The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

552 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [APPENDIX.
to the settlement of accounts, that the several States be called upon
to complete without delay the settlements with their respective lines
of the army, up to the 1st day of August, 1783, and that the superintendent of finance be directed to take such measures as shall
appear to him most proper for effecting the settlement from that
period.
" As to what relates to the providing security for what shall be
found due on such settlement;
"Resolved, That the troops of the United States, in common
with all creditors of the same, have an undoubted right to expect
such security; and that Congress will make every effort in their
power to obtain, from the respective States, substantial funds, adequate to the object of funding the whole debt of the United States,
and will enter upon an immediate and full consideration of the nature of such funds, and the most likely mode of obtaining them.
"Ordered, That the remainder of the report be referred to a
committee of five."
General Knox had been appointed on the part of the army to
correspond with the committee respecting the objects of their commission, and he received from them the following report.
"Philadelphia, 8 February, 1783.
" DEAR SIR,
"The army has, no doubt, been anxious to hear from us, and
we should have had as much pleasure in communicating to them
any success of our application for them, as they in receiving it;
but nothing of any moment has yet been decided for them. We
spent the first week after our arrival in conversing with the members of Congress on the subject of the address, to prepare them
for the reception of it before it was read, lest the want of informa.
tion should retard a favorable resolution on it. On its being read,
a committee was appointed to confer with us, consisting of a mem.
ber from each State but Georgia, which was unrepresented, and
had no member attending. The financier attended at this meeting.
To this committee we communicated the condition of the army,
and we dilated very diffusely on all the subjects stated in the address;
indeed, truth and decency were the only bounds observed in our
conference with them. The reason of.our applying to Congress to
determine on a compensation for half-pay was also minutely detailed.
"The result as to present pay will be communicated to you by
Colonel Brooks. On this subject we can only commit to paper,
that a month's pay in notes to the officers, and one to the noncommissioned and privates, as weekly payments of half a dollar