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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 --TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1784.
Congress assembled: present as yesterday.
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, Mr. [Roger] Sherman, Mr. [Jacob] Read and Mr. [Hugh] Williamson, to whom were referred a letter of November 1, and one of December 25, from Doctr. Franklin, with sundry papers enclosed, together
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with a letter of 20 October, and one of 14 November, from Thomas Barclay:
A letter from the Marquis de la Fayette, and sundry letters from Mr. Dumas.
Resolved, That it is inconsistent with the interest of the United States to appoint any person not a citizen thereof, to the office of Minister, chargé des affaires, Consul, vice-consul, or to any other civil department in a foreign country; and that a copy of this resolve be transmitted to Messrs. Adams, Franklin and Jay, ministers of the said states in Europe.
That the said ministers be instructed to inform Mr. William Hodgden, merchant of London, that Congress have a grateful sense of his benevolent and humane attention to the citizens of these United States, who were prisoners in Great Britain during the late war.
That a copy of the application of the Danish Minister, to Dr. Franklin, and of a paragraph of his letter to Congress, on the subject of the capture of the Danish ship Providentia, be sent to the supreme executive of Massachusetts, who are requested to order to Doctor Franklin duplicate and authentic copies of the proceedings of their court of admiralty, respecting the said ship and cargo, to be sent to Doctor Franklin Congress.
That a copy of all the letters from Mr. Robert Montgomery, of Alicant, with their enclosures to Congress and the Secretary for foreign Affairs, be transmitted to the said ministers, who are instructed to enquire on what grounds Mr. Montgomery has undertaken to write in the name of the United States, to the Emperor of Morocco, a letter by which their characters and interest may be so materially affected; and to take such measures thereon, as may be proper and consistent with the interest of the said states.
That a copy of a letter from Thomas Barclay, consul of the United States in France, of the 20 of October last, to
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Congress, be transmitted to the said ministers, who are instructed to take the necessary measures for obtaining free ports in that kingdom, one at least on the Mediterranean and one or more on the Atlantic, and one on the Mediterranean.
That a copy of the paragraph from A to B of the letter of the 25th of December last from Doctor Franklin be transmitted to the supreme executives of the several states, to be communicated to their respective legislatures in order to evince the necessity which congress conceive the United States are under, to rely solely on the own Exertions to protect and secure themselves against the Manoeuvers of foreign Courts and to induce the several States to take the most effectual measures for supporting the national credit and character and to strengthen the Bonds of the federal union.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, II, folio 349. General Lafayette's letter is in No. 156, folio 365. It was also entered in the Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs, in Secret Journal, No. 4 (p. 227) and in Secret Journal, No. 6, Vol. III (p. 206).]
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