, Mr. Osgood,

Jackson,

no

Wright,

ay

ay

Rhode-Island, Mr. Cornell,

Howell,

no

Bland,

ayay

Connecticut,

New-York,

Mr. Scott,

ay
ay >.

Blount,

ay

New-Jersey,

Mr. Clark,

Witherspoon, no

Izard,

ay

Pennsylvania, Mr. Montgomery,

Smith,

Clymer,

Atlee,

So the question was lost.

A motion was made by Mr. Witherspoon, seconded by Mr. Montgomery, that the report be committed:

And on the question for commitment, the yeas and nays being required by

On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Cornell and Mr. Bland, to whom was referred a letter of the 12th from the secretary at war, covering the extract of a letter from the commander in chief:

Resolved, That the secretary at war be, and he is hereby, directed to issue clothing, from time to time, in like proportion as to the continental troops, to the two regiments of infantry raised by the state of New-York, under the resolution of Congress of the 2d day of April, 1781, though the continental regiments of that state are not quite completed to the establishment.