advantages that may result from a free trade between the Prussian dominions and North America.

You will seize the first favourable moment to solicit, with decent firmness and respect, an acknowledgment of the independence of these states, and the publick reception of their commissioner as the representative of sovereign states. The measures you may take in the premises, and the occurrences of your negotiation, you will communicate to Congress by every opportunity.

It may not be improper to observe, that these instructions, and all others which you may receive from time to time, should be kept as secret as circumstances will admit.

INSTRUCTIONS TO RALPH IZARD, ESquire.

SIR,

Herewith you will receive a commission from the Congress of the United States of North America, authorizing and appointing you to represent the said Congress as their commissioner at the court of the grand duke of Tuscany. You will proceed with all convenient expedition to the court of the grand duke; and will lose no time in announcing in form the declaration of Independence made in Congress 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 Ame

rica, you will exert all possible address to prevail with the grand duke to use his influence with the emperor and the courts of France and Spain to this end.

You will propose a treaty of friendship and commerce with the said grand duke 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 reason to suppose that his royal highness makes commerce an object of his attention, you will not fail to place before him, in the clearest light, the great advantages that may result from a free trade between Tuscany and North America.

You will seize the first favourable moment to solicit, with firmness and respect, an acknowledgment of the

independence of these states, and the publick reception of their commissioner as the representative of sovereign states.

The measures you may take in the premises, and the occurrences of your negotiation, you will communicate to Congress by every opportunity.

It may not be improper to observe, that these instructions, and all others which you may receive from time to time, should be kept as secret as circumstances will admit.

JULY 2, 1777.

Resolved, That the committee for foreign affairs be instructed to prepare a commission to one or more of the commissioners appointed to foreign courts, to empower him or them to represent the Congress at the states general of the United Netherlands.

JULY 3, 1777.

The committee for foreign affairs brought in the form of a commission to a commissioner to the states general of the United Netherlands, which was read: Whereupon,

Resolved, That the commission and instructions to the commissioner to the states general of the United Netherlands, be the same as those given to the commissioners to the courts of Vienna, Berlin, and the grand duke of Tuscany.

The committee for foreign affairs brought in the draft of a commission and instructions to the commis.

sioner to be sent to the states general of the United Netherlands, which were read.

Ordered to lie on the table.

DECEMBER 3, 1777.

Resolved, That if the money borrowed cannot be obtained at a less interest than six per cent. the commissioners be permitted to engage for that rate of interest; and that they stipulate for the payment of the interest at periods not less than annual.

That the commissioners be instructed to consider the money hereby directed to be borrowed as a fund to be applied (unless Congress direct otherwise) solely to the purpose of answering such drafts as Congress shall make for the purpose of lessening the sum of paper money in circulation.

That in order more effectually to answer the good purposes intended by this plan, the commissioners be also instructed to keep as secret as the nature of the thing will permit, whatever loan they shall be able to obtain for this purpose on account of the United States; and that the commissioners be desired to give Congress the most early and repeated information of their success in this application.

FEBRUARY 4, 1778..

Resolved, That the commissioner at the court of Tuscany be empowered and directed to endeavour to obtain a loan of money, not exceeding one million sterling, at the usual rate of interest, on the faith of

the thirteen United States of America, for a term not less than ten years, with permission, if practicable, to repay the same sooner, if it shall be agreeable to these states, giving to the lender twelve months previous notice of such intention to return the money.

Ordered, That the committee for foreign affairs signify to the commissioner at the court of Tuscany, that if the money, which he is directed to borrow, cannot be obtained at a less interest than six per centum, he is permitted to engage for that rate; and that he stipulate, if possible, for the payment of the interest by annexing it to the principal annually during the continuance of the present war; after which the interest shall be paid off yearly as it becomes due.

That the said commissioner be instructed further to consider the money to be borrowed by him as a fund to be applied (unless Congress shall direct otherwise) solely to answer such drafts as Congress may make for the purpose of lessening the sum of paper money in circulation.

That he be also instructed to keep as secret as the nature of the thing will admit whatever loan he shall be able to obtain on account of these United States; and to give the most early and repeated information to Congress of his progress in the directed application.