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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 1783
The Secretary for Foreign affairs, to whom was referred a letter of 21 January, from the honorable B. Franklin, with an agreement between the ministers plenipotentiary of the United States of America, and the minister plenipotentiary of his Britannic Majesty, on the 20 of January last, relative to a cessation of hostilities, reported the draught of a proclamation, as follows:
By the United States of America in Congress assembled
A PROCLAMATION,
Declaring the cessation of arms, as well by sea as by land, agreed upon between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty; and enjoining the observance thereof.
Whereas provisional articles were signed at Paris on the thirtieth day of November last, between the ministers plenipotentiary of the United States of America for treating of peace, and the minister plenipotentiary of his Britannic Majesty, to be inserted in, and to constitute the treaty of peace proposed to be concluded between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty, when terms of peace should be agreed upon between their Most Christian and Britannic
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Majesties: and whereas preliminaries for restoring peace between their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties were signed at Versailles, on the twentieth day of January last, by the ministers of their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties: and whereas preliminaries for restoring peace between the said king of Great Britain and the king of Spain, were also signed at Versailles on the same twentieth day of January last:
By which said preliminary articles it hath been agreed, that as soon as the same were ratified, hostilities between the said kings, their kingdoms, states and subjects, should cease in all parts of the world: and it was further agreed, that all vessels and effects that might be taken in the channel and in the North seas, after the space of twelve days from the ratification of the said preliminary articles, should be restored; that the term should be one month from the channel and North seas as far as the Canary islands, inclusively, whether in the ocean or the Mediterranean; two months from the said Canary islands as far as the equinoctial line or equator: and lastly, five months in all other parts of the world, without any exception or more particular description of time or place: and whereas it was declared by the minister plenipotentiary of the king of Great Britain, in the name and by the express order of the king his master, on the said twentieth day of January last, that the said United States of America, their subjects and their possessions, shall be comprised in the above mentioned suspension of arms, at the same epochs, and in the same manner as the three crowns above mentioned, their subjects and possessions respectively; upon condition, that on the part and in the name of the United States of America, a similar declaration shall be delivered, expressly declaring their assent to the said suspension of arms, and containing an assurance of the most perfect reciprocity on their part: and whereas the ministers plenipotentiary of these United States, did, on the twentieth day of January, in the name and by the authority of the said United States, accept the said declaration, and declare that the said states should cause all hostilities to cease against his Britannic Majesty, his subjects and his possessions, at the terms and epochs agreed upon between his said Majesty the King of Great Britain, his Majesty the King of France, and his Majesty the King of Spain, so and in the same manner as had been agreed upon between those three crowns, and to produce the same effects: and whereas the ratifications of the said preliminary articles, between their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties, were exchanged by their ministers on the third day of February last; and between his Britannic Majesty and the King of Spain, on the 9th day of February last: and whereas
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it is our will and pleasure, that the cessation of hostilities between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty, should be conformable to the epochs fixed between their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties:
We have thought fit to make known the same to the citizens of these states; and we hereby strictly charge and command all our officers, both by sea and land, and other subjects of these United States, to forbear all acts of hostility, either by sea or by land, against his Britannic Majesty or his subjects, from and after the respective times agreed upon between their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties, as aforesaid.
And we do further require all governors and others, the executive powers of these United States respectively, to cause this our proclamation to be made public, to the end that the same may be duly observed within their several jurisdictions.
Done in Congress, at Philadelphia, this eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty three, and of our sovereignty and independence the seventh.
[On the question to agree to the foregoing proclamation, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John Francis] Mercer,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.]1
[Note 1: 1 The proclamation and the vote upon it were also entered in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs. The part in brackets was entered in the public Journal by George Bond.]
Ordered, That a letter of the 11th of April, from the Superintendant of Finance, proposing the sale of the Ship the Due de Lauzun, be referred to Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, Mr. [Thomas] Fitzsimmons and Mr. [Stephen] Higginson.2
[Note 2: 2 This order was entered only in the journal kept by the Secretary of Congress for the Superintendent of Finance: Morris Papers, Congressional Proceedings. The record in Committee Books No. 186 and No. 191 shows that a report was delivered April 18, and acted on, April 21.
On this date, according to the indorsement, a letter of Thomas Chittenden, dated March 18, was read and referred to Mr. [Daniel] Carroll, Mr. [Nathaniel] Gorham, Mr. [Arthur] Lee, Mr. [John Taylor] Gilman, and Mr. [Oliver] Wolcott. It is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 40, II, folio 401. See post, May 26.
Also a letter of April 11 from the President of the Council of Pennsylvania to the delegates of that State in Congress asking that measures be taken to secure negroes belonging to citizens of that State. It is in No. 69, II, folio 439.
On April 14, according to the indorsement, was read a letter of April 9, from General Washington. It is in No. 152, XI, folio 211.]
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