conversation, and directing General St. Clair, who had gone out of town, to be sent for; and, it appearing that nothing further could be done at present, Congress adjourned. The Secretary at War had set out for Virginia yesterday. It was proposed to send for him, but declined, as he had probably gone too great a distance, and General St. Clair, it was supposed, would answer.

FRIDAY, JUNE 20TH.

The soldiers from Lancaster came into the city under the guidance of sergeants. They professed to have no other object than to obtain a settlement of accounts, which they supposed they had a better chance for at Philadelphia than at Lancaster. See the Report of the Committee on that subject.

The Report of the Committee (see the Journal) on the territorial cession of Virginia being taken up, and the amendment on the Journal, proposed by Mr. MCHENRY and Mr. CLARK, being lost, Mr. BEDFORD proposed that the second condition of the cession be so altered as to read, "that in order to comply with the said condition, so far as the same is comprised within the Resolution of October the tenth, 1780, on that subject, Commissioners, as proposed by the Committee, be appointed, &c.," and that instead of "for the purposes mentioned in the said condition," be substituted "agreeably to that resolution." In support of this alteration, it was urged by Mr. McHENRY, Mr. BEDFORD, and Mr. CLARK, that the terms

used by Virginia were too comprehensive and indefinite. In favor of the Report of the Committee, it was contended by Mr. ELLSWORTH, that the alteration was unreasonable, inasmuch as civil expenses were on the same footing of equity as military, and that a compromise was the object of the Committee. Sundry members were of opinion, that civil expenses were comprised in the Resolution of October the tenth, 1780. Mr. BLAND and Mr. MERCER acceded to the alteration proposed; Mr. MADISON alone dissented, and therefore did not insist on a call for the votes of the States. Mr. MCHENRY moved, but without being seconded, "that the Commissioners, instead of deciding finally, should be authorized to report to Congress only."

In the course of the debate, Mr. CLARK laid before Congress the remonstrance of New Jersey, as entered on the Journal.

As the Report had been postponed at the instance of the President and other Delegates of New Jersey, in order to obtain this answer from their constituents, and as the remonstrance was dated on the fourteenth of June, and was confessed privately by Mr.

to have been in possession of the Delegates on Monday last, an unfairness was complained of. They supposed that, if it had been laid before Congress sooner, the copy which would have been sent by the Virginia Delegates might hasten the opening of the land-office of that State. Mr. CLARK said, there were still good prospects, and he did not doubt that the time would yet come,when Congress would draw a line, limiting the States to the westward, and say, thus far shall ye go, and no further.

Mr. BEDFORD moved, that with respect to the fourth and fifth conditions of the cessions, "it be declared, that Clark and his men, and the Virginia line, be allowed the same bounty beyond the Ohio, as was allowed by the United States to the same ranks." This motion was seconded by Mr. Congress adjourned without debating it; there being seven States only present, and the spirit of compromise decreasing.

;

From several circumstances, there was reason to believe that Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, if not Maryland, also retained latent views of confining Virginia to the Alleghany mountains.

Notice was taken by Mr. MADISON of the error in the remonstrance, which recites "that Congress had declared the cession of Virginia to be a partial one."

SATURDAY, JUNE 21ST.

The mutinous soldiers presented themselves, drawn up in the street before the State-house, where Congress had assembled. The Executive Council of the State, sitting under the same roof, was called on for the proper interposition. President Dickinson came in, and explained the difficulty, under actual circumstances, of bringing out the militia of the place for the suppression of the mutiny. He thought that without some outrages on persons or property, the militia could not be relied on. General St. Clair, then in Philadelphia, was sent for, and desired to use his interposition, in order to prevail on VOL. I.-30

the troops to return to the barracks. His report gave no encouragement.

In this posture of things, it was proposed by Mr. IZARD, that Congress should adjourn. It was proposed by Mr. HAMILTON, that General St. Clair, in concert with the Executive Council of the State, should take order for terminating the mutiny. Mr. REED moved, that the General should endeavour to withdraw the troops by assuring them of the disposition of Congress to do them justice. It was finally agreed, that Congress should remain till the usual hour of adjournment, but without taking any step in relation to the alleged grievances of the soldiers, or any other business whatever. In the mean time, the soldiers remained in their position, without offering any violence-individuals only, occasionally, uttering offensive words, and wantonly pointing their muskets to the windows of the Hall of Congress. No danger from premeditated violence was apprehended, but it was observed that spirituous drink, from the tippling-houses adjoining, began to be liberally served out to the soldiers, and might lead to hasty excesses. None were committed, however, and about three o'clock, the usual hour, Congress adjourned; the soldiers, though in some instances offering a mock obstruction, permitting the members to pass through their ranks. They soon afterwards retired themselves to the barracks.

In the evening Congress re-assembled, and passed the resolutions on the Journal, authorizing a Committee to confer anew with the Executive of the State, and, in case no satisfactory grounds should appear for expecting prompt and adequate exertions

for suppressing the mutiny and supporting the public authority, authorizing the President, with the advice of the Committee, to summon the members to meet at Trenton or Princeton, in New Jersey.

The conference with the Executive produced nothing but a repetition of doubts concerning the disposition of the militia to act, unless some actual outrage were offered to persons or property. It was even doubted whether a repetition of the insult to Congress would be a sufficient provocation.

During the deliberations of the Executive, and the suspense of the Committee, reports from the barracks were in constant vibration. At one moment, the mutineers were penitent and preparing submissions; the next, they were meditating more violent measures. Sometimes the bank was their object; then the seizure of the members of Congress, with whom they imagined an indemnity for their offence might be stipulated. On Tuesday, about two o'clock, the efforts of the State authority being despaired of, and the reports from the barracks being unfavorable, the Committee advised the President to summon Congress to meet at Trenton, which he did verbally as to the members present, leaving behind him a General Proclamation for the press.

After the departure of Congress, the mutineers submitted, and most of them accepted furloughs under the resolution of Congress on that subject. At the time of submission, they betrayed their leaders, the chief of whom proved to be a Mr. Carberry, a deranged officer, and a Mr. Sullivan, a lieutenant of horse; both of whom made their escape. Some of the most active of the sergeants also ran off."