Alexander Hamilton Papers

Continental Congress Motion on Instructions to be Given the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, [18 December 1782]

Continental Congress
Motion on Instructions to be Given the Secretary for Foreign Affairs

[Philadelphia, December 18, 1782]

On motion of Mr Carroll seconded by Mr Ramsay

Resolved That the Secy for foreign affairs be discharged from the instruction given him on the 12 instant1

Mr. Howel delegate from the State of R Island having acknowleged himself the author of the extract of the letter quoted in the report of the Committee of that day.2

D, in the writings of Charles Thomson and H, Papers of the Continental Congress, National Archives.

1This first portion of the manuscript is in the writing of Charles Thomson. On December 12, 1782, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs had been instructed to correspond with the executive of Rhode Island on the identity of the author of an article which had revealed information Congress had designated secret. See JCC description begins Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (Washington, 1904–1937). description ends , XXIII, 792.

2For a summary of Howell’s letter see “Motion Censuring David Howell,” December 17, 1782, note 4. In the left hand margin, opposite the part in H’s writing, is written: “Hamilton [and William] Blount [of North Carolina] to add.” The Journals of the Congress indicate only that the motion was made by Daniel Carroll and seconded by David Ramsay of South Carolina (JCC description begins Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (Washington, 1904–1937). description ends , XXII, 812).

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