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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, APRIL 16, 1776
A letter from [Commodore] E. Hopkins, Commander of the fleet from New London, of the 9th, enclosing a list of the cannon and stores brought from Providence;
A letter from the committee of Baltimore, of the 14th, enclosing copies of intercepted letters ∥from the Secretary of State to governor Eden;∥
A letter from General Thomas, of the 8th, being received were ∥laid before Congress, and∥ read.1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Hopkins is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XI, folio 33. That of the Baltimore Committee is in No. 70, folio 21. That of Thomas is in No. 78, XXII, folio 17.]
Ordered, That the secretary publish an extract of Commander Hopkins letter.
∥The Congress, taking into consideration the letter from the committee of Baltimore, and the papers enclosed, came to the following resolutions:∥
Whereas information has been this day laid before Congress, from which there is great reason to believe, that Robert Eden, Esqr. governor of the colony of Maryland, has lately carried on a correspondence with the British ministry, highly dangerous to the liberties of America;
Resolved, therefore, That the council of safety of Maryland be earnestly requested, immediately to cause the person and papers of Governor Eden to be seized and
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secured, and such of the papers as relate to the American dispute, without delay, conveyed safely to Congress; and that copies of the intercepted letters from the Secretary of State, be enclosed to the said council of safety.
Resolved, That the council of safety of Maryland be requested to cause the person and papers of Alexander Ross to be immediately seized and secured, and that the papers be sent safely to Congress.
And to prevent the said Alexander Ross having any opportunity to escape,
Resolved, That the like request be made to the committees of observation for Baltimore and Frederic counties in Maryland, in one of which counties the said Alexander Ross probably now is.1
[Note 1: 1 "Yesterday morning, just before the meeting of Congress, the letters from Baltimore, which occasioned the resolution of yesterday, came to the hands of the President. By the same express, and, as I believe, under the same cover, came an anonymous letter, referring to a copy therein enclosed from General Lee to Mr. Samuel Purviance. I saw and read the copy, which was in Purviance's handwriting. Lee strongly urged the immediate seizing and securing of the Governour.
"After the minutes of the preceding day were read, the President began reading the anonymous letter; but he had not proceeded far before he came to a part desiring that it might not be made known to the Congress, but, as I think, to such only as the President might think proper to trust with the contents. The President hesitated; for he had not before read the letter, and seemed desirous of running his eye over it; but, on being desired to read out, he did so. * * *
"As soon as the letter was read, a motion was made to send the original, or a copy of it, to you; which was warmly supported. But it was put off till to-day, to make way for the consideration of the subject of the express; and in the meantime, all was ordered to be secret. Messrs. Stone and Alexander who had been delayed in writing letters by the post, came into the Congress in this stage of the affair, and are, as well as myself, privy to the after transactions."Thomas Johnson, Jun. to Maryland Council of Safety, 17 April, 1776. Force,American Archives, Fourth Series, V. 965.
"We moved yesterday in Congress, that the letter referred to by Mr. Johnson should be immediately transmitted to you, that you might have an opportunity of vindicating your honour against the malicious charges made by the writer. This produced a warm debate, which lasted for several hours. We insisted (and were supported by several gentlemen) that the letter, containing the most severe reflections upon you, as a publick body, ought not to be concealed; that it was absolutely necessary, in the present state of our affairs, that the dignity of the Executives of every Province should be supported, if properly conducted; and if there rested a suspicion that any publick body, either from weakness or want of integrity, omitted or refused to execute the trust committed to them, it ought to be made known to their constituents, that the power might be placed in more safe hands; that the exertions of the letter-writer had already produced, in part of the Council of Virginia, distrust and suspicion of you; that we had the most convincing proofs, upon all occasions, of your integrity, vigilance, and activity in the common cause; and therefore, esteemed it our duty to insist that justice might be done to your injured characters. It was argued against the motion, that the letter was confidential; that it had raised no suspicions in the Congress of your zeal or integrity, because they had reposed the highest confidence in you immediately afterwards, by the recommendation sent by the return of the express; that the mischief, which would be produced by communicating the letter would be greater than any benefit which could be expected from it; and that the President was not obliged to produce the letter before the Congress, to take order thereon, although it had been read in the House. Upon the question whether the President should be requested to lay the letter before Congress, five Colonies voted in the negative, three in the affirmative, and one divided.
"We conceived this treatment to you, and our Province, to be cruel and ungenerous to the last degree. The obligation to secrecy expired yesterday; and we immediately determined to give you such a state of this transaction as our memories supply us with; sad Mr. Johnson committed to writing what passed on the first day. We this morning waited on Mr. Hancock to demand the letter, but he refused to see us."Maryland Delegates to the Council of Safety of Maryland, 18 April, 1776. Force,American Archives, Fourth Series, V, 971.]
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The Committee of Claims reported, that there is due,
To Isaac Melchior, for expences from Montreal to Philadelphia, the sum of thirteen pounds including a part of St. Luke La Corne's expences to Albany=34.7 dollars:
To Leonard Melchior, for boarding Mr. M'Donald twenty days, the sum of six pounds=16 dollars:
To William Chew, for riding express to North Carolina and back, including ferriages, the sum of £33 15=90 dollars, and that the same ought to be paid to Joseph Hewes, Esqr.
To Samuel Purviance, Junr. the sum of fifty pounds [=133.3 dollars,] money advanced by Colonel Charles Beaty to Captain James Grier, and that the same ought to be paid, and charged to the said Captain James Grier:
To Anthony Tricker for boarding Donald M'Donald,
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and others of the Scots prisoners, taken by General Schuyler, near Johnstown, the sum of £56.5.3=150 dollars:
To Pelatiah Webster, the sum of 66.3 dollars, for purchasing goods for the continent, including some incidental expences.
Ordered, That the above be paid.
Resolved, That the Secret Committee be directed to supply the inhabitants of Monmouth county in New Jersey with 500 flints.
The Congress then proceeded to the election of an assistant or clerk to the auditor general, and the ballots being taken:
Mr. William Webb was elected.
A letter from H. Beaumont, surgeon to the 26 regiment, of the 15 was ∥laid before Congress, and∥ read:
Resolved, That the same be referred to the Committee on Prisoners.
Resolved, That the farther sum of three hundred and seventy five pounds, Pensylvania currency ∥=1000 dollars∥ be paid to Messrs. Price and Haywood, in consideration of their extraordinary services in Canada.
Whereas much inconvenience may be derived to the public from committees, others than the committees of safety in each colony, on the public post roads, stopping and opening the mails, and detaining letters from the constitutional post; It is therefore,
Resolved, That no committee but the council or committee of safety in each colony, or such person as they shall, on extraordinary occasions, authorize, should stop the constitutional post, open the mail, or detain any letters therefrom.1
[Note 1: 1 Printed in thePennsylvania Evening Post, 18 April, 1776.]
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Resolved, That the president write to Commodore Hopkins ∥and direct him∥ to send a complete list and state of the stores taken and brought from Providence, with the sizes ∥of the cannon,∥ &c. and, in case he should have left New London, that Governor Trumbull be desired to order a list of the stores left at New London by Commodore Hopkins, to be made out, and transmitted to Congress.
Resolved, That the cannon and such other of the stores as are not necessary for the fleet, be landed and left at New London, and that such of the cannon and wheels as Governor Trumbull shall direct, may be employed for the defence of that harbour, during the pleasure of the Congress.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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