The Secretary of the United States for the Department of foreign affairs to whom was referred a Letter from the Hon’ble Mr. Adams of December last1 in Cyphers—Reports.

That the Contents of this Letter may be classed under three Heads.

(1). The Characters of the british King and his Ministers which for the Reasons assigned by Mr. Adams should be kept Secret.—

(2) The restrictive and unfriendly System of Trade with Respect to America, which the british Government, and the Nation in general, appear to prefer and will probably adopt—of this System the United States have much Reason to be apprehensive, and their Inability to meet it by general and proper Regulations, will doubtless encourage and promote it.

Congress at present can do nothing on the Subject except in the way of Recommendations; which being a very ineffectual Way, had better not be tried; lest non Compliance should diminish their Respectability, and impair the little Authority they possess. In the Opinion of your Secretary Recommendations should be avoided as much as possible, and every constitutional Requisition impartially enforced, with uniform Punctuality and Decision.

(3) The Probability that the Posts will be detained on Pretence of the Treaty of Peace having been violated by american Acts relative to british Debts & the Tories.

On this Point your Secretary can only repeat what has been suggested in other Reports Vizt. that what wrong may have been done, should be undone; and that the United States should, if it were only to preserve Peace, be prepared for war.—

Mr. Adams Advice in this and many of his other Letters is just, but until Congress shall be put, by further Powers, in Capacity to act upon it, there would be little Use in particular Reports on Subjects which to them are at present rather Matters of Speculation than Provision.

All which is Submitted to the Wisdom of Congress.