x Dr. Kirkland’s Discourse in Commemoration of 
During the time of his holding a seat in Congress, says one 
of my highly respected authorities, who has examined the Journals, 
he was on more committees than any other member; almost 
every measure of importance, in some stage, was committed to 
him. He was Chairman of the Board of War, also of the Board 
of Appeals; he was on the committees to give instructions to 
foreign ministers, to give commissions and instructions to military 
officers, to prepare various addresses, — on the medical depart- 
ment, and on the post-office. 
Agreeably to his appointment as Commissioner, he sailed for 
France on the 4th of February, 1778; and returning in August of 
the next year, he took a principal partin framing the Constitution of 
this Commonwealth, a draught of which, in his hand-writing, made 
by him as one of the sub-committee with Mr. Samuel Adams, is 
deposited in the office of the secretary of the state. Before he had 
done his work at the Convention for preparing the Constitution of 
his native state, he received from Congress, on the 4th of Novem- 
ber, a commission as Minister Plenipotentiary to conclude a peace, 
and also another to make a treaty of commerce, with Great Britain. 
On the 17th of the same month he sailed again for France, where 
he arrived on the 4th of February, 1780, having landed at Ferrol 
and travelled through Spain. 
Between August of that year and April of the next, at differ- 
ent times he was by Congress appointed Minister to the States- 
General and to the Stadtholder, authorized to pledge the United 
States to the armed neutrality, and to negotiate a loan with 
Holland. 
Mr. Adams was not satisfied with the French system of con- 
ducting the war, nor with their views respecting peace. He had 
early perceived at that court a wish to prolong the war, or have 
