The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon, 

Ordered, That 20,000 dollars be advanced to the Marine Committee, for the use of the navy board in the middle district; the said Committee to be accountable. 

That 24,000 dollars be advanced to the Committee of Commerce, to be by them paid to Mons. de Francey, for the use of the house of Messrs. Roderique Hortales & Co. and to be charged them by the said Committee of Commerce, who are to be accountable.¹

Resolved, That a member be elected for the navy board in the middle district, in the room of John Nixon, Esq.^r resigned; the ballots being taken, William Smith, Esq.^r of Baltimore, was elected.² 

The Marine Committee, to whom the letter from Baron Steuben, recommending Captain Landais was referred,³ report, “That they have had a conference with Captain Landais; that he produced brevet commissions of his being a lieutenant and captain in the navy of France, also a continental commission dated 1 March 1777, appointing him captain of the ship Heureux, or Flamand,⁴ which commission is accompanied with these words in a letter from Silas Deane, Esq.^r: “I give you a commission to use in case of necessity or the advantage of making a prize; but you are not to go out of your course for that purpose; you will keep an account of your expenses, which will be paid you on your arrival in America. I shall write to the Congress by other conveyances, and assure them that you have received nothing but your expence, and your generous confidence in them will not pass unnoticed.” That Mr. Deane, in letters to the Marine Committee, recommends Mr. Landais in the strongest terms; that it appears to the committee that Captain Landais hath performed the business he was employed on with zeal and activity; that by his spirited behavior a mutiny was quelled on board the ship Flamand, and she and her lading brought safely into port; Whereupon, 

Resolved, That a sum of money be paid to Captain Landais, and that the Marine Committee be directed to report a pecuniary consideration, adequate to his services.⁵ 

Resolved, That Captain Landais be continued as a captain in the navy of the United States.⁶ 

Whereas there are more captains in the navy than there are ships provided for them: 

Ordered, That the Committee for Foreign Affairs be directed to write to the commissioners of the United States at foreign courts, and inform them, that Congress expect they will not recommend any foreign sea officers, nor give any of them the least expectation of being employed as captains in the navy of the United States.⁷