Secret Committee to John Langdon

Your letter of the 18th Ultimo has been delivered us by Capt Wentworth together with the Several dispatches that came by the French Ship Mercury, Capt. Dudoger, and have afforded particular Satisfaction to the Congress as they must to all well wishers of America. We are Surprized not to find amongst these dispatches, any letter of instructions or directions respecting this Ship. We do not see any Charter party, or Agreement, nor any Copy of Such, nor in short any Rule whatever to go by. The Ship it Seems was dispatched in haste from Nantes, the Contracting parties we apprehend were in Paris and they have contrived to leave us totally in the dark as to the Nature and terms of their Agreement. We must therefore request that you will apply to the Captain, request him to produce the Charter party or a Copy of it, if any he has, the Bills of Loading he Signed for the Cargo, the instructions he has from his Owners or from our Commissioners or the Agents they employed to transact this Affair.

We only wish to know the Actual terms on which this Ship came out and the real intention of her future employment and we would choose to comply therewith. Circumstanced as we are, it is impossible to determine here what must be done with her but Should you discover that our Commissioners meant She should be loaden with Rice dispatch her to Charles Town South Carolina addressed to Messrs. Livinius Clarkson & John Dorsius directing them to load and dispatch her Agreeable to the design of our Commissioners. Should it appear that She was intended to Load Tobacco Send her into James River Virginia addressed to Mr Benjamin Harrison Junr of Berkly Charles City County. If Flour was the object she may come here, but if no Particular commodity was promised and it was only meant that this Ship Should bring out her Cargo to America and carry back from thence any Cargo we might have for her, we should not wish in this Case to risque the Ships going to any Other Port, but would Choose you Should load her with a Cargo of Masts, Spars, and such Other commodities as you can Collect on Reasonable terms and are Suited for the European Markets. The Cargo must go Consigned to the Order of the American Commissioners at the Court of Versailles and the Neat proceeds to be disposed of as they may direct. Whatever Charges arise on the Ship & the advances you make for the Captain You will transmit a fair and clear Account thereof, with the Captains acknowledgement of the receipt of them, together with the Invoice & bill of Loading for the Cargo to the Honorable Doctor Franklin, Silas Deane & Arthur Lee Esqrs. American Commissioners at Paris &c &c.

Respecting the Cargo you have received by this Ship you will find enclosed herewith Certain Resolves of Congress the 31st Ultimo¹ which you will please to comply with and we must also observe to you that by another Resolve passed the 24th Feby all Continental Arms are directed to be Marked and stamped,² that resolve is published and we request you will have all these Arms (not already delivered out) properly marked & stamped the charge for doing it may be placed to our Account. After Complying with the Resolves of Congress you’l please to deliver the remainder of the Powder, Arms & Flints to the Order of the Continental Board of war of which the Honble John Adams esqr. is chairman and the Residue of the Cargo to James Mease Esqr. the Cloath[ier General] or to his Order, but as no perfect Invo[ice of] these Goods has been transmitted us, we [must] trouble you to take Inventories of every thing you deliver and transmit us Copies thereof with the Receipts of those you deliver them to. As you are in want of money to pay the former Ballance and will want more to load this Ship we send you by Capt. Geo Wentworth Twenty Thousd Dollars which is charged to your Account.³

We are, sir, Your obed servts,

Robt Morris

Richard Henry Lee

Wm. Whipple