Mr. Platt, from the committee to whom was referred the letters from the Captains Grenell and Hodge on the subject of appointing officers for the Continental frigates Congress and Montgomerie, reported a draft of a letter to the marine committee, which was read and approved, and is as follows, vizt:

Gentlemen — I am directed by the Council of Safety to inform you that your letter of the twenty-sixth of June, enclosing blank com­ missions, and requesting this Council to confer with the captains of the Continental ships Congress and Montgomerie for men of good character to fill the different offices on board, has been taken into consideration.

We have filled up one commission for Daniel Shaw, first lieutenant of the Congress; some others have been recommended to us, but we have suspended their appointment until we could be more thoroughly acquainted with their characters.

You make no mention of the marine officers. Several have been shipped and recommended by the captains, as also Mr. Victor Bicker, who was appointed last winter by Convention agreeable to your directions, a lieutenant of marines, with orders to recruit some men to guard the ships during the winter.

We should be glad of your directions whether commissions should be filled up for any of the marine officers, and how many.

If Congress should choose to retain the appointment of marine officers, and have none particularly in view, the Council take the liberty to recommend William Matthewman (who ·served as lieutenant in Canada) to the command of the marines on board the Montgomerie, and Mr. Victor Bicker (who served as lieutenant in General Scott's brigade last year) to a lieutenancy of marines on board the ship Congress.

The Captains Grenell and Hodge claim a right of appointing their own officers, as will appear by the enclosed copies of their letters. I am, gentlemen, [&c.]

To the Honble. the Marine Committee

Ordered, That a copy thereof be engrossed, signed by the President, and transmitted, together with copies of the letters from the said Captains Grenell and Hodge to this board.

The said committee also reported a draft of a letter to the said captains in answer to theirs on the same subject, which was also read and approved, and is as follows, to wit:

Sir — Yours of the twentieth instant has been laid before the Council. I am directed to inform you that the Council are un­ acquainted with the conditions on which you accepted your com­ mission, and they would have been happy in not having any agency in appointing officers for the ships, and therefore undertook the disagreeable task with reluctance, at solicitation of the marine committee, to whom they have referred your case. I am, sir, [&c.]

To Captain Grenell

Ordered, That a copy thereof be signed and transmitted, and that a similar letter be sent to Captain Hodge.