The spring of 1782 was marked by a renewal in naval enterprise similar to that in the spring of 1779. Armed ships, refugee boats, and picaroon privateers fitted out at New York, had been greatly distressing the shipping and trade of Philadelphia. Within eight months the British frigate “Medea” had taken nine Philadelphia privateers; the whale-boat “Trimmer” from New York had been very destructive to the shipping on the Delaware; and the British naval ship “General Monk,” formerly the American privateer “Washington,” was inflicting serious losses on Pennsylvania’s commerce.[501] The merchants and traders of Philadelphia now appealed by petition to the General Assembly for protection. Accordingly, on April 9, that body appointed three commissioners to procure and equip a naval armament for the defence of Delaware river and bay. The commissioners were authorized to borrow £50,000, which was to be repaid from certain old tonnage and impost duties, and from a new impost on certain specified articles. The act also provided for a distribution of the proceeds of prizes. This act is significant in its being the first instance where the General Assembly authorized a naval increase and appointed a committee to take charge of naval vessels. It met with considerable disfavor. The Supreme Executive Council informed the General Assembly that it considered the appointment of commissioners and the conferring upon them of full administrative powers unconstitutional and an encroachment of the legislative on the administrative body.[502] Anticipating the act of the legislature, the merchants of Philadelphia had fitted out the ship “Hyder Ally,” 18, and had appointed Lieutenant Joshua Barney of the Continental navy to command her. Proceeding down the Bay, Barney on April 8 made his memorable capture of the “General Monk,” 18, Captain Josias Rogers. Both the “Hyder Ally” and the “General Monk” were now taken into the service of the state. The “General Monk,” which was renamed the “Washington,” was in May, 1782, loaned to Robert Morris, the Continental Agent of Marine, who sent her on a commercial errand to the West Indies. On the return of the “Washington” Morris purchased her for the service of Congress. The “Hyder Ally” under different commanders cruised for the rest of the year with little success. In December the commissioners obtained permission from the Supreme Executive Council to sell her, and build a vessel of more suitable construction for the defence of the Delaware, for which purpose they were already equipping an armed schooner. When the “Hyder Ally” was offered for sale, the commissioners bid her in for the state, as the bidders refused to give her full value.[503]