or with such person or persons as shall be by him for that purpose authorized, of and upon a true and sin cere friendship, and a firm, inviolable, and universal peace, for the defence, protection and safety of the navigation and mutual commerce of the subjects of his catholick majesty and the people of the United States; and also, to enter into, and agree upon a treaty with his catholick majesty, or such person or persons as shall be by him authorized for that purpose, for assistance in carrying on the present war between Great Britain and the United States, and to do all other things which may conduce to those desirable ends; and promising in good faith to ratify whatsoever our said commissioner shall transact in the premises: Provided always, that the said Arthur Lee shall continue to be possessed of all the powers heretofore given him, as a commissioner at the court of France from these states, so long as he shall remain in, and be present at, the said court.

Done in Congress, at Philadelphia, the fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven. In testimony whereof, the President, by order of the said Congress, hath hereunto subscribed his name, and affixed his seal.

[L.S.]

Attest.

Secretary.

President.

The resolution reported by the committee of the whole, was read; and, after debate, on the question being put,

It passed in the negative.

JUNE 27, 1777.

The committee for foreign affairs brought in a draft of commissions and instructions to William Lee, esquire, commissioner to the court of Vienna and Berlin, and to Ralph Izard, esquire, commissioner to the court of Tuscany, which were read; and, after debate, the determination on a part of the instructions was, at the request of a state, postponed till to-morrow.

JUNE 28, 1777.

Congress resumed the consideration of the commissions and instructions proposed to be given to the commissioners appointed to the courts of Vienna, and Berlin, and the grand duke of Tuscany; and, after debate,

Resolved, That the same be recommitted.

JULY 1, 1777.

The committee for foreign affairs, to whom were recommitted the commissions and instructions to the commissioners to the courts of Vienna and Berlin, and the grand duke of Tuscany, brought in another draft of commissions and instructions, which, being taken into consideration, were agreed to as follows:

COMMISSION TO WILLIAM LEE.

The delegates of the United States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia-To all who shall see these presents, send greeting.

Whereas a friendly and commercial connexion between the subjects of his imperial majesty,the emperor of Germany, and the people of these states, will be beneficial to both nations:-Know ye, therefore, that we, reposing special trust and confidence in the zeal, fidelity, abilities and assiduity of William Lee, esquire, of the state of Virginia, have appointed and deputed, and by these presents do appoint and depute the said William Lee our commissioner, giving and granting to our said commissioner full power and authority to communicate and treat with his imperial majesty, the emperor of Germany, or with such person or persons as shall be by him for such purpose authorized, of and upon a true and sincere friendship, and a firm, inviolable, and universal peace, for the defence, protection and safety of the navigation and mutual commerce of the subjects of his imperial majesty and the people of the United States; and to do not only all such things as may conduce to those desirable ends, but also, to transact and execute all such other matters as shall hereafter be given him in charge.

Done in Congress, at Philadelphia, the first day of July, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven. In testimony whereof the President, by order of the said Congress, hath hereunto subscribed his name and affixed his seal.

(Signed)

Attest,

JOHN HANCOCK, President.

CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.

Another commission to William Lee, esquire, commissioner to his majesty the king of Prussia, in the same terms, mutatis mutandis.

A commission to Ralph Izard, esquire, of the state of South Carolina, commissioner to his royal highness the grand duke of Tuscany, similar to that to William Lee, mutatis mutandis.

INSTRUCTIONS TO WILLIAM LEE, ESQUIRE.

SIR,

Herewith you will receive commissions from the Congress of the United States of North America, authorizing and appointing you to represent the said Congress as their commissioner at the courts of Vienna and Berlin. You will proceed with all convenient expedition to those courts; visiting that first, which, on consultation with the commissioners at the court of France, shall be judged most proper. You will lose no time in announcing in form to those courts, the declaration of Independence made in Congress on the fourth day of July, 1776. The reasons of this act of

Independence are so strongly adduced in the declaration itself, that further argument is unnecessary. As it is of the greatest importance to these states, that Great Britain be effectually obstructed in the plan of sending German and Russian troops to North America, you will exert all possible address and vigour to cultivate the friendship and procure the interference of the emperor and of Prussia. To this end you will propose treaties of friendship and commerce with these powers, upon the same commercial principles as were the basis of the first treaties of friendship and commerce proposed to the courts of France and Spain, by our commissioners, and which were approved in Congress the seventeenth day of September, 1776, and not interfering with any treaties which may have been proposed to, or concluded with, the courts abovementioned. For your better instruction herein, the commissioners at the court of Versailles will be desired to furnish you, from Paris, with a copy of the treaty originally proposed by Congress, to be entered into with France, together with the subsequent alterations that have been proposed on either side.

You are to propose no treaty of commerce to be of longer duration than the term of twelve years from the date of its ratification by the Congress of the United States. And it must never be forgotten, in these commercial treaties, that reciprocal and equal advantages to the people of both countries be firmly and plainly secured.

There being reasons to suppose that his Prussian majesty makes commerce an object, you will not fail to place before him, in the clearest light, the great