MR. ADAMS'S LETTERS. LETTER XIV. Amsterdam, Oct'. 26, 1780. SIR, p | ''HE fourteenth quefbion is, " IVhat is the quan- A " tity of paper money in circulation ? IVhat " credit the inhabitants have for it, in their daily " bujinefs ? li hat dejigns the inhabitants have by " maintaining its credit P What by preventing its " increase ? And in -what manner do they realize it ?" The quantity of paper bills in circulation, 011 the 18th of March lalt, was two hundred millions of paper dollars. The Congress stated the value of it, upon an average, at forty for one ; amounting, in the whole, to five millions, of silver dollars, or one million and a quarter sterling. This they did, by resolving to receive one iilver dollar in lieu of forty paper ones, in the payment of taxes. This ■was probably allowing more than the full value for tlie j&per ; because, by all accounts, the bills pafledfrom hand to hand, in private tranfat r tions, at fixtyor seventy for one. The designs of the inhabitants, in preserving its credit as much as they can, are very good and laudable. The designs are, that thty may have a fixed and certain medium, both for exter nal and internal commerce : That every man may have an equal profit from his industry, and for his commodities : That private and public debts may be justly paid : And every man may pay an equal and proportional fhareof the public expences. and this is their design in preventing its increase ; because it is impossible, if the quan tity is increased, to prevent the depreciation of the whole in circulation. They realize it in varions ways. Some have lent it to the public, and received loan-office cer tificates for it, upon interest, which are to be paid In proportion to their value in silver at the time of their dates. Some purcliafe with it the pro duce of the country, which they export to the Weft-Indies, and to Europe ; and, by this means, supply the French and Spanish fleets and armies, both upon the continent of America, and the Weft- India islands : Others purchafemerchandizes im ported with it : Others purchase bills of ex change upon France, Spain, See. Others pur chase silver and gold with it ; and others pur chase houses and lands.—Others have paid their debts with it, to such a degree, that the people of America were never so little in debt, in their private capacities, as at present. I have the honor to be, See. JOHN ADAMS. CONGRESS of the UNITED STATES. Begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the Fourth of March, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-Nine. An ACT to recognize and adapt to the Constitution oj the United States the ejlab/ifh?neut of the TRCors r n't fed under the resolve of the United States in Congress afembled, and for other purposes therein 7nentioned. BE it enaHed by the Senate and House of Represen tatives of the United States of America in Con gress afembleij, That the ellablilliment contained jii the resolve of the late Congress, of the third day of October, one thonfnnd seven hundred and eighty seven, except as to ihe mode of appoint ing the officers,anil alio as is hereinafter provided, be, and the some is hereby recognized to be the e&ablifhirient for the troops in the service of the United States. And be it further enabled, That the pay and al lowances of the (aid troops be the fame as have been ellabliffied by the United States in Congress allenibled, by their resolution of the twelfth of April, one thousand seven hundred and eighty five. And be it further enacted, That all commissioned and non-conimiilioned officers and privates, who are or fhail be in the service of the United States, ihall take the following oaths or affirmations, to wit: " I, A. B. do solemnly fwearor affirm (as the cafe may be) that I will support the Con stitution of the United States." " I, A. B. do " solemnly swear or affirm (as the cafe maybe) " to bear true allegiance to the United States " of America, and to serve them honestly aud " faithfully against all their enemies or oppofers " whatsoever, and to observe and obey the orders " of the Prefidentof the United States of Ameri " ca, and the orders of the officers appointed " over me." And be it further enatted, That the said troops ffiall be governed by the the rules and articles of war which have been established by the United States in Congress aflembled, or by such rules and articles of war, as may hereafter by law be efta bli.' ed. And be it further enatfed, That for the purpose of protecting the inhabitants of the frontiers of the United States from the hostile incursions of the Indians, the Preiident is hereby authorized to call into service from time to time, such part of the militia of the States refpetftively, as he may judge neceflary for the purpose aforefaid ; •and that their pay and fubfiftcnce while in service, be the fame as the pay and subsistence of the troops abovementioned. And be it further enafied, That this adtlhall con tinue and be in force until the end of the next fellions of Congress, and no longer. FREDERICK AUGUSTUS MUHLENBERG, Speaker of the House oj Representatives. JOHN ADAMS, Vice-Prejident of the United and Prejident oj the Senate. APPROVED, SEPTEMBER THE 29th, 1789. GEORGE WASHINGTON* Prejident of the United States. Nsw-York, November, 28, 1789. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Sept. 19,1789. GENERAL ACCOUNT of ANTICIPATIONS. No. 11. A PARTICULAR STATEMENT of WAR RANTS drawn by the late Board of Trea sury 011 Mi chael Hi li eg as, late Treasurer of the United States, which remain unpaid, and were comprised in the Estimate made by the Se cretary ot theTrealury of the United States,and by him reported to the House of Representatives of the United States. Date of || y || Jh whofefavot. l| .. , Warrants, jj '|| Department, andfor what drawn. || °'' 9 S ' For the PAY of the ARMY. 1788. 1015. Joseph Howell, jun. Paymafter 6. General, being on Account of Pay due to the Troops in service, for the Year 1788, 20,000 Dcc. 31* 1043. Ditto, being to discharge Pay and to Forage due to the Army, up to the 1051.31 ft of December, 1788, viz. No. 1043, Six Thou. Dol. 6000 1044, ditto, 6009 1045, ditto, 6oco 1046, ditto, 6000 1047, ditto, 6oao 1048, ditto, 6000 1049, ditto, 6000 ,0 5°» Four ditto, 4000 *°£i, ditto, 4000 50,000 Dcdufl so much paid, 4,086 45 Q c , . 45>93 l 45 1709. 1005. Ditto, being lor the Art-ears of the four months specie pay, for the Year 1783. granted to tne non-com millioned officers and privates of the late Virginia line, 3is°o 1086. Ditto drawn in like manner with the foregoing, and for the fame pur pose, 3,000 1087. Ditto, ditto, and for fame purpose, 2,000 1088. Ditto, ditto, and for fame purpole, 2,522 17 1089. Ditto, being on account oi subsist ence due to the officers of the Vir ginia line, for the year 1782 and 1783, ' 1,626 76 Feb. 0. 1090. Ditto, being for the arrears of the four months specie pay, for the year due to the non-commiflioned officers and privates of Col. Pofey's Detachment of the Virginia line, 3>to2 1091. Ditto, being on account of the ar rearage of fubfiftcnce due the officers of the Virginia line, for the yeari ,783 3)539 3 , 1092. Ditto, hcing sot* the arrears of pay, for the Year 1783, due to Col. Gib fon's dttachment of the Virginia l'"e, 3l4 g