Resolved, That the Marine Committee be directed to order the Captains, Saltonstal and Whipple, to repair to their respective commands; and that it be recommended to Captain Whipple to cultivate harmony with his officers.1 Dr. [Benjamin] Franklin, one of the commissioners to Canada, laid before Congress an account of his expenditures: Resolved, That the same be referred to the Board of Treasury. The president acquainted Congress, that last evening, information was given to him, of a conspiracy or plot carrying on for liberating the prisoners &c. ||in the gaol of Philadelphia, and other evil designs;|| Whereupon, Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed, and that they, together with the president, be directed to make strict enquiry into the truth of the matter; and, if they find the information well grounded, to take such steps as they shall judge prudent and effectual, for defeating the machinations of the conspirators; and, in case of necessity, to call upon the brigadier general, or commanding officer of the associators, for the aid of the military: The members chosen, Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, Mr. [Richard] Stockton, Mr. [Button] Gwinnett, Mr. [Robert] Morris, and Mr. [James] Wilson. A letter from Mr. Mease was laid before Congress and read; Resolved, That an order for 40,000 dollars be drawn on the treasurers, in favour of Mr. Mease, to enable him to advance a month's pay to the military associators of Pensylvania, ordered into New Jersey, and to those who engage to form the flying camp; he to be accountable. 1 Printed in the Pennsylvania Gazette, 24 July, 1776. 15664-VOL V-069 The Committee of Claims reported, that there is due, To Thomas Amor, for boarding General Lee's guard the sum of £12 16 10=34 22/90 dollars: To Colonel Nelson, for expences of an express, the sum of £1 17 0 4 84/90 dollars: To Caspar Miller, for provisions, &c. for General Lee's guard, the sum of £12 9 9=33 27/90 dollars:1 To Thomas Dundas for riffles supplied Colonel Irwine's batallion, the sum of £117 14=313 78/90 dollars and that the same be charged to said batallion: To Joseph Hewes, Esq for expences paid for the carriage, guard, &c. of gun powder, to North Carolina, the sum of £247 12 10=660 34/90 dollars: the sum of To Timothy Matlack, on account, 200 dollars: To William Trickett, for stationary, the £76 14 3=204 51/90 dollars: Ordered, That the said accounts be paid. The committee, to whom the letter from John Macpherson, of the 31 of May, was referred, brought in their report, as follows: That they had examined Mr. Macpherson, respecting the contents of his letter, who alleged, that he had a promise of being appointed commander in chief of the American navy, by Messrs. Randolph, Hopkins and J. Rutledge, a committee of Congress to whom he communicated an important secret; but that he produced no evidence in support of such allegation; that they enquired of Mr. Hopkins about this promise, in the presence of Mr. Macpherson, and that Mr. Hopkins declared he recollected nothing of the kind:2 Whereupon, 1The report (Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 3) added, "that the same ought to be paid to Miles and Wister, of this city." 2 In the original report the following sentence appears at this point: "and Mr. Randolph being since dead, and Mr. Rutledge now absent, your committee have it not in their power to make any farther report in the premises." It was stricken out. Resolved, That the application and request of Mr. Mac pherson is unreasonable.1 Adjourned to 9 o'Clock to Morrow. FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1776 Sundry letters were laid before Congress, and read, One of the 10th, from the convention of New Jersey: Resolved, That the last be referred to the Board of War. Resolved, That the committee appointed, on the 8th of May last, on the instructions given to Commodore Hopkins, be discharged; and that the matters to them referred, be committed to the Marine Committee, who are invested with the same powers as the committee, now discharged, were at their appointment; and that the Marine Committee be directed to proceed to enquire, as well how far the said commodore has complied with the instructions given him by the naval committee, as into the complaints reported by the Marine Committee on the 13th of June, to have been exhibited against him. The committee appointed to examine into the claims of Mr. Charles Walker, for the hire and expences of his sloop Endeavour, and the damages he has sustained, in consequence of her being taken into the service of the United Colonies, and brought from New Providence to New London by Commodore Hopkins, brought in their report, ||which was taken into consideration||; Whereupon,2 Resolved, That the said sloop Endeavour be restored to 1 This report, in the writing of Thomas McKean, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XV, folio 53. 