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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 --SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1777
Massachusetts not represented until 11 o'Clock.
Connecticut not represented until 20 minutes after 11.
Delaware not represented until ½ after 12.
A letter, from General Wayne, dated 2d March, was read; and referred to the Board of War, together with the several enclosures.1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 161, folio 201.]
Resolved, That 50,000 dollars be advanced to Mr. Carpenter Wharton; he to be accountable.
Resolved, That 100,000 dollars be advanced to Mr. James Mease, ∥clothier general;∥ he to be accountable.
Resolved, That 5,000 dollars be advanced to the State of Delaware; the said state to be accountable.
The Board of War brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That as Congress proceeded to the dismission of Doctor Stringer, upon reasons satisfactory to themselves, General Schuyler ought to have known it to be his duty to have acquiesced therein:
Resolved, That the suggestion in General Schuyler's letter to Congress, that it was a compliment due to him to have been advised of the reasons of Doctor Stringer's dismission, is highly derogatory to the honour of Congress; and that the president be desired to acquaint General Schuyler that it is expected his letters, for the future, be written in a stile more suitable to the dignity of the representative body of these free and independent states, and to his own character as their officer.
Resolved, That it is altogether improper and inconsistent with the dignity of this Congress, to interfere in disputes subsisting among the officers of the army; which ought to be settled, unless they can be otherwise accommodated,
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in a court martial, agreeably to the rules of the army; and that the expressions in General Schuyler's letter of the 4th of February, "that he confidently expected Congress would have done him that justice, which it was in their power to give, and which he humbly conceives they ought to have done," were, to say the least, ill-advised and highly indecent.
Resolved, That an extract of those parts of General Schuyler's letter of the 4th of February, which relate to the state of the garrison of Ticonderoga, be transmitted by the Board of War to General Washington.
That the resignation of Lieutenant Colonel John Brown, of Colonel Elmore's regiment, raised in the state of Connecticut, be accepted.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 103.]
The Board of Treasury brought in a report, ∥which was taken into consideration;∥ Whereupon,
That the Ballance due to Messrs. Price and Haywood in Specie, together with the Interest arising therefrom