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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Sir, Philada November 25th 1779 Your Excellency will receive herewith enclos'd a petition from John Palfrey which you will please to observe by the indorsement is refer'd to the President & Supreme Executive Council of this State to take order thereon.(1)
I have the honour to be, with great respect, your Excy's hble Servt, S. H . President
LB (DNA: PCC, item 14).
1 John Palfrey, a prisoner on parole who had been captured by the militia of New Jersey, had submitted a petition to Congress on November 20 which was simply referred to the Massachusetts Council because he had formerly been a citizen of that state. JCC, 15:1296. Upon learning of this action, Palfrey had submitted a second petition, explaining that he had not lived in Massachusetts for many years and had no money to undertake a trip to Boston, and asked that his case be referred to the authorities of Pennsylvania, "where the real situation of his case is much better known and understood." For the Pennsylvania Council's disposition of Palfrey's appeal, which it referred to the state of New Jersey with the opinion that it would be "a bad precedent to admit Prisoners of War to take the oaths and release them from Captivity, while we have so many officers in that condition with the Enemy," see Pa. Council Minutes, 12: 194.
The documentation of this case is somewhat confused by the fact that Huntington's letter to the Massachusetts Council enclosing Palfrey's petition of the 20th and Congress' resolution of the 22d, is dated November 19, 1779 (PCC, item 14, fol. 229); and according to the journals Congress referred his case to Pennsylvania on the 24th although his petition requesting this action is dated the 25th (cf. JCC, 15:1302 and PCC, item 42, 6:232-35).
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