This motion of Mr. Howell, being seconded by Mr. Arnold, and on the question to agree to it, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Howell, passed in the negative, Rhode Island alone voting in its favor.

The first motion was therefore adopted.

After the passage of this resolution, the following motion was made by Mr. Hamilton, and seconded by Mr. Carroll :

Congress having, in respect to the Articles of Confederation, admitted on their Journals, an entry of a motion made by Mr. Howell, seconded by Mr. Arnold, highly derogatory to the honor and dignity of the United States in Congress assembled, resolved, that a committee be appointed to report such measures as it will be proper for Congress to adopt thereupon.

An ineffectual attempt was made by Mr. Arnold and Mr. Howell to amend this resolution by striking out the words, "Highly derogatory to the honor and dignity of the United States in Congress assembled."

The original motion was then passed, and Messrs. Gilman, of New Hampshire; Hamilton, of New York, and Madison, of Virginia, were appointed on the committee.

They reported, on the 20th, the following resolution:

RESOLVED, That the said motion, with the preceding resolution of Congress, to which it refers, be transmitted by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs to the Executive of the State of Rhode Island, with an authentic copy of the several applications for foreign loans, and the result thereof.

On the 31st of the same month, the Superintendent of Finance was directed to lay before Congress such extracts from letters received by him from Dr. Franklin, dated April 8th, and August 12th, 1782, and read in Congress on the 27th of December, as should be requested by Mr. Howell. These were, on the 2d day of January, ordered to be delivered to Mr. Howell.

On the same day, Mr. Arnold moved the passage of the following resolution :

RESOLVED, That the Secretary for Foreign Affairs be directed to transmit to the Executive of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, certified copies of the following extracts of public letters from Europe, viz.:

Extract of a letter from the Minister of the United States at the Court of Versailles, directed to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, dated Passy, August 12th, 1782:

All ranks of this nation appear to be in good humor with us, and our reputation raises in Europe.

Extract of a letter from the Minister at the Court of Versailles, to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, dated Passy, September 3d, 1782:

It affords me much satisfaction to find the conduct of Congress approved by all that hear or speak of it, and to see all the marks of a constantly growing regard for us, and confidence in us, among those in whom such sentiments are most to be desired.

Extract of a letter from the same Minister to the Superintendent of Finance, dated Passy, April 8th, 1782, read in Congress December 12th, 1782:

Our public affairs go on swimmingly in Holland.

And an extract of another letter from the some Minister, to the Superintendent of Finance, dated Passy, 12th of August, 1782; read in Congress December 27th, 1782, viz :

Your conduct, activity, and address, as financier and provider for the exigencies of the state, is much admired and praised here, its good consequences being so evident, particularly with regard to the rising credit of our country and the value of bills.

Extract of a letter from the Minister of the United States, at the Hague, to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, dated Hague, July 5th, 1782:

Although I was obliged to engage with them for five millions of guilders, I do not expect we shall obtain that sum for a long time. If we get a million and a half by Christmas, it will be more than I expect.

Extract of a letter from the Marquis de Lafayette to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, dated Paris, October 5th, 1782:

In a letter from Mr. Adams to me, dated Hague, September 20th, I had the following intelligence. "We have at length the consent of all the cities and provinces, and have adjusted and agreed upon every article, word, syllable and point, in the treaty of commerce, and clerks are employed in making out fair copies for signature, which will be done this week. Amidst the innumerable crowd of loans, which are opened in this country, many of which have little success, I was afraid that ours would have failed. I have, however, the pleasure to inform you, that I am at least one million and a half in cash; about three millions of livres, which will be an aid to the operations of our finances." From this, it appears that Mr. Adams has well employed his time in Holland, and I beg you will please to communicate this extract to Mr. Morris.

Mr. Arnold also moved the passage of the following:

RESOLVED, That the said Secretary, also transmit to the said Executive, certified copies of the several letters that have been received from Mr. Adams, the Minister at the Hague, in the course of the last six months, as well as those from Mr. Dumas, and the sundry letters that have been received from the Ministers at Versailles and Madrid, on the subject of loans, in the course of the year 1782; and of all other letters respecting applications for foreign loans and the result thereof, and respecting which, secrecy has not been and and is not enjoined by Congress.

