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Sir:

Your Excellency will receive herewith enclosed two Acts of Congress of the 13th and 14th Inst.

The former containing the regulations adopted relating to prisoners of War, whether taken by the Countinental Troops, or captured

by the Arms of any particular State, either by sea or Land. Many difficulties have frequently occurred for want of such a general regulation, too numerous to be recited. It is proper to observe that the first paragraph of the Act, recommending to the Executive of the several States to transmit with all possible expedition to Genl. Washington the name and rank of all officers and the number of privates belonging to the Enemy held as prisoners of War, in each State, and the place they are at, &c., should be complied with as soon as possible by those States that have any number of prisoners. The other Act, of the 14th inst., recommending to the Legislature of the several United States to make provision, where not already made, for conferring like privileges and immunities on the Subjects of his most Christian Majesty as are granted to the Subjects and inhabitants of these United States by the recited Articles in the treaty of Amity and Commerce, will no doubt be cheerfully complied with by each of the States.

His Most Christian Majesty, as soon as the treaty became known, published an Edict conformable to that Article, exempting the Subjects and Inhabitants of these United States from the Droit d' Aubaine, &c.

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