A letter from General Washington, dated 30th November, being received, was read, enclosing an Invoice of Stores on board the Nancy transport, taken by the schooner Lee, Captain Manly

Agreeable to the order of the day, the Congress took into consideration the instructions given to the delegates of Rhode Island, and after debate thereon, come to the following resolution:

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to devise ways and means for furnishing these colonies with a naval armament, and report with all convenient speed.

That the committee consist of a member from each Colony. The members are Mr. [Josiah] Bartlett, Mr. S[amuel] Adams, Mr. [Stephen] Hopkins, Mr. [Silas] Deane, Mr. (Francis] Lewis, Mr. [Stephen] Crane, Mr. R[obert] Morris, Mr. [George] Read, Mr. [William] Paca, Mr. R[ichard] H[enry] Lee, Mr. [Joseph] Hewes, and Mr. [Christopher] Gadsden.

The Committee to whom the petition of Jonathan Hudson was referred, reported their opinion in certain resolutions, ² which being read, were agreed to as follows:

Resolved, That so much of the said petition as prays for permission to export said cargo to any place other than the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Aldernay, or Man, or the West India Islands, is reasonable.

Resolved, That so much of the said petition as prays for any further permission is unreasonable.

Resolved, That the said petitioner give bond, with sufficient security, to the chairman of the committee of the town of Baltimore, under a penalty of double the value of the said cargo, to export the said cargo to some place other than the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Alderney, Man, and the islands of the West Indies; and within six months after the said exportation, to produce to the said chairman a certificate of the port, to which the said cargo shall have been shipped, authenticated under the hands of two Merchants of known character and reputation, residing in the same port; and that on executing such bond, the said chairman sign a permit to the said petitioner, allowing him to export the said cargo.

A petition from D[avid] Beveridge, was laid before Congress and read,

Resolved, That the same be referred to a Committee of three.

The members chosen, Mr. [John] Jay. Mr. [George] Read, and Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson.