as authentic, and the Ministers of the United States at foreign Courts
may govern themselves thereby in the like manner as if the originals
had been transmitted. And for the better execution of the duties
hereby assigned him, he is authorised to appoint a Secretary, and one,
or if necessary more clerks, to assist him in the business of his
office.

Resolved, That the salaries annexed to this department shall be as
follows;

To the Secretary of the United States for the Department of Foreign
Affairs, the sum of four thousand dollars per annum, exclusive of
office expenses, to commence from the first day of October last.

To the Secretary, one thousand dollars per annum.

To the clerks, each five hundred dollars per annum.

Resolved, That the Secretary for the Department of Foreign Affairs,
and each of the persons employed under him, shall take an oath before
a Judge of the State where Congress shall sit, for the faithful
discharge of their respective trusts, and an oath of fidelity to the
United States, before they enter upon office.

Resolved, That the act of the 10th of January, 1781, respecting the
Department of Foreign Affairs, be and hereby is repealed.

* * * * *

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Office of Foreign Affairs, February 23d, 1782.

Sir,

The resolution passed by Congress on the 22d of February, for the more
perfect organization of the Department of Foreign Affairs, having no
reference to the time past in fixing the salaries of the secretaries
or clerks, I am left without a rule for that purpose, but presume as I
have had two gentlemen employed for some time, without any distinction
of rank, that no objection will lie to my giving them orders for the
time that they have served at the rate of seven hundred and fifty
dollars a year each.

I am sorry to be the means of taking up a moment of the time of
Congress, but find myself embarrassed by their present arrangement,
which fixes one secretary, and reduces the other gentleman in the
office to the rank of a common clerk. If no material objection should
lie against the measure, I would propose, as the business of the
office naturally divides itself into two branches, foreign and
domestic, that instead of a secretary there should be two under
secretaries, whose rank and pay shall be settled according to their
merit and abilities by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, provi