2 A petition from Charles Walker, dated Philadelphia, June 18, 1776, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, VIII, folio 125. the said Walker, with all her stores and materials, as she came from sea, and now lies at New London: That the sum of two thousand dollars be paid to the said Charles Walker, for the hire of her, and in lieu of all losses, damages, premiums of insurance, and expences whatever: That the said Charles Walker be permitted to invest the balance of the said 2,000 dollars, (or what remains, after defraying his expences, and paying for the repairs and out fit of his vessel), in produce, and export the same. The committee appointed to prepare articles of confederation brought in a draught, which was read:1 Articles of confederation and perpetual union, between the colonies of ART. I. THE Name of this Confederacy shall be "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." ART. II. The said Colonies unite themselves so as never to be divided by any Act whatever, and hereby severally enter into a firm League of Friendship with each other, for their common Defence, the Security of their Liberties, and their mutual and general Welfare, binding the said Colonies to assist one another against all Force offered 'The Articles of Confederation as first laid before Congress and ordered to be printed are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 47. The original manuscript is in the writing of John Dickinson (folio 9,) but was used by Charles Thomson in noting such changes or amendments as were made in Congress, before the Articles were ordered to be printed a second time, on August 20. I have sought to give in this place the Articles as they were prepared by Dickinson, with the few changes he made while writing them, and with the queries which he noted on the margin. The text is substantially that printed in the first issue. Under August 20 is again repeated this first printed issue in parallel with the Articles as reported to Congress on that day and ordered to be printed. to or attacks made upon them or any of them, on Account of Religion, Sovereignty, Trade, or any other Pretence whatever. ART. III. Each Colony shall retain and enjoy as much of its present Laws, Rights and Customs, as it may think fit, and reserves to itself the sole and exclusive Regulation and Government of its internal police, in all matters that shall not interfere with the Articles of this Confederation.1 ART. IV. No Colony or Colonies, without the Consent of the United States in Congress assembled, shall send any Embassy to or receive any Embassy from, or enter into any Treaty, Convention or Conference with the King or Kingdom of Great-Britain, or any foreign Prince or State; nor shall any Colony or Colonies, nor any Servant or Servants of the United States, or of any Colony or Colonies, accept of any Present, Emolument, Office, or Title of any Kind whatever, from the King or Kingdom of Great-Britain, or any foreign Prince or State; nor shall the United States assembled, or any Colony grant any Title of Nobility. ART. V. No two or more Colonies shall enter into any Treaty, Confederation or Alliance whatever between them, without the previous and free Consent and Allowance of the United States in Congress assembled, specifying accurately the Purposes for which the same is to be entered into, and how long it shall continue. ART. VI. The Inhabitants of each Colony shall henceforth always have the same Rights, Liberties, Privileges, Immunities and Advantages, in the other Colonies, which the said Inhabitants now have, in all Cases whatever, except in those provided for by the next following Article. ART. VII. The Inhabitants of each Colony shall enjoy all the Rights, Liberties, Privileges, Immunities, and Advantages, in Trade, Navigation, and Commerce, in any other Colony, and in going to and from the same from and to any Part of the World, which the Natives of such Colony or any Commercial Society, established by its Authority shall enjoy. ART. VIII. Each Colony may assess or lay such Imposts or Duties as it thinks proper, on Importations or Exportations, provided such Imposts or Duties do not interfere with any Stipulations in Treaties "Q. Should not the first Article provide for a Toleration and agt Establishments hereafter to be made?" J. D. "Quære. The Propriety of the Union's garranteeing to every colony their respective Constitution and form of Government?" J. D. |