retary at war to issue instructions immediately to the officers in the recruiting service to suspend any future enlistments of troops under the resolutions of Congress of the 20th October, 1786, until the farther direction of Congress, having reported

"That in their opinion the present situation and "circumstances of the United States make it prudent "to postpone for a short time a decision on the subject "which has been referred to them :" and this report having been made the order, was called for by the state of South Carolina; and being under debate, a motion was made by Mr. Pinckney, seconded by Mr. Few, That the farther consideration of the report be postponed, in order to take up the following proposition, namely,

"Whereas neither the requisition of the 21st of Oc"tober, 1786, nor the loans which the board of treasu"ry were directed to make in consequence thereof for paying and subsisting the troops directed to be raised "by the resolutions of the 20th of October last, have yielded the sums expected from the same, and on the "prospect of obtaining which the additional number of

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one thousand three hundred and forty men were alone "determined to be raised; and as the present critical "and embarrassed situation of the funds of the United "States is such as not to permit the raising and equip"ping the whole number of troops mentioned in the "said resolutions without interfering with the more

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necessary and important purposes of collecting sup

'plies for the maintenance of the civil list and the "contingencies of the federal government, the pay"ment of the interest and such parts of the capital

"as are and will become due on the foreign loans; "and as it would be highly dangerous and impolitick "either to apply the sums appropriated to these pur

poses to the maintenance of an additional military "establishment in itself not necessary to the full ex"tent, or to place arms in the hands of a body of disciplined troops for whose pay and subsistence the "United States are not at present nor will soon pro"bably be in a situation to provide: Therefore,

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"Resolved, That the secretary at war be and he is hereby ordered, to issue immediate instructions to "the officers in the recruiting service to suspend any "future enlistments under the resolutions of the 20th "of October until the farther direction of Congress, except so far as to complete the corps now in service "on the Ohio or its neighbourhood to the number of non-commissioned officers and privates; that he direct the troops already raised, with a suita"ble proportion of commissioned officers, to rendez"vous at ; and that he report to Congress "the arrangements necessary for completing the said corps, and for discharging the officers who may "have been commissioned but whose services are by this reduction rendered unnecessary."

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On the question to postpone for the purpose abovementioned, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. Pinckney

On motion of Mr. Madison, seconded by Mr. King, Ordered, That this be under the injunction of se crecy for two months.

Ordered, That the consideration of the report be postponed.

OCTOBER 13, 1787.

On a report of the secretary at war, to whom was referred an extract of a report of the secretary for foreign affairs on the case of John Sullivan

Whereas a certain John Sullivan, styling himself "late captain fourth regiment American light Dragoons," has written an inflammatory and unwarrantable letter to the encargado de negocios of his catholick majesty, bearing date the first day of March, 1787, tending to interrupt and injure the peace and mutual confidence which so happily subsist between the United States and his said catholick majesty: Therefore,

Resolved, That the secretary at war direct the commanding officer of the troops of the United States on the Ohio, that, if the said John Sullivan come within the federal territory, he cause the said John Sullivan to be seized and confined, in order that he may be legally tried and punished according to the nature and degree of his crime.

OCTOBER 26, 1787.

Instructions to the Commissioners for negotiating a Treaty with the Tribes of Indians in the Southern department, for the purpose of establishing Peace between the United States and the said Tribes.

GENTLEMEN,

Several circumstances rendering it probable that hostilities may have commenced, or are on the eve of

commencing, between the state of North Carolina and the Cherokee nation of Indians, and between the state of Georgia and the Creek nation of Indians, you are to use every endeavour to restore peace and harmony between the said states and the said nations, on terms of justice and humanity.

The great source of contention between the said states and the Indian tribes being boundaries, you will carefully inquire into and ascertain the boundaries claimed by the respective states. And although Congress are of opinion that they might constitutionally fix the bounds between any state and an independent tribe of Indians, yet unwilling to have a difference subsist between the general government and that of the individual states, they wish you so to conduct the matter, that the states may not conceive their legislative rights in any manner infringed; taking care at the same time that whatever bounds are agreed upon, they may be described in such terms as shall not be liable to misconstruction and misrepresentation, but may be made clear to the conceptions of the Indians as well as whites.

The present treaty having for its principal object the restoration of peace, no cession of land is to be demanded of the Indian tribes.

You will use the utmost care to ascertain who are the leading men among the several tribes-the real head men and warriours. These you will spare no pains to attach to the interest of the United States s; by removing as far as may be all causes of future contention or quarrels; by kind treatment, and assurances of protection; by presents of a permanent nature;