The United States in Congress Assembled

To the honorable John Adams, the honorable Benjamin Franklin and the honorable John Jay, Greeting.

Whereas a commercial Intercourse between the subjects of the Crown of Great Britain and the cities of the US of A founded on principles of equality may lend greatly to perfect the peace, which by the blessing of Divine providence is happily established between said Crown and the United States of America, and may not only be mutually advantageous but have a powerful influence to remove the animosities occasioned by the late war and to promote a perfect conciliation and Amity between the people of both Nations, Now know ye that we reposing special trust and confidence in your wisdom, prudence and circumspection, have nominated constituted and appointed and by these presents do nominate constitute and appoint You the said John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and John Jay to be our Commissioners to the purpose Aforesaid, and we do hereby authorise and empower you the said John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and John Jay or any two of you, or in case of the death, absence or indisposition of the others any one of you to treat consult of and conclude with any person or persons vested with equal powers by and on the part of the crown of Great Britain, a treaty of Commerce, and it is our further will and pleasure that every regulation, provision matter or thing which shall have been agreed upon between you or in the absence of the others by either of you and the person or persons as aforesaid shall be fully and distinctly set forth in writing and authenticated by your hands and seals or the hand and seal of such of you as treat, on the one side and the hand and seal of such person or persons on the other, and such instrument so authenticated shall be by you transmitted to us to be subject to our revisal previous to its final conclusion. But that there may be no interruption in the mean while a commercial intercourse between the people of both Nations we do hereby further authorise and fully empower you the said J A B F and J J or either of you in the absence of the others to enter into and conclude with the person or persons as aforesaid a commercial convention to continue in force for one year and to promise and engage for us and in our Name that every regulation, provision matter and thing which shall be therein agreed to and concluded by you or in the absence of the other, by either of you shall be ratified and confirmed to us in the fullest manner and extent and that we will not suffer them to be violated or counteracted either in whole or in part by any person whatsoever. In testimony whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made patent and our great Seal to be thereunto affixed, Witness his Excellency E B president, in Congress, this day of   in the year of our Lord—of our Sovereignty and Independence the