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PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS.

_March 20th._ A letter of the 13th instant from Robert Morris was
taken into consideration, and it was

_Resolved_, that the United States in Congress assembled do not
require him to dissolve the commercial connexions referred to in the
said letter.

_March 21st._ The consideration of the letter of the 13th instant,
from Robert Morris being resumed, a motion was made, and it was

_Resolved_, that the Superintendent of Finance be, and he is hereby
empowered to appoint and remove at his pleasure, his assistants in his
peculiar office or chamber of business in immediate connexion with
him; it being first determined by the United States in Congress
assembled, that such assistants so to be appointed are necessary, and
what the salary of each shall be.

_Ordered_, that the remainder of Mr Morris's letter be referred to a
committee of three. The members appointed were Messrs Houston, Burke,
and Wolcott.

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TO THOMAS BURKE, WILLIAM HOUSTON, AND OLIVER WOLCOTT, COMMITTEE OF
CONGRESS.

Date Uncertain.

Gentlemen,

When I had the honor of a visit from you on the subject of my
interview with Congress, it was agreed that I should make out and
deliver you a list of the several officers concerned in the
expenditure of public money, over whom I judged it necessary for the
Superintendent of Finance to have the uncontrolled power of
dismission. But on reflection I found it was not in my power to render
such a list, because I do not know the several degrees of officers now
in employment, and even if I did, such a list would not answer the
end, because others may hereafter be created, who should also be
subjected to the power of the Financier, and it would be very
troublesome for Congress on every such appointment to pass a
resolution for the purpose. There will also be appointments made
occasionally by the Commander in Chief, the Heads of Department, and
by other officers, in which the expenditure of public moneys will be
involved, and of course such appointments must also be subject to the
same authority. For these reasons, it seems proper that the power of
the Minister of Finance, with respect to the control and dismission
from office of all persons concerned in the expenditure of public
property, should be defined in one Act of Cong