Continental Congress, 206-212; its duties, 206; resolves to petition once more, 206; takes no action on Franklin's plan for a confederation, 208; makes Franklin head of postal system, 209; sends him on mission to Montreal, 210; repudiates independence, 211; adopts declaration, 212; forms Confederation, 212; sends Franklin and others to confer with Lord Howe, 214; elects Franklin envoy to France, 219; has difficulty in choosing ministers, 221; instructs Deane to get help from France, 224; sends Franklin on formal embassy, 232; puzzled by letters of Deane, Lee, and Beaumarchais, 239; irritated at Deane's sending military adventurers, 242, 243; sends Austin as special messenger, 270; rejects North's conciliatory offers, 282; votes to request admission into Armed Neutrality, 288; stinginess toward Franklin, 295-343; breaks up French mission, 298; management of finances, 304-336; has power to borrow but not to tax, 304-306; method of drawing bills on foreign envoys, 306, 307; proposes to secure loans by pledging merchandise, 309, 310; orders Franklin to borrow money and build warships, 311; issues drafts on Franklin, 312, 315, 325-327, 330-334; on Jay, 321; on Laurens, 324; on Adams, 330; fails to advise ministers of bills drawn, 313, 315, 318; fails to keep promises, 322, 325, 326, 332; loses confidence of French court, 328; antedates bills to evade a promise, 332; ill-treatment of Franklin, 349; ignores his request to resign, 349; appoints commissioners to treat for peace, 349; passes act to redeem paper money at forty to one, 350; angers Vergennes, 350 seq.; induced by France to name commission instead of plenipotentiary, 363; at French suggestion omits all but independence from ultimatum, 378; instructs commissioners to be guided by France, 378; condemns independent action of commissioners, 388; again refuses Franklin's request to be relieved, 397; finally permits him, 398; honors Franklin's memory, 417; neglects to reward Temple Franklin, 417; neglects to audit Franklin's accounts, 418. Conway, General, opposes Stamp Act, 115; secretary for colonies, 115; reenter's cabinet, 147; suggests treating for peace, 284; moves address against the war, after Yorktown, 364. Conyngham, ----, American privateer, 248, 249. "Cool Thoughts on the Present Situation," a pamphlet by Franklin, 91. Cooper, Sir Grey, thinks Franklin's mission is a desertion, 234. Cooper, Samuel, tells Franklin of the sentiment in Massachusetts regarding his appointment as agent, 138; letter to, regarding Hutchinson letters, 180. "Critical Period of American History" a time of reviving industrial prosperity, 406. Cornwallis, Lord, effect of his surrender, 363. Cumberland, Duke of, forms cabinet, 115; dies, 116. Cushing, Thomas, letter from Franklin to, about the Hutchinson letters, 180. Dana, Francis, his reliance on Franklin, 342, 345.