The Commerce Committee to the American Commissioners, 9 February 1778
The Commerce Committee3 to the American Commissioners
ALS: American Philosophical Society; copy:4 American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress
Commercial Committee York in Penna.
Feby 9th. 1778
Gentlemen
The Honorable William Lee Esqr. having been appointed a Commissioner to the Court of Prussia, and Mr. Thomas Morris having been removed from the Commercial Agency, Congress have empowered and directed us to write to you, desiring you would appoint one or more suitable Persons to be Commercial Agents for Conducting the Commercial business of the United States in France and other parts of Europe. Inclosed is the Resolve of Congress to that purpose.
You will be pleased to make appointments immediately and give us notice by the first Opportunity. We are with great Respect Your most Obedient humble servants
William Ellery
James Forbes
Fra. Lewis5
The Honble The Commissioners of the United States of America at Paris.
Notations in different hands: Feb. 9. 78 Letter from Comtee: of Congress. / cong. their Resolution for appg. Agents in Europe
3. Created by Congress the previous July as the successor of the secret committee: JCC, VIII, 533–4.
4. Headed by the resolution mentioned at the end of the first paragraph, which is printed in ibid., X, 139.
5. Lewis has often appeared before; Ellery was a delegate from Rhode Island and Forbes from Maryland; see respectively the DAB and the Biographical Directory of the American Congress . . . ([Washington, D.C.], 1961.)