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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 --MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1776
Congress agreeable to the order of the day, proceeded to the election of chaplains, and the ballots being taken the Reverend Mr. P. Allison, and the Reverend Mr. W. White, were elected.
Ordered, That Mr. [John] Witherspoon, Mr. [Samuel] Adams, and Mr. [William] Hooper, be a committee to inform the said gentlemen of their appointment, and desire their attendance.
Mr. [William] Hooper having reported, that the present situation of the prisoners is very disagreeable and dangerous to their health, on account of the prison being much out of repair; Whereupon,
Resolved, That until the apartments of the jail of the town of Baltimore shall be repaired, and put in such a condition as not to endanger the health of those who may be confined in them, that the prisoners from the state of
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North Carolina be removed from thence to different rooms in the court house, or wherever else they can be procured, and there safely locked up and secured; and that the committee of inspection of the said town, be requested to direct proper apartments for their reception, and from time to time, keep up a good and sufficient guard over them; and, in order to secure them more effectually, that the prisoners, agreeable to their own voluntary proposal, shall be upon their parole not to make any attempts to escape from confinement, nor interfere in the present war with Great Britain, by carrying on any correspondence, conversation, or otherwise, with the enemies of America; and that during this confinement, Benjamin Griffith, who, by a late resolve of this Congress, was directed to supply the prisoners when confined in gaol, continue to supply and accommodate them with necessaries for their support.
Resolved, That Robert Patton be door keeper, and James Long, messenger, ∥to Congress.∥
Resolved, That to Morrow be assigned for appointing skilful persons to be sent to examine the Salisbury and Mr. Livingston's foundaries, agreeable to the resolution of the 28 November last.
The Committee of Secret Correspondence, having applied for instructions to enable them to return an answer to the letter read yesterday from Mr. Deane, Congress took the said letter into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the Committee of Secret Correspondence be directed to inform the Commissioners at the Court of France, that Congress have received no advices concerning the proceedings of Portugal but what they have seen in the news papers, the authenticity of which may be doubtful. That Congress desire exact information from
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the Commissioners, whether any American vessels have been prohibited entering, or have been confiscated, in the dominions of Portugal, and on what principles.
That they be directed to remonstrate in the firmest tone with the Portuguese Ambassador on these subjects, so soon as they shall have well informed themselves of the facts above mentioned.
That the Commissioners be authorised to arm and fit for war any number of vessels not exceeding six, at the expence of the United States, to war upon British property, and that commissions and warrants be for this purpose sent to the Commissioners, provided the Commissioners be well satisfied this measure will not be disagreeable to the court of France.
Resolved, That Mr. John Boyd, the pay master of Colonel Mackay's batallion, be empowered to receive from Mr. William Smith, at Hanover, such a number of shoes as may be wanted for the use of the said batallion.
Resolved, That the assemblies, conventions, committees or councils of safety, and other persons that are or may be entrusted with money for the militia reinforcing the armies of the United States, transmit the receipts of the officers receiving the same to the pay master or deputy pay master general of the respective armies; who are hereby directed to make the proper stoppages, and give certificates of the delivery of such receipts, specifying therein, the names of the persons signing them, the dates and sums mentioned in the same, and the persons to whom the receipts were given; which certificates shall be received by the commissioners of the treasury as sufficient vouchers for discharging the respective accounts from the sums expressed in the same.
Resolved, That the Commissioners of Congress at the Court of France be authorised to borrow on the faith of
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the thirteen United States a sum not exceeding two millions sterling, for a term not less than ten years.
That, if the money borrowed cannot be obtained at a less interest than six per centum, the Commissioners be permitted to engage for that rate of interest, and that they stipulate for the payment of the interest at periods not less than annual.
That if the Commissioners can contract for the payment of the principal and interest in the products of North America, to be delivered here, it will be very agreeable to Congress.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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