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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1776
A letter from General Washington, of the 11 May enclosing sundry papers; a letter of the 3d. from General Schuyler, a letter of the 9 from Daniel Robertson, ∥were laid before Congress, and read:∥1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Washington is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, I, folio 669. It is printed inWritings of Washington, (Ford) IV, 74. That of Schuyler is in No. 153, II, folio 129. That of Robertson, Captain of the Royal Regiment of Emigrants, is in No. 78, XIX, folio 25.]
Resolved, That they be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. W[illiam] Livingston, Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson, and Mr. J[ohn] Adams.
The committee to whom the petition of Dr. Benjamin Church, now confined in gaol in Norwich, in the colony of Connecticut, and also a petition from Benjamin, Samuel, and Edward Church, together with a certificate from physicians, respecting the dangerous state of the aforesaid Dr. Church, were referred, brought in their report, which was read and agreed to: Whereupon,
Resolved, That Dr. Benjamin Church be sent to the colony of Massachusetts bay, and that the council of the said colony be requested to take a recognizance from him, with two good sureties, in such penalty as they shall think sufficient, not being less than one thousand pounds, lawful money, for his appearance before such court as shall be erected for his trial, and at such time and place as such court shall direct, and to abide the judgment of the same; and that they be farther requested, to take his parole, not to hold any correspondence with the enemies of the United Colonies, or at any time, to depart out of the same colony, without their license; and that, upon the performance thereof, the said Dr. Benjamin Church be set at Liberty.
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The colony of Rhode Island, having appointed two delegates to represent that colony in Congress, the Credentials of their appointment were laid before Congress, and read, as follows:
The governor and Company of the English Colony of(L. S.) Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in General Assembly convened.
To Stephen Hopkins and William Ellery, Esqs. Greeting:
Whereas this Assembly, reposing special Trust and Confidence in your Abilities and Integrity, have appointed you, the said Stephen Hopkins and William Ellery, Delegates, to represent this Colony in General Congress; you are, therefore, hereby empowered to join with the Delegates of the other United Colonies, in Congress, at Philadelphia, as soon as conveniently may be, or at such Time and Place as shall be agreed upon by the Major Part of the Delegates from the said Colonies.
You are also authorized and empowered to consult and advise with the Delegates of the said Colonies in Congress, upon the most proper Measures for promoting and confirming the strictest Union and Confederation between the said United Colonies, for exerting their whole Strength and Force to annoy the common Enemy, and to secure to the said Colonies their Rights and Liberties, both civil and religious, whether by entering into Treaties with any Prince, State, or Potentate, or by such other prudent and effectual Ways and Means as shall be devised and agreed on; And, in Conjunction with the Delegates from the said United Colonies, or the Major Part of them, to enter into and adopt all such Measures, taking the greatest Care to secure to this Colony, in the strongest and most perfect Manner, its present established Form, and all the Powers of Government, so far as relates to its internal Police and Conduct of our own Affairs, civil and religious.
You are also instructed and directed, to exert your utmost Abilities, in carrying on this just and necessary War, in which we are engaged against cruel and unnatural Enemies, in the most vigorous Manner, until Peace shall be restored to the said Colonies, and their Rights and Liberties secured upon a solid and permanent Basis.
You are also empowered, to join with the Major Part of the Delegates to the said United Colonies, in adjourning, from Time to
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Time, and to such Place or Places as shall be thought proper for and during One Year.
You have it in express Charge to make immediate Application to Congress to put the Colony Brigade upon the Continental Establishment; and to defray the Expences of it, from the first Inlistment of the Troops, as that Number is indispensably necessary for the Defence of the Colony, which is utterly unable to support them.
And as it may happen, that from Sickness or other necessary Causes, one of you may be absent from Congress, in all such Cases the other is hereby as fully empowered to represent the Colony, as though both were present and agreed in Sentiment.
May 4th, 1776.
