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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Congress assembled: Present, eleven states as before.
A motion was made by Mr. [David] Howell, seconded by Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry,
The Delegates for the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations pursuant to their instructions as entered on the Journals of the 14th. instant beg leave to renew their motion of that day entered and amended as follows, viz, Resolved:
That the President be, and he hereby is authorised and directed, to adjourn Congress on the third day of June next,
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to meet on the thirtieth of October next at Trenton, for the despatch of public business; and that a committee of the states shall be appointed to sit in the recess of Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of David Howell, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, II, folio 359.]
A motion was made by Mr. [James] McHenry, seconded by Mr. [Richard Dobbs] Spaight, to postpone the consideration of the foregoing motion, in order to take into consideration the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, Mr. [Samuel] Osgood and Mr. [Roger] Sherman, to whom was referred a report on the powers with which a committee of the states should be vested during the recess of Congress, and a motion on the same subject, which report is as follows:
"That the committee of the states which shall be appointed, pursuant to the 9th Article of Confederation and perpetual Union, to sit in the recess of Congress, for transacting the business of the United States, shall possess all the powers which may be exercised by seven states in Congress assembled; except those of sending ambassadors, ministers, envoys, residents or consuls; establishing rules for deciding what captures by land or water shall be legal, and in what manner prizes taken by land or naval forces in the service of the United States, shall be divided or appropriated; establishing courts for the receiving and determining finally appeals in cases of capture; constituting courts for deciding disputes and differences arising between two or more states; fixing the standard of weights and measures for the United States; changing the rate of postage on the papers passing through the post-office established by Congress, and of repealing or contravening any ordinance passed by Congress.
That nine members shall be requisite to proceed to business.
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That no question, except for adjourning from day to day, shall be determined without the concurrence of seven votes.
That the President of Congress, if a member of the said committee, and ff not a member, or if absent at any time, then a chairman to be chosen by themselves shall preside; the President or chairman retaining a right to vote.
That the Secretary and other officers of Congress shall attend on the said committee.
That they shall keep an accurate journal of their proceedings, to be laid before Congress; and that in these journals shall be entered the yeas and nays of the members, when any one of them shall have desired it before the question be put.
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United States exception regimental officers; appointing officers of the naval forces; commissioning all officers whatever in the service of the United States; making rules for the government and regulation of the said land and naval forces not inconsistent with the articles of war established by Congress; directing the operations of the said land and naval forces; building, buying and equipping vessels previously agreed by Congress to be built, bought and equipped; and making requisitions from the states for their quotas of men and money proportioned on them by Congress.
On the question to postpone for the purpose above mentioned, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] McHenry,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was then made by Mr. [Hugh] Williamson, seconded by Mr. [James] McHenry, to amend the motion of Mr. [David] Howell, by adding thereto, "provided a committee of the states shall first have been appointed to sit in the recess of Congress, and the powers defined with which the said committee shall be vested, according to the tenth of the Articles of Confederation."1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Hugh Williamson, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, II, folio 361.]
And on the question to agree to this amendment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Hugh] Williamson,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was then made by Mr. [James] McHenry, seconded by Mr. [John Francis] Mercer, to postpone the further consideration of the motion under debate, in order to take up the following:
That as soon as a proper place shall be reported by the committee appointed to view and report a proper place for a federal town, at or near Georgetown, on the Potomack, and the soft and jurisdiction obtained as well for the town on Potomack as that on Delaware, Congress will, forthwith, proceed to erect such public buildings as may be necessary for their sessions, at the expence of the United States, out of the common treasury thereof; that the foundations of the said buildings shall be laid at the same time, and no sum of money appropriated for the one, unless an equal sum be appropriated for the other:1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of James McHenry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, II, folio 363.]
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And on the question to postpone for the purpose above mentioned, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] McHenry,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was then made by Mr. [Samuel] Hardy, seconded by Mr. [Jacob] Read, to postpone the consideration of the motion under debate, in order to take up the following:
Whereas the resolution of the 20 of October last provides that Congress shall reside at Trenton and Annapolis, alternately, at equal periods, of not less than six months, or more than twelve, until the buildings on the banks of Potomack and Georgetown Delaware, be ready for their reception.
And whereas the delegates from Rhode Island, pursuant to instructions from that State, have moved a resolution that Congress adjourn to Newport, in the State of Rhode Island, from which it is evidently the sense of that State, that the
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resolution for two federal towns should not be carried into effect.
And whereas it appears to be the sense of a majority of the states in Congress assembled, by a motion from the state of Connecticut, forbidding the committee appointed to view the ground at or near Georgetown, to proceed in that business, until the further order of Congress, and by a motion for allowing the states of Maryland and Virginia, to advancepounds for the purpose of erecting public buildings, at or near Georgetown, and for giving them credit for the same in the requisition foryear, which last being negatived, amounts to a virtual repeal of the aforesaid act; and as it will be expedient to fix on a situation the most central to all parts of the union, for holding the sessions of Congress,
Resolved, That Congress hold their sessions in Annapolis, in the State of Maryland, until they decide on some place for their permanent residence, and the necessary public buildings be erected for their accommodation.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of Samuel Hardy, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, II, folio 357. The word lined out appears so in the report and not in the Journal.]
On this motion, the previous question was moved by the State of Connecticut, seconded by the State of Rhode Island; and on the question to agree to the previous question, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Samuel] Hardy,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative, and the motion was set aside.
On the question to agree to the original motion, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Thomas] Stone,
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So it was Resolved, That the President be, and he hereby is authorised and directed to adjourn Congress on the third day of June next, to meet on the thirtieth day of October next at Trenton, for the despatch of public business, and
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that a committee of the states shall be appointed to sit in the recess of Congress.
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the grand committee, appointed to report to Congress the arrears of interest, &c. and the following clause being under debate, "they wish earnestly and warmly to encourage the abler states to go as far beyond this proportion as their happier situation will admit, under an assurance that their further contributions will be applied to the discharge of the public debt, giving preference according to the preceding statement, and will be placed to their credit in the next requisitions with interest thereon from the time of payment." A motion was made by Mr. [Thomas] Stone, seconded by Mr. [James] McHenry, to strike out the word "thereon," and in lieu thereof to insert "on the specie payments": And on the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] McHenry,
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So it passed in the negative.
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The Committee [Mr. David Howell, Mr. Roger Sherman and Mr. Samuel Hardy] to whom was referred a motion made by Mr. [David] Howell report the following Resolution,
That the Commissioner for settling the accounts of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations with the United States be directed to liquidate and settle the accounts of Col. Josiah Flagg late Commissary and of Josiah Flagg junr. late Conductor of military stores in said state.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Roger Sherman, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, II, folio 289. The indorsement states that it was read this day, and that: "the papers of J. Flagg &c. which were delivered into the office by Mr. Howell were withdawn by him June 4th 1784."]
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