him from hard work. About this time he
wrote: "I am engaged in constant work; from seven to ten in the morning
in committee, from ten to four in Congress, and from six to ten again in
committee. Our assembly is scarcely numerous enough for the business;
everybody is engaged all day in Congress, and all the morning and
evening in committee." The committee, which chiefly engaged Mr. Adams'
attention at this time, was one on the fitting out of cruisers, and on
naval affairs generally. This committee laid the foundation of our first
navy; the basis of our naval code being drawn up by Adams.

Governor Wentworth having fled from New Hampshire, the people of that
province applied to congress for advice as to how to manage their
administrative affairs. Adams, always ahead of his brother legislators,
seized the opportunity to urge the necessity of advising all of the
provinces to proceed at once to institute governments of their own. The
news, soon arriving of the haughty treatment of their petition by the
king, added strength to his pleading, and the matter being referred to a
committee on which Adams was placed, a report in partial conformity to
his ideas was made and adopted. Adams was a worker; this was a
recognized fact; and his State having offered him the post of Chief
Justice of Massachusetts, Adams, toward the end of the year, returned
home to consult on that and other important matters. He took his seat in
the council, of which he had been chosen a member, immediately on his
arrival. He was consulted by Washington, both as to sending General Lee
to New York, and as to the expedition against Canada. It was finally
arranged that while Adams should accept the appointment of Chief
Justice, he should still remain a delegate in Congress, and till more
quiet times should be excused as acting in the capacity of judge. Under
this arrangement he returned to Philadelphia. However, he never took his
seat as Chief Justice, resigning that office the next year.

Advice similar to that to New Hampshire on the subject of assuming
government, as it was called, had shortly afterwards been given upon
similar applications to Congress, to South Carolina and Virginia. Adams
was much consulted by members of the southern delegation concerning the
form of government which they should adopt. He was recognized as being
better versed in the subject of Republicanism, both by study and
experience, coming as he did from the most thoroughly Republica