Agreeably to the order of Congress, I have the honor to lay before your Excellency the enclosed copy of a motion made by Mr Howel, and the resolutions of Congress thereon, together with the state of the applications for foreign loans, and the results thereof. Without troubling your Excellency with those inconsiderable and secret aids, which we received at the beginning of the controversy, I shall take the applications and the grants, that were made in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventynine, and since. To begin with _Spain._ The 9th of September, 1779, Congress proposed to obtain a subsidy from Spain during the continuance of the war, which they offered to purchase by a very important cession. Spain having hitherto declined an alliance with the United States, no such subsidiary treaty took place. In the same month Mr Jay was instructed to borrow five millions of dollars. After long and continued solicitations, he obtained one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and was compelled to protest bills of exchange drawn upon him by Congress, on the presumption, that Spain would certainly enable him to redeem them. This protest, which was made on the 16th of March last, was as follows; "Mr Jay says, that when he accepted the bills hereunto annexed, he had good reason to expect to be supplied with funds necessary to pay them; that he has been disappointed in the expectation he was encouraged to entertain on this subject, and that his endeavors to obtain money, both here and elsewhere, have been unsuccessful, although the bills which remain to be paid by him, together with his other engagements, do not exceed twentyfive thousand pounds sterling, but these disappointments being unexpected, he cannot for want of time have recourse to Congress, and therefore finds himself reduced to the mortifying necessity of permitting them to be protested." These bills were redeemed after the protest, by money borrowed in France. I have reason to believe, that no money has since been obtained on account of the United States in Spain; so that the application for five millions of dollars has only been answered by the grant of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. _Portugal._ On the 11th of January, 1782, Mr Jay was directed, in conjunction with the Superintendent of Finance, to undertake a loan in Spain or Portugal, without limiting the amount of such loan. And Mr Jay was directed to send Mr Carmichael to aid their endeavors. This power was restricted by a subsequent resolution, directing Mr Jay not to send Mr Carmichael, unless he had some prospect of succeeding. Not having sent him, it is to be presumed he had no prospect of succeeding. _Holland._