In Behalf of the General Assembly, I have hereunto set my Hand, and caused the Seal of the Colony to be affixed, the Sixth Day of May, in the Year of Our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Six.
Nicholas Cooke,Governor.
By his Honor's Command,
Henry Ward,Secretary.
The committee, to whom the letter from General Washington of the 5th, and the letter from Captain Delaplace of the 2d, &c. were referred, brought in their report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That as a number of arms, fit for use, may be bought of the owners, who may incline to sell them, General Washington be desired to employ such an agent as he hath proposed, to go into any of the colonies for that purpose:
That a copy of the letter from Captain Delaplace be sent to Major General Schuyler, and that he be desired to enquire how the things, therein mentioned to have been left by him [De la place] at Ticonderoga, were disposed of, and what was the value thereof, and report the matter, as it shall appear to him, to Congress:
That the case of Captain Delaplaee is not distingafishable from that of other prisoners of war, who are obliged to refund the expences of their maintenance.
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Resolved, That the Secret Committee be directed to deliver to Colonel Jacob Ford, Junr. three tons of salt petre, to be by him manufactured into gun powder for the use of the United Colonies, on the same terms as others have agreed to manufacture it:
That the said committee be directed to sell to Joseph Ellis, 400 lb. of powder, and a quantity of iron ball, sufficient for 900 lb. of powder, for the defence of the colony of New Jersey:
That the said committee be directed to deliver to Colonel Bird, 200 lb. of powder, to prove the cannon he has made for the United Colonies.
That the committee appointed to contract for the making cannon, be directed to employ proper persons to attend and see the cannon proved:
That an order for 2000 dollars be drawn on the treasurer, in favour of said committee appointed to contract for the making of cannon; they to be accountable.
The Congress resumed the consideration of the report from the committee of the whole: Whereupon,
Resolved, That the five batallions, now in Massachusetts bay, be recruited to their full complements, and that three additional batallions be raised in the eastern department, for the service of the continent, the recruits to be taken into continental pay, so soon as they shall be armed and mustered.
A letter from General Lee of the 7th, enclosing sundry papers, was laid before Congress, and read:1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 158, folio 53.]
Resolved, That the same be referred to the committee to whom a former letter of General Lee, was referred.
Martin Strobach, lieutenant of marines on board the Hornet sloop, finding the service by sea to disagree with him, and apprehending he can be of more use in the land
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service, begs permission to be discharged from the present service he has engaged in, that he may apply for a lieutenancy in the Pensylvania artillery company, where there is a vacancy, which he is encouraged to make application for:
Resolved, That leave be granted to discharge him.
The Congress agreeable to the order of the day, resolved itself into a committee of the whole Congress, to take into their farther consideration, the report of the committee on the eastern department, the resolves from the officers, and petition from the committee of privates of the military association of the city and liberties of Philadelphia, and, after some time spent thereon, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. [Benjamin] Harrison reported, that the committee of the whole Congress have had under consideration the matters to them referred, and have come to sundry resolutions; but, not having come to a conclusion, desired him to move for leave to sit again.
The report from the committee of the whole, being read, was agreed to: Whereupon,
Resolved, That an additional Major General and Brigadier General be appointed in the continental army:
Resolved, That General Washington be directed to order a major general forthwith to take the command in the eastern department, and also that he order a brigadier general on that service.
Resolved, That the election of the major general and brigadier general be postponed till to morrow.
Resolved, That this Congress will, to morrow, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration the resolves of the officers and the petition from the committee of privates of the military association of the city and liberties of Philadelphia.
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The Congress took into consideration the report of the committee, to whom the letter from the committee of safety of New Hampshire, and other papers from that colony, were referred; and, thereupon,
Resolved, That one batallion be raised in New Plampshire for the service of the United Colonies, and paid and subsisted upon the same terms as the continental troops in the eastern department; the said batallion to be taken into continental pay, so soon as they shall be armed and mustered.
Resolved, That the Secret Committee be directed to send to General Washington, the muskets that are at Newport.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow,
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