ton that the American Ministers had deceived him (De Vergennes) by telling him, a few days before the preliminary articles were signed, that the agreement on them was at a distance; that when he carried the articles signed into Council, the King expressed great indignation, and asked, if the Americans served him thus before peace was made, and whilst they were begging for aids, what was to be expected after peace, &c. To several members he mentioned that the King had been surprised and displeased, and that he said he did not think he had such allies to deal with. To one of them, who asked whether the Court of France meant to complain of them to Congress, M. Marbois answered that great powers never complained, but that they felt and remembered. It did not appear, from any circumstances, that the separate article was known to the Court of France, or to the Chevalier de la Luzerne.

The publication of the preliminary articles, excepting the separate article in the newspaper, was not a deliberate act of Congress. A hasty question for enjoining secrecy on certain parts of the despatches, which included those articles, was lost; and copies having been taken by members, and some of them handed to the Delegates of Pennsylvania, one of them reached the printer. When the publication appeared, Congress in general regretted it, not only as tending too much to lull the States, but as leading France into suspicions that Congress favored the premature signature of the articles, and were, at least, willing to remove, in the minds of the people, the blame of delaying peace from Great Britain to France. 56

MONDAY, MARCH 17TH.

A letter was received from General Washington, enclosing two anonymous and inflammatory exhortations to the army to assemble, for the purpose of seeking, by other means, that justice which their country showed no disposition to afford them. The steps taken by the General to avert the gathering storm, and his professions of inflexible adherence to his duty to Congress and to his country, excited the most affectionate sentiments towards him. By private letters from the army, and other circumstances, there appeared good ground for suspecting that the civil creditors were intriguing, in order to inflame the army into such desperation as would produce a general provision for the public debts. These papers were committed to Mr. GILMAN, Mr. DYER, Mr. CLARK, Mr. RUTLEDGE and Mr. MERCER. The appointment of these gentlemen was brought about by a few members, who wished to saddle with this embarrassment the men who had opposed the measures necessary for satisfying the army, viz: the half-pay and permanent funds; against one or other of which the individuals in question had voted.

This alarming intelligence from the army, added to the critical situation to which our affairs in Europe were reduced by the variance of our Ministers with our Ally, and to the difficulty of establishing the means of fulfilling the engagements and securing the harmony of the United States, and to the confusions apprehended from the approaching resignation of the Superintendent of Finance, gave

peculiar awe and solemnity to the present moment, and oppressed the minds of Congress with an anxiety and distress which had been scarcely felt in any period of the Revolution.

TUESDAY, MARCH 18TH.

On the Report of the Committee to whom the three paragraphs of the Report on revenues (see March the sixth and seventh) had been recommitted, the said paragraphs were expunged, so as to admit the following amendments, which took place without opposition, viz:

"Resolved, That it be recommended to the several States, as indispensably necessary to the restoration of public credit, and the punctual and honorable discharge of the public debts, to vest in the United States, in Congress assembled, a power to levy, for the use of the United States, a duty,

Upon all rum of Jamaica

proof, per gallon, of . . 4 ninetieths of a dollar. Upon all other spirituous

Upon all other wines, 4 ninetieths of a dollar.

.

Upon common Bohea tea,

Upon all other teas,

Upon pepper, per lb.

Upon brown sugar, per lb. 플

24

3

per bushel,

Upon molasses, per gallon, 1

Upon cocoa and coffee,

Upon salt, after the war,

And upon all goods, except arms, ammunition and clothing, or other articles,* imported for the use of the United States, a duty of five per cent., ad valorem:

Provided, that there be allowed a bounty of oneeighth of a dollar for every quintal of dried fish exported from the United States, and a like sum for every barrel of pickled fish, beef or pork, to be paid or allowed to the exporter thereof, at the port from which they shall be so exported.

The arguments urged by Mr. WILSON in behalf of his motion, for adding "also a tax of one quarter of a dollar per hundred acres on all located and surveyed lands within each of the States," other than those heretofore generally urged, were, that it was more moderate than had been paid before the Revo

* The other exception, as to the cards, and the wire for making them, &c., was struck out unanimously, on the motion of Mr. CLARK; being considered as no longer necessary, and contrary to the general policy of encouraging necessary manufactures among ourselves.

lution, and it could not be supposed the people would grudge to pay, as the price of their liberty, what they formerly paid to their oppressors; that if it was unequal, this inequality would be corrected by the States in other taxes; that, as the tax on trade would fall chiefly on the inhabitants of the lower country, who consumed the imports, the tax on land would affect those who were remote from the sea, and consumed little.

On the opposite side it was alleged, that such a tax was repugnant to the popular ideas of equality, and, particularly, would never be acceded to by the Southern States, at least, unless they were to be respectively credited for the amount; and, if such credit were to be given, it would be best to let the States choose such taxes as would best suit them.

A letter came in, and was read, from the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, stating the perplexing alternative to which Congress were reduced by the secret article relating to West Florida, either of dishonoring themselves, by becoming a party to the concealment, or of wounding the feelings and destroying the influence of our Ministers by disclosing the article to the French Court, and proposing, as advisable, on the whole

1. That he be authorized to communicate the article in question to the French Minister, in such manner as would best tend to remove the unfavorable impressions which might be made on the Court of France as to the sincerity of Congress or their Ministers.

2. That the said Ministers be informed of this communication, and instructed to agree that the limit for