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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, JANUARY 14, 1777
Resolved, That William Young and George Patterson be appointed signers of the paper money bills of credit in addition to those already appointed.
The committee to whom the letter from General Schuyler was referred, brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That Messrs. [Robert] Morris, [George] Clymer, and [George] Walton, be directed, with all possible despatch, to procure, in the state of Pensylvania, or New Jersey, and send to Albany, three tons of steel and five tons of nail rods, for the use of the army in the northern department:
That Congress approve of General Schuyler's design of building five or six flat bottomed boats, of considerable force, for the guard of lake George, so contrived as to carry flour, and other provision, as occasion may require:
That General Schuyler, or the commanding officer of the northern army, give such instructions to the regimental pay masters as he shall judge necessary, and transmit a copy thereof to Congress.
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That the Medical Committee provide a suitable assortment of medicines, and send them to the hospital in the northern army, with all possible despatch, together with other necessaries for the sick; and that the list mentioned by Dr. Stringer, in a paper, No. 1, enclosed in General Schuyler's letter, be committed to them:
That Dr. Potts be directed to repair to Ticonderoga without delay:
That Dr. Stringer be directed to deliver to Dr. Potts, such medicines, and other medical stores, as may be in his hands belonging to the Continent.
Resolved, That the several troops of light horse from Virginia be taken into continental pay, and put upon the continental establishment; that their pay commence from the 25 of November last; and that the state of Virginia be reimbursed for the horses and caparisons furniture of the said troops:
That 266 2/3 dollars be advanced to Major Theodorick Bland, Esq. major of the squadron of light horse from Virginia, for the use of the said squadron, he to be accountable:
That 1,000 dollars be advanced to Gerard Hopkins, son of Richard, quarter master, for the public service; he to be accountable.
Agreeably to the order of the day, Congress proceeded to the election of an Indian agent for the Indians, in Nova Scotia, and the tribes to the northward and eastward thereof; and, the ballots being taken,
John Allen, was elected.
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to prepare instructions for said Mr. Allen:
The members chosen, Mr. S[amuel] Adams, Mr. [Oliver] Wolcott, and Mr. [Matthew] Thornton.
Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into farther consideration the state of the treasury,
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and the means of supporting the credit of the continental currency; and, after some time spent thereon, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. [Thomas] Nelson reported, that they have had under consideration the matters to them referred, and had come to sundry resolutions, which he was ordered to report when the house was ready to receive it:
Ordered, That it be received.
The report from the committee of the whole being read, was taken into consideration, Whereupon, was agreed to as follows, viz.
Whereas the continental money ought to be supported, at the full value expressed in the respective bills, by the inhabitants of these States, for whose benefit they were issued, and who stand bound to redeem the same, according to the like value; and the pernicious artifices of the enemies of American liberty to impair the credit of the said bills, by raising the nominal value of gold and silver, or any other species of money whatsoever, ought to be guarded against and prevented:
Resolved, That all bills of credit, emitted by authority of Congress, ought to pass current in all payments, trade, and dealings, in these States, and be deemed in value equal to the same nominal sum in Spanish milled dollars; and that whosoever shall offer, ask, or receive more in the said bills for any gold or silver coins, bullion, or any other species of money whatsoever, than the nominal sum or amount thereof in Spanish milled dollars, or more, in the said bills, for any lands, houses, goods, or commodities whatsoever, than the same could be purchased at of the same person or persons in gold, or silver, or any other species of money whatsoever; or shall offer to sell any goods or commodities for gold or silver coins, or any other species of money whatsoever, and refuse to sell the same
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for the said continental bills; every such person ought to be deemed an enemy to the liberties of these united States, and to forfeit the value of the money so exchanged, or house, land, or commodity so sold or offered to sale. And it is recommended to the legislatures of the respective States, to enact laws inflicting such forfeitures and other penalties on offenders as aforesaid, as will prevent such pernicious practices:
That it be recommended to the legislatures of the united States, to pass laws to make the bills of credit, issued by the Congress, a lawful tender, in payment of public and private debts; and a refusal thereof an extinguishment of such debts: that debts payable in sterling money be discharged with continental dollars, at the rate of 4/6 sterling per dollar; and that in discharge of all other debts and contracts, continental dollars pass at the rate fixed by the respective States for the value of Spanish milled dollars:
Resolved, That it be recommended to the legislatures of the several united States to pass resolutions that they will make provision for drawing in and sinking their respective quotas of the bills emitted by Congress at the several periods fixed, or that shall be fixed by Congress:
That it be recommended to the legislatures of the several States, to raise, by taxation, in the course of the current year, and remit to the treasury, such sums of money as they shall think will be most proper in the present situation of the inhabitants; which sums shall be carried to their credit, and accounted for in the settlement of their proportion of the public expences and debts, for which the united States are jointly bound:
That an additional sum of two millions of dollars be borrowed at the loan offices, on certificates of 200 dollars each:
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That the commissioners of the loan office be directed to receive the bills of credit heretofore emitted by the States in which they respectively hold their offices, for such sums as they shall be ordered by the commissioners of the treasury, or continental treasurer, from time to time, to pay for continental purposes, within such States respectively.1
[Note 1: 1 A letter from the Treasury Board, dated January 30, 1777, inclosing this paragraph to the States, is in the Pennsylvania Archives, First Series, V, 183.]
Congress being informed that a number of Hessian officers, prisoners, are on their way to this town,
Resolved, That the Board of War be directed to send the said prisoners to Dumfries, in Virginia, with a request to the committee of the said town, to see them properly suitably provided for, agreeable to the provision made for prisoners.
Resolved, That two months' pay be advanced to Mons. St. Pierre Auguste de St. Aubin, adjutant of the squadron of the Virginia light horse; he to be accountable.2
[Note 2: 2 A letter of Washington, dated Morristown, January 7, 1777, was read this day. It is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, III, folio 445. It is printed in Writings of Washington (Ford), V, 154. Also a letter of the 10th, from the Philadelphia Committee, is in No. 137, Appendix, folio 81.]
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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