Sir

I laid that Part of your Honors Letter relative to the proposed Voyage and your first Letter upon the same Subject before the Comee of Secresy & I am instructed to acquaint you. That they approve of the Plan and in Behalf of the united Colonies agree to advance a sufficient Sum of continental Money to purchase sixty or eighty Tons of good Gun Powder as suits you best, to run the Risque of the Money & Powder the Persons intrusted behaving with Fidelity and to give the same Commissions & Freight which they give to other Persons for the like Service which you may rely upon to be a handsome Compensation for the Service: The money shall be paid to your Order on Sight, The Committee make it a Rule when they advance Money to take good Bonds for the faithful Performance of the Contract on the Part of those who receive it, your Honor will be pleased to take such Bonds if you should advance the Money for the Voyage until we can replace it with continental money; the Bonds must be made payable to Thomas Willing Benjamin Franklin Philip Livingston John Alsop Silas Dean, John Dickerson, John Langdon Thomas McKean & Samuel Ward Esqrs in Trust for & to the use of the thirteen united Colonies in North America; The Condition that the money shall be faithfully laid out in France for good Gunpowder upon the best Terms & delivered to the above Comee for the use of the sd united Colonies in some Part of the Colonies of Rhode Island or Connecticut the Danger of the Seas & Enemies excepted: If the whole Quantity of Gun Powder cannot be got the Comee would have as much Salt Petre with a proportionate Quantity of Sulphur to manufacture with it purchased as will make up the proposed Quantity of Powder the Bonds may specify that & also that if the Powder Salt Petre & Sulphur cannot be had as above directed that the Money shall be returned to the Comee abovesd.

The Comee would have waited for your particular Terms upon which the Voyage should have been undertaken but thought it would occasion a Delay of several Weeks & probably frustrate the Voyage, they therefore directed Me to propose to your Honor if hard money or good Bills of Exchange can be got, immediately to procure the same & dispatch the Vessel as soon as possible

It is expected that Provisions will be allowed to be exported to foreign Countries agreable to the non exportation Agreement, if so the Money may be laid out here in flour at a low Rate.

If the Voyage cannot be undertaken without the Moneys being first sent from hence or if any other unforseen Event retards it let Capt Hopkins come here immediately or acquaint us with it in any other Way & every thing reasonable on our Parts shall be done to expedite the Voyage  I have the Honor to be in Behalf of the Committee of Secresy Sir [&c.]

P.S. This Comee will if good fire Arms & Gunlocks are to be had at the Place proposed to go to advance the Money for two thousand stands of good Arms & five thousand good double bridled Gunlocks. Nothing of this matter ought to transpire save to the concerned if these last articles are engaged for the Bonds must contain the matter