A motion was made by Mr. Walcott, seconded by Mr. Carroll, to amend by prefixing the following preamble :—

Whereas, the delegates of the State of Rhode Island, have frequently interrupted and delayed the important business of Congress, by their solici tations to obtain certain extracts from letters received by Congress from their ministers, to have them transmitted to the State of Rhode Island; and whereas, all such extracts being taken without the connection which they have to other parts of such letters, will be very liable to misguide those to

whom such extracts shall be sent, yet considering the interruptions which such frequent motions occasion to the necesssary business of the United States.

A motion was made by Mr. Gilman, seconded by Mr.

to amend the amendment by inserting before the words "the delegates," the words "some of."

A motion was made by Mr. Rutledge, seconded by Mr. Hawkins, as follows:

Congress having on the 20th of December last, directed the Secretary for Foreign Affair's to transmit to the Executive authority of Rhode Island an authenticated state of the several applications for foreign loans, and the result thereof, Resolved that the foregoing motion be postponed.

A motion was made by Mr. Hamilton, seconded by Mr. Gilman, that the whole be committed. On the question of commitment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Howell, nine states voted yea, and one (Rhode Island), nay.

Mr. Gilman, Mr. Hamilton, and Mr. Ellsworth were appointed the committee.

A motion was then made by Mr. Osgood, seconded by Mr. Hamilton, that the entry of this proceeding be made in the Secret Journal, and on the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Howell, eight states voted yea. Rhode Island voted nay, and South Carolina was divided.

The committee to whom was referred the motion above copied, of Mr. Arnold, on the 14th of January, submitted the following report:

That in their opinion, it would be improper for Congress to concur in the object of that motion, as, with respect to a part of the extracts specified, relating merely to the general growing importance of these states, the injunction of secresy being taken off, any member who inclines to communicate them to his state may take copies of them, and more especially as Mr. Howell was furnished with complete copies of letters from which par

ticular detached sentences are now requoted; and with respect to such extracts as relate to the subject of foreign loans, they are already within purview of the resolution of the 20th of December last, directing the Secretary for Foreign Affairs to transmit to the Executive of the State of Rhode Island an authenticated state of the applications for foreign loans, and the result; that the same observation applies to that part of the motion which relates generally to the transmission of the letters from our Foreign Ministers, on the subject of loans, not under the injunction of secresy, with this additional consideration, that such of those letters as would, in fact, throw light upon the subject, comprehend many delicate transactions, which it is the duty of Congress, at the present juncture, to conceal. The committee, notwithstanding, are of opinion that, to obviate misrepresentation, it will be advisable to transmit to the Executive of the State of Rhode Island, a copy of Mr. Arnold's motion and the proceedings thereupon, with a request that precautions may be taken to prevent their appearing in the public papers.

On the question, Resolved that Congress agree to said report.

On the 12th of December, Mr. Howell obtained leave of absence from Congress. Events then transpiring induced him to remain until after the first of January.

The following letters from Mr. Arnold are inserted as containing his opinions of the official conduct of Mr. Howell, referred to in the foregoing documents, and his views of the action of Congress:

JONATHAN ARNOLD TO Gov. GREENE.

PHILADELPHIA, December 6th, 1782. SIR: I have nothing more to communicate in respect to public affairs, but what the extracts from the Journals of Congress, and my colleagues and and my joint letters will do. Yet I cannot refrain from troubling your Excellency with a few observations upon the conduct of Mr Howell, since my arriv al to this city, and which I believe, from various reasons, has been invariable the same ever since he had a seat in Congress. It appears to have been his first and only wish to serve his country generally, and especially his constituents, with unshaken fidelity. He has had no separate interested views to lead him from these objects. He clearly understood the force of the Articles of Confederation, and distinguished between the rights relinquished by the separate states and those retained; and on this, appeared desirous to fix his