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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 --FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1777
A letter, of the 6, from the council of safety of Maryland, enclosing a deposition of William Patterson, was read.1
[Note 1: 1 These papers are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 70, folio 139.]
Resolved, That the commanding officer of the Second Virginia batallion, in Baltimore, be directed to proceed with the troops under his command, to Somerset and Worcester counties, on the Eastern Shore, to assist in quelling, and bringing to justice, the insurgents in those parts; and having performed that business, to proceed immediately with his troops and join to General Washington.
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Ordered, That the Board of War be directed to supply the troops of the 2d Virginia batallion with arms and necessary accoutrements.
Mr. Buller Clairborne, Mr. Joseph Scott, and Mr. Spotswood Dandridge, who were appointed captains of the artillery batallion, ordered to be raised in Virginia, having declined to serve, Congress proceeded to the election of three captains to supply their places; and, the ballots being taken,
Mr. Anthony Singleton, and John Winster, and Jacob Walker, were elected.
Resolved, That an extract of the letter of Governor Trumbull of the 12 of last month, so far as it relates to the pay of the light-horse from Connecticut who served last campaign, be transmitted to General Washington, and that he be directed to settle their pay, and give orders for the payment.
Resolved, That 1,100 dollars be advanced to the Committee of Secret Correspondence for public service; for which they are to be accountable.
Resolved, That Monday sen'night be assigned for appointing ∥electing∥ general officers.1
[Note 1: 1 "Motion in Congress that the President write to every State excepting Virginia and Masachusett's Bay recommending a fuller representation, proposed to leave out the Exceptions, passed in the Negative Amendment proposed, that when ever any State was unrepresented the President should write requesting a full representation agreed by a Majority--motion to be reconsidered--Amendment proposed that when ever any State was represented by less than three President should write &c. rejected. Question upon the whole as amended Nos 5 Ayes 4 1 Divided--
"In this Debate the States fully represented insisted on the Exceptions that, it might appear they had no need of a Memento. Several other States insisted that no state ought to be permitted to Commit a Vote in the General Council of the States to less than three. That less nor even that Number would supply Committees it was Answered to the first that every State had made her repr[e]sentation as best Suited her Circumstances, that many were unable to spare or support one more Numerous. that each was best Judge how many of her citizens She would Trust, and to what length she would Trust them, that there was no need of publicly calling on them for a representation more full because they had already wished the same thing but found it Inconvenient to be Effected that therefore those who had any representation at all [had] done what their circumstances permit [ed,] an [?] for greater Exertions, to the second that the represent [] the States who had few refused nor []
"That the weight and Trust were certainly too great for any one person but it was an evil that could not at present be remedied, and therefore it must be born, that requiring three to form a Quorum would Embarass several states and leave such States often without any representation at all, because if any Accident prevented the attendance of one, the Vote was Necessarily lost, and any state would prefer a Vote by one of her Delegates rather than No Vote at all
"North Carolina having only one Delegate present urged that the arguments [] at the Insufficiency of One Delegate for so Important a Trust were sensibly felt by the Delegate who already tho' but a very few days in Congress found his Experience and abilities for Inferior to his Duty, but this was not the fault of his Country who could not prevail on her abler men to undertake a Business so arduous and Inconvenient. that She had Indeed appointed three but never Expected that they should be always in Service at Once, because the absence was too long from their private Families and Affairs, and She had not Funds to support a greater Number, that One who Expected to have been here was prevented by Illness. the other had Just departed and after a long attendance was permitted to return home that the Single Representation of that State was the Misfortune of the Delegate on whom all Incompetent as he is, the burthen of so high a Trust had fallen and also the misfortune of his Country who in the absence of his more able Colleagues could not be so well served. that Considering it as a matter which each state had an Exclusive right to Judge of the Delegate could not agree that Congress should at all Interfere with it, that having Just informed the Congress that one of the [] permitted by his Country to return, and that the [] that only two would be in service the Delegate considered the Amendment relative to three is [as] implying a Censure on his Country and he must therefore protest against it--The Intention to Censure was disclaimed." Burke's Abstract of Debates, MS.]
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Resolved, That Zachariah Maccubbin be appointed a signer of the bills of credit, in addition to those already appointed.
Mr. Lux and Mr. Purviance, who were appointed by the Board of War to examine the accounts of Thomas Nichols, having reported, that it appears by the treasurer's books, that the said Nichols has received 533 30/90 dollars, and that he has paid 54 65/90 dollars, and that there is a balance of 478 55/90 dollars, due from him:
Ordered, That Mr. Lux and Mr. Purviance be requested to receive from the said Thomas Nichols, the said balance of 478 55/90 dollars, and pay the same into the receiver of
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the continental treasury, and that Thomas Nichols, alias Dudley, who is in custody on suspicion of mal-practices, be confined till farther orders.
The Committee of Treasury reported, that there is due to Gerard Hopkins, for six chairs and a pine table for the use of the treasury office, the sum of 24 60/90 dollars:
To Anthony Dearing, for the hire of his team 14 days in the service of the 2d Virginia regiment ∥battalion,∥ on their march to join General Washington, 35 dollars:
To Francis Lewis, Esq. for cash he paid to Ensign John Gassway, for the support of sick soldiers on the road, belonging to the batallion late Colonel Smallwood's, the sum of 6 dollars:
To James Calhoun, Esq. chairman of the committee of observation of Baltimore county, for cash he paid Mr. James Buchanan, for the reward of £45, for taking up Alexander M'Leod, Daniel M'Leod, and Murdock M'Castle, three North Carolina prisoners, who broke gaol, and for the expences of bringing them from Broad Creek, in Sussex county, to Baltimore, the sum of [£80.16.10=] 215 52/90 dollars:
That they have examined the accounts of John Montgomery, and Jasper Yeates, Esqrs. commissioners of Indian affairs for the middle department, for the pay and part rations of the militia of West Augusta county, in Virginia, and Westmoreland county, in Pensylvania, who marched to Pittsburg previous to the late Indian treaty, for their services 21 days; and Mr. Yeates's expences for that time, amounting to £1,505 13 8. That the said commissioners expended on their return to Pittsburg, with the Indian chiefs who visited Congress at Philadelphia, £92 15 10, the whole amounting to £1,598 9 6, of which they received on account of Indian expences, the sum
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of £100; that there remains a balance due to them of £1,498 9 6, equal to 3,995 84/90 dollars:
That there should be paid to the Honble Roger Sherman, Esq. for the hire of Edward Whitmore's waggon, and two horses, taking seven Indians of the Penobscot tribe, from New Haven to Marrinec, £6 8, and for a horse belonging to John Pierpont, taken by the enemy in the above service £10, both sums making £16 8, lawful money of New England, equal to 54 60/90 dollars:
That there is due to Robert Aitken, for paper, ink-stands, quills, sealing wax, &c. for the use of the treasury office, the sum of £14 0 11, equal to 37 41/90 dollars:1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 27.]
Ordered, That the said sums be paid.
Resolved, That two members be added to the committee for printing the Journals:
The members chosen, Mr. [John] Witherspoon and Mr. [James] Lovell.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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