FRIDAY, JANUARY 31ST.

The instruction to the Virginia Delegates from that State relative to tobacco exported to New York, under passport from the Secretary of Congress, was referred to a committee. Mr. FITZSIMMONS moved, that the information received from said State of its inability to contribute more than towards the requisitions of Congress, should be also committed. Mr. BLAND saw no reason for such commitment. Mr. GORHAM was in favor of it. He thought such a resolution from Virginia was of the most serious import, especially if compared with her withdrawal of her assent to the impost. He said, with much earnestness, that if one State should be connived at in such defaults, others would think themselves entitled to a like indulgence. Massachusetts, he was sure, had a better title to it than Virginia. He said the former had expended immense sums in recruiting her line, which composed almost the whole Northern army; that one million two hundred thousand pounds (a dollar at six shillings) had been laid out; and that without this sum the army would have been disbanded.

Mr. FITZSIMMONS, abetting the animadversions on Virginia, took notice that of dollars required by Congress from her for the year 1782, she had paid the paltry sum of thirty-five thousand dollars, and was, notwithstanding, endeavouring to play off from further contributions. The commitment took place without opposition.

The sub-committee, consisting of Mr. MADISON,

Mr. CARROLL, and Mr. WILSON, had this morning a conference with the Superintendent of Finance, on the best mode of estimating the value of land throughout the United States. The Superintendent was no less puzzled on the subject than the Committee had been. He thought some essay ought to be made for executing the Confederation, if it should be practicable; and if not, to let the impracticability appear to the States. He concurred with the sub-committee, also, in opinion, that it would be improper to refer the valuation to the States, as mutual suspicions of partiality, if not a real partiality, would render the result a source of discontent; and that even if Congress should expressly reserve to themselves a right of revising and rejecting it, such a right could not be exercised without giving extreme offence to the suspected party. To guard against these difficulties it was finally agreed, and the subcommittee accordingly reported to the Grand Committee

"That it is expedient to require of the several States a return of all surveyed and granted land within each of them; and that, in such returns, the land be distinguished into occupied and unoccupied.

"That it also was expedient to appoint one Commissioner for each State, who should be empowered to proceed, without loss of time, into the several States, and to estimate the value of the lands therein according to the returns above mentioned, and to such instructions as should, from time to time, be given him for that purpose."

This report was hurried in to the Grand Committee for two reasons; first, it was found that Mr. RUT

LEDGE, Mr. BLAND, and several others, relied so much on a valuation of land, and connected it so essentially with measures for restoring public credit, that an extreme backwardness on their part affected all these measures, whilst the valuation of land was left out. A second reason was, that the sub-committee were afraid that suspicions might arise of intentional delay, in order to confine the attention of Congress to general funds, as affording the only prospect of relief.

The Grand Committee, for like reasons, were equally impatient to make a report to Congress; and accordingly, after a short consultation, the question was taken whether the above report of the sub-committee, or the Report referred to them, should be preferred. In favor of the first were Mr. WILSON, Mr. CARROLL, Mr. MADISON, Mr. ELMORE, Mr. HAMILΤΟΝ. In favor of the second were Mr. ARNOLD, Mr. DYER, Mr. HAWKINS, Mr. GORHAM, Mr. Rutledge, and Mr. GILMAN. So the latter was immediately handed in to Congress, and referred to a committee of the whole, into which they immediately resolved themselves.

A motion was made by Mr. BLAND, seconded by Mr. MADISON, that this report should be taken up in preference to the subject of general funds. Mr. WILSON Opposed it as irregular and inconvenient to break in on an unfinished subject; and supposed that, as some further experiment must be intended than merely a discussion of the subject in Congress, before the subject of general funds would be seriously resumed, he thought it unadvisable to interrupt the latter.

Mr. MADISON answered that the object was not to retard the latter business, but to remove an obstacle

to it; that as the two subjects were, in some degree, connected, as means of restoring public credit, and inseparably connected in the minds of many menbers, it was but reasonable to admit one as well as the other to a share of attention; that if a valuation of land should be found, on mature deliberation, to be as efficacious a remedy as was by some supposed, it would be proper at least to combine it with the other expedient, or perhaps to substitute it altogether; if the contrary should become apparent, its patrons would join the more cordially in the object of a general revenue.

Mr. HAMILTON concurred in these ideas, and wished the valuation to be taken up, in order that its impracticability and futility might become manifest. The motion passed in the affirmative, and the report was taken up.

The phraseology was made more correct in several instances.

A motion was made by Mr. BOUDINOT seconded by Mr. ELLSWORTH, to strike out the clause requiring a return of "the names of the owners," as well as the quantity of land. Mr. ELLSWORTH also contended for a less specific return of the parcels of land. The objection against the clause was, that it would be extremely troublesome, and equally useless. Mr. BLAND thought these specific returns would be a check on frauds, and the suspicion of them. Mr. WILLIAMSON was of the same opinion, as were also Mr. LEE, Mr. GORHAM, and Mr. RAMSAY.* The motion was withdrawn by Mr. Boudinot.

* Mr. DYER ludicrously proposed, as a proviso to the scheme of referring the valuation to the States, " that each of the States should cheat equally,"

SATURDAY and MONDAY.

No Congress.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH.

An indecent and tart remonstrance was received from Vermont against the interposition of Congress in favor of the persons who had been banished, and whose effects had been confiscated. A motion was made by Mr. HAMILTON, seconded by Mr. DYER, to commit it. Mr. WOLCOTT, who had always patronized the case of Vermont, wished to know the views of a commitment. Mr. HAMILTON said his view was to fulfil the resolution of Congress which bound them to enforce the measure. Mr. DYER said his was, that so dishonorable a menace might be as quickly as possible renounced. He said General Washington was in favor of Vermont; that the principal people of New England were all supporters of them, and that Congress ought to rectify the error into which they had been led, without longer exposing themselves to reproach on this subject. It was committed without dissent.

Mr. WILSON informed Congress that the Legislature of Pennsylvania, having found the ordinance of Congress erecting a court for piracies so obscure on some points that they were at a loss to adapt their laws to it, had appointed a committee to confer with a committee of Congress. He accordingly moved, in behalf of the Pennsylvania delegation, that a com