[Extract]

My Dear Sir, ー I wrote to you the 7th Instant by Mr. Anthony by the way of Providence, and should not so soon have troubled you with another Letter but to inform you, that upon looking over the Journals of Congress I find that the Recommendation of the 26th of October, to export Produce for a certain Purpose, is confind to the foreign West Indies; and the Resolution to stop all Trade till the first of March is subsequent to it. This last Resolution prevents your exporting your Merchantable Fish to Spain for the purpose mentiond, which I am satisfied was not intended, because I am very certain the Congress means to encourage the Importation of those necessary Articles under the Direction of proper Persons, from every Part of the World.

I design to propose to my Colleagues to joyn with me in a Motion to extend the Recommendation so as to admit of exporting Fish to any place besides the foreign West Indies.