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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, NOVEMBER 19, 1776
The convention of Maryland having appointed new delegates, two of them attending, produced the credentials of their appointment, which were read, as follows:
MARYLAND
In Convention, November 10, 1776
Resolved, That the Hon. Matthew Tilghman, Esqr. and Thomas Johnson, Jun. William Paca, Thomas Stone, Samuel Chase, Benjamin Rumsey, and Charles Carroll, Bar. Esquires, or any three or more of them, be Delegates to represent this State in Congress, until the first Day of March next, or until the General Assembly shall make further order therein; and that the said Delegates, or any three or more of them, be Authorized and empowered to concur with the other United States, or a Majority of them, in forming a Confederation, and in making foreign Alliances; provided that such Confederation, when formed, be not binding upon this State without the Assent of the General Assembly; and the said Delegates, or any three or more of them, are also Authorized and Empowered to concur in any Measure which may be resolved on by Congress, for carrying on the War with Great Britain, and securing the Liberties of the United States, reserving always to this State the sole and exclusive Right of regulating the internal Police thereof. And the said Delegates, or any three or more of them, are hereby Authorized and Empowered, notwithstanding any Measure heretofore taken to concur with the Congress, or a Majority of them, in accommodating our unhappy Difference with Great Britain, on such Terms as the Congress, or a Majority of them, shall think proper.
Extract from the Minutes:G. Duvall.1
[Note 1: 1 The original is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, Maryland, Credentials of Delegates. The delegates attending were Samuel Chase and William Paca. See pp. 964, 973, post.]
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Resolved, That the Board of Treasury be directed, in settling Brigadier General Armstrong's accounts, to allow him his charge for his travelling expences to and from South Carolina, the sum of £150 ∥amounting to 400 dollars:∥
A letter, of the 16, from General Washington, and one of the 17th, from Clement Biddle, were read.1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Washington is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, III, folio 261. It is printed in Writings of Washington, V, 33. That of Biddle is in No. 78, II, folio 109.]
The Board of War brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That one hundred three pounders, fifty six pounders, fifty twelve pounders, thirteen eighteen pounders, and thirteen twenty four pounders, all of brass, be immediately provided as field artillery, for the use of the armies of the United States:
That the Secret Committee be directed to take the most effectual measures for procuring the said brass artillery; that the said Committee confer with the Committee for procuring Cannon, and consult with them how many they can provide:
That this matter be kept as secret as the nature of the business will admit.
Resolved, That 400 dollars be advanced to the delegates of North Carolina, for the use of that state, which is to be accountable.
Congress resumed the consideration of the report on the lottery; Whereupon,
Resolved, That each of the managers shall receive for his trouble one tenth per centum on all the money he shall receive in the sale of the tickets:
That the tickets or billets be sold for ready money:
That each of the managers give bond to the president,2
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for the use of the United States, in the penalty of 20,000 dollars, for the faithful discharge of their trust.
Resolved, That a member be added to the committee appointed to hear the appeal against the sentence passed on the libel, John Barry, qui tam vs. the sloop Betsey, &c. in the room of Mr. [Edward] Rutledge.
The member chosen, Mr. [Samuel] Chase.
Congress being informed, there are two ensigncies vacant in the German batallion, proceeded to elect persons to fill up the same; and the ballots being taken,
George Howard and Jacob Laudermilk were elected.
The Committee of Treasury reported, that there ought to be advanced to Colonel James Livingston the sum of two thousand dollars, for which he is to be accountable to the commissioners ∥for auditing the accounts∥ of the northern department:
That there is due to Edward Rutledge, Esqr. for cash he paid by order of Congress, to Joseph Beck, an express to South Carolina, with despatches, intercepted with Kirkland, &c. the sum of 133 30/90 dollars; and for his, Dr. [Benjamin] Franklin, and Mr. [John] Adams, a committee to Staten Island, for their expences there and back, 71 30/90 dollars; the whole amounting to 204 60/90 dollars:
To Joseph Baldwin, for ferriage of militia &c. over Neshaminy ferry, 6 54/90 dollars:
To Samuel Pugh, for victualling troops of the flying camp, on their march, 8 dollars:
To John Jarvis, for ferriage over Neshaminy, 12 21/90 dollars, and horse hire to different expresses, 10 36/90 dollars, amounting to 22 57/90 dollars:
That there should be paid to the Board of War, to be by them sent to Benjamin Harrison, Jun. Esqr. deputy pay
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master general in Virginia, the sum of 300,000 dollars, for the use of the army in that department:
Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the Board of War of the 13th instant: Whereupon,
Resolved, That the commissary general, or his deputies, make regular weekly returns of all rations issued or paid to the officers and privates of any regiment, troop, or company in the service of the states, to the adjutant general or his deputies, to be by him inserted in the general returns of the army, and transmitted to Congress monthly:
That, on any sick or disabled non-commissioned officer or soldier, being sent to any hospital or sick quarters, the captain or commandant of the troop or company to which he belongs, shall send to the surgeon, or director of the said hospital, or give to the non-commissioned officer or soldier, so in the hospital or quarters, a certificate, (countersigned by the pay master of the regiment, if he be with the regiment,) of what pay is due to such sick non-commissioned officer or private, at the time of his entering the hospital or quarters; and the captain or commandant of the troop or company, shall not receive the pay of the said soldier in hospital or quarters, or include him in any pay abstract during his continuance therein. And, in case any non-commissioned officer or soldier shall be discharged from the hospital or quarters, as unfit for farther service, a certificate shall be given him, by the surgeon or director, of what pay is then due to him; and the said non-commissioned officer or soldier, so discharged, shall be entitled to receive his pay at any pay office, or from any pay master in the service of the United States; the said pay master keeping such original certificate, to prevent impositions,
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and giving the non-commissioned officer or soldier his discharge, or a certified copy thereof, mentioning, at the same time, his having been paid:
That this resolution be transmitted to the commanders in chief of the several departments, to be by them given out in orders, and then delivered to the directors of the hospitals in each department, who are to cause the same to be fixed up in some conspicuous place or places, in every military hospital, for the information of all concerned:
That letters be immediately sent to the councils of safety, conventions, or legislatures of Pensylvania, and the states to the southward thereof, desiring them, forthwith, to lay up magazines of military stores, ammunition, and salt provisions, in the safest and most convenient places in the said states, respectively, for the use of such continental troops and militia, as it may be necessary to bring into the field in the ensuing winter, for the defence of these states:
That some proper person be appointed to act in the capacity of an armourer to assist the commissary of stores in inspecting, superintending repairs, and taking care of all continental arms in the public magazines at Philadelphia.
Congress deem it necessary, upon every principle of propriety, to remind the several states, how indispensable it is to the common safety, that they pursue the most immediate and vigorous measures to furnish their respective quotas of troops for the new army, as the time of service, for which the present army was inlisted, is so near expiring, that the country may be left in a condition in a great measure defenceless, unless quickly supplied by new levies.
Resolved, That Major Stewart, who brought the late
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intelligence from General Gates, and who is recommended as a deserving officer, have the rank of Lieutenant Colonel by brevet, and be presented with a sword of the value of one hundred dollars.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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