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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
[Note 2: 2 In margin Charles Thomson has written: "N. B. The secretary absent by sickness, and the minutes made up from loose papers wch is reason of confusion in the 3 or 4 days following minutes."]
A letter, from Major General Lord Stirling, dated 13 October ∥was read:∥3
[Note 3: 3 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 162, folio 527.]
Referred to the Committee of Intelligence.
Ordered, That the same be published, or such parts thereof as the committee judge proper.
A letter, of this date, from J. Wadsworth, ∥Esq. commissary general of purchases,∥ was read:
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Ordered, That it be referred to the Marine Committee.
A petition of George Rice, of the 11th Virginia regiment, was read, praying relief for the loss of 650 dollars:
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [John] Harvie, Mr. [John] Mathews, and Mr. [Nathaniel] Scudder.
A report from the auditor general, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A letter from Captain Como Medici was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of the pay master of the Board of War and Ordnance, for one million of dollars, to be by him transmitted to William Palfrey, Esq. pay master general, for the use of his department; he to be accountable.
Resolved, That the commissioners of accounts in the northern and eastern departments be respectively directed forthwith to repair, with all the books, accounts, and other papers of their offices, to the Board of Treasury.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated October 15, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, II, folio, 623.]
The committee to whom was referred the letter from Colonel Pickering, brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That, in consideration of the greatly increased expence of living, since the salaries of the commissioners of the war office were established, and of the extraordinary expences incurred by their public station, the sum of four thousand dollars per annum, to commence from this day, be paid to Colonel Pickering and Mr. Peters, respectively, as acting members of the Board of War; this salary to be reduced by Congress when circumstances
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are so far altered as to render the reduction reasonable and necessary:
That Colonel Pickering have leave of absence for eight weeks, to go home, but to return sooner, if his private affairs will admit.
The committee to whom was referred the intelligence of the enemy's design to send certain seditious papers into these states, under cover of flags, brought in a report; whereupon, Congress came to the following resolution:
Whereas Congress, on the 22 day of April, 1778, did resolve, that any man, or body of men, who should presume to make any separate or partial convention or agreement with commissioners under the crown of Great Britain, or any of them, ought to be considered and treated as open and avowed enemies to the United States: and whereas Congress have received intelligence that the commissioners of the king of Great Britain are about to send, under the sanction of a flag, certain seditious papers, under the name and title of manifestos, to be distributed throughout these United States, with a view to stir up dissentions, animosities and rebellion, among the good people of these states: and whereas such practices are contrary to the laws of nations, and utterly subversive of the confidence necessary for those means which have been invented among civilized nations to alleviate the horrors of war; and therefore the agents employed to distribute the said papers are not entitled to protection from a flag, while engaged in the prosecution of such nefarious purposes:
Resolved, That it be recommended to the executive powers of these United States, to take up and secure in safe and close custody all and any person and persons who, under the sanction of a flag or otherwise, may be concerned or engaged in the purposes aforesaid: and farther,
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that the papers aforesaid be printed in the several gazettes, more fully to convince the good people of these states of the insidious designs of the said commissioners.
Ordered, That the committee have leave to sit again.
The committee to whom was referred the letter from Major General Heath, brought in a report; Whereupon, Congress came to the following resolutions:
Whereas Congress, on the 11th day of September last, resolved and directed, that application should be made to Sir Henry Clinton for passports to American vessels to transport provisions and fuel to Boston, for the use of the prisoners under the convention of Saratoga; the said passports to be subject to such restrictions as should be agreed on between the Generals Washington and Sir Henry Clinton; and that General Washington inform General Clinton, that if such passports be not granted within three days after application made, or measures adopted by him for sending to the port of Boston ample supplies of provisions and fuel for the convention prisoners, on or before the 5th day of October, Congress would deem themselves justifiable in removing the said prisoners to such part of the United States as they can be best subsisted in: and whereas application has been made, and information given, to General Sir Henry Clinton, pursuant to the resolution aforesaid, but to no effect; and whereas the continuing the troops before mentioned in the State of Massachusetts bay, or any of the eastern states, and subsisting them there, if practicable, will be very prejudicial to the inhabitants of the said states:
Resolved, That General Washington be directed, if neither of the alternatives mentioned in the above resolve have been complied with, to take the necessary steps for removing, with all convenient speed, all the prisoners of the convention of Saratoga to the town of Charlotteville, in the county of Albemarle, in the State of Virginia.
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In debating this resolution, a motion was made, after the word "Saratoga," to insert the words following, "to the barracks at Lancaster and Yorktown, in the State of Pennsylvania, to Fort Frederick, in the State of Maryland, and:"
On which the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [William] Duer,
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So it passed in the negative.
Resolved, That the Board of War appoint a proper person to superintend and take charge of the said prisoners; that they contract for the fuel for their use, and apply to the governor and council of Virginia, for a sufficient force of militia to guard the said prisoners:
That the commissary general of purchases provide a suitable supply of provision for the said troops:
That the commissary general of issues appoint a suitable person to issue provisions to the said troops, and keep a regular account thereof:
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That regular accounts for provisions and fuel be made and transmitted, from time to time, to the Board of War:
That the Board of War be directed to contract with a proper person, to build temporary log barracks for the reception of the said troops, at the place above mentioned, on or before the 15 day of December next, and that they report to Congress the contract they may enter into.
Three o'Clock, p. m.
A letter, of 6, from Major General Schuyler, and one of this date, from Major General Lee, were read:1
[Note 1: 1 The letter from Schuyler is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 153, III, folio 356; that of Lee is in No. 158, folio 121.]
A motion being made in the words following:
Whereas frequenting play houses and theatrical entertainments has a fatal tendency to divert the minds of the people from a due attention to the means necessary for the defence of their country, and the preservation of their liberties:
Resolved, That any person holding an office under the United States, who shall act, promote, encourage or attend such plays, shall be deemed unworthy to hold such office, and shall be accordingly dismissed.
The previous question was moved, and put,
Passed in the negative.
It was then moved in right of a State, that the determination of the main question be postponed to the next day, on which a debate ensued:
Whereupon, it was moved to take the sense of the house,
Whether, after the previous question having been put and lost, it is consistent with the 12th and 13th rules of the house to postpone the main question in right of a State:
And on this the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [William] Duer,
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So it passed in the negative.
The main question was then put, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [William] Duer,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
Ordered, That the resolution be published.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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