l foreign
silver coins, except Spanish milled dollars and parts of such dollars,
shall cease to be a legal tender as aforesaid:

Now, therefore, I, the said John Adams, President of the United States,
hereby proclaim, announce, and give notice to all whom it may concern
that, agreeably to the act last above mentioned, the coinage of silver
at the Mint of the United States commenced on the 15th day of October,
1794, and the coinage of gold on the 31st day of July, 1795; and that
consequently, in conformity to the act first above mentioned, all
foreign silver coins, except Spanish milled dollars and parts of such
dollars, will cease to pass current as money within the United States
and to be a legal tender for the payment of any debts or demands after
the 15th day of October next, and all foreign gold coins will cease to
pass current as money within the United States and to be a legal tender
as aforesaid for the payment of any debts or demands after the 31st day
of July, which will be A.D. 1798.

In testimony whereof I have caused the seal of the United States to be
affixed to these presents, and signed the same with my hand.

[SEAL.]

Done at Philadelphia, the 22d day of July, A.D. 1797, and of the
Independence of the United States the twenty-second.

JOHN ADAMS.

By the President:
TIMOTHY PICKERING,
_Secretary of State_.

FIRST ANNUAL ADDRESS.

UNITED STATES, _November 22, 1797_.

_Gentlemen of the Senate and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives_:

I was for some time apprehensive that it would be necessary, on account
of the contagious sickness which afflicted the city of Philadelphia,
to convene the National Legislature at some other place. This measure
it was desirable to avoid, because it would occasion much public
inconvenience and a considerable public expense and add to the
calamities of the inhabitants of this city, whose sufferings must have
excited the sympathy of all their fellow-citizens. Therefore, after
taking measures to ascertain the state and decline of the sickness, I
postponed my determination, having hopes, now happily realized, that,
without hazard to the lives or health of the members, Congress might
assemble at this place, where it was next by law to meet. I submit,
however, to your consideration whether a power to postpone the meeting
of Congress, without passing the time fixed by the Constitution upon
such occasions, would not be a useful amendment to the law of