, but which her Majesty, in the explanations she has
given, has roundly declared she would never listen to.

In fine that the Lords Constituents are of opinion, that it is
necessary to satisfy the wishes of her Imperial Majesty of Russia, by
making the declaration in question on the part of their High
Mightinesses to the belligerent powers, and by assuring her Majesty
that as soon as said convention shall be signed, their High
Mightinesses will make the said declaration to the Courts of the
belligerent powers.

Meantime the committee referred thereon to the better advice of the
honorable Council. On which, having deliberated and the voices having
been taken, the Burgomasters and Counsellors thanked the committee for
the trouble they had taken and agreed to the above advice.

A. VAN HINGELANDT.

* * * * *

JAMES LOVELL TO C. W. F. DUMAS.

Philadelphia, July 10th, 1780.

Sir,

I know not how I can profess all the regard which I feel for you,
without appearing, on the one hand, to do it upon slight grounds, or,
on the other, to have delayed it too long.

I have been steadily in Congress without once visiting my family in
Boston, since January, 1777, and from May, that year, have been a
member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs; consequently, I am well
informed of your truly republican spirit, your particular affection
for these States, and your industry in their service, most of your
numerous letters, down to December 30th, 1779, having come to hand.

The honorable gentleman who will deliver this, being also a member of
Congress, has a just esteem for you, and promises himself much
advantage from an opportunity of conversing with you. Mr Searle is
well able to make a due return of the benefits from the fund of his
intimacy with American state affairs, his extensive commercial
knowledge, and his science of mankind gained by former travels.

I shall shortly write to you again by another respectable gentleman of
our assembly, and I will use every means to make him the bearer of
what you have so rightfully solicited, as a faithful _first_
correspondent of our Committee, from whom you will, probably, have
regular official letters under a new arrangement of a secretaryship,
which has been vacant from the days of a confusion excited by an
indiscreet and illiberal publication