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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 --WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1776
A Petition from Benjamin Church was presented to Congress, and read:1
[Note 1: 1 This petition is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, II, folio 5.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to a committee of three.
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The members chosen, Mr. [Benjamin] Harrison, Mr. [William] Paca, and Mr. [William] Hooper.
A petition from Ibbetson Hamar, an officer prisoner at Trenton, praying for leave to reside with Mrs. Hamar at Mr. Stainforth's, near Strawberry Hill near Prince Town, was read:
Resolved, That the same be agreed to.
A memorial from the captains and subalterns of the first Pensylvania batallion, complaining of the conduct of Colonel Bull, was presented to Congress and read:
Resolved, That the same be referred to the Committee on the Qualifications of officers, and that they be directed to hear the parties, and report to Congress.
A letter from Messrs. P[hilip] Livingston, [John] Alsop, and [Francis] Lewis, dated 15 January, informing that only 462 quarter casks of powder were imported,1 being laid before Congress, was read.
[Note 1: 1 The Secret Journal Says "had arrived at Newport." This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XIV, folio 55.]
Agreeable to the order of the day, the Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the propriety of opening the ports after the 1 March next; and after some time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. [Samuel] Ward reported, that the Committee had taken into consideration the matter to them referred, and had come to a resolution, which he read in his place, and delivered in.
The report of the committee being read,
Ordered, That the same lie on the tablefor the perusal of the members:
Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed, to consider under what regulations and restrictions the trade of these Colonies ought to be carried on, after the 1st. of March next.
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The members chosen, Mr. [Benjamin] Harrison, Mr. [Robert] Morris, Mr. [Thomas] Lynch, Mr. [Samuel] Adams, and Mr. [Roger] Sherman.
Resolved, That a member be appointed on the committee to confer with Mr. Romans.
The member chosen, Mr. [Oliver] Wolcott.
The committee appointed to prepare instructions for the officers in the recruiting service, brought in their report, which was read, and the same being taken into consideration, the Congress, thereupon, came to the following resolutions:
Resolved, That the colonels of the several batallions ordered to be raised, do immediately order their officers, on recruiting service, to such parts where they are best known, and have the greatest probability of success.
That the recruiting officers ought to be careful to inlist none but healthy, sound and able bodied men, and not under sixteen years of age.
That the colonels of the several batallions aforesaid, appoint some place or places of rendezvous, to which the recruits may be sent, and where the batallions may be quartered.
That the greatest attention ought to be paid to the behavior of the troops in quarters, that they may give no reasonable cause of complaint.
That the quarters of the troops be duly discharged once every week.
That an allowance often shillings one dollar and 1/3 dollar per man, be made to the recruiting officers in lieu of their expences in recruiting, exclusive of the subsistence money allowed them. And that, in case any men be inlisted contrary to the foregoing regulations, the pay they may have received, and the subsistence money that may be paid for them, shall be stopped from the pay of such recruiting officers.
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That the colonels of the several batallions to be raised in Pensylvania, be supplied with money for the recruiting service, by the committee of safety of said colony, and disburse the same to the several recruiting officers; the colonels and other officers to be accountable for what they shall receive, and all arrears they may fall into, to be stopped from their pay.1
[Note 1: 1 These resolves were printed in thePennsylvania Gazette, 24 January, 1776. The following paragraph was added:
"That no bought indented servants be employed on board the Fleet or in the army of the United Colonies, without the consent of their masters."]
Resolved, That the sum of ten shillings ∥one dollar and one-third of a dollar∥ per man, be allowed to the officers of the first Pensylvania batallion, for each man by them inlisted and that have passed muster.
Resolved, That the treasurers be empowered to advance to Mr. Reganville a sum not exceeding 400 dollars, taking his draught or bill on his agent ∥in Canada,∥ for the same.
A letter from General Schuyler, dated 13th January, enclosing copies of letters from Generals Wooster, Arnold, and others, were laid before Congress, and read, containing an account of an unsuccessful attempt made to gain possession of Quebec by storm, on the 31 of December, and the death of General Montgomery.2
[Note 2: 2 Schuyler's letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 153, I, folio 396. That of Arnold is on folio 400. The copy of Wooster's letter is in No. 161, folio 253. That of Arnold is in No. 162, folio 40. A copy of a letter from James Price to General Schuyler, dated Montreal, January 5, and read on this day is in No. 78, XVIII, 19.
Schuyler's letter was brought to Philadelphia by Edward Antill, who had conference with Congress.]
The committee to whom the matter of South Carolina, respecting the engaging seamen, was referred, brought in their report, which was read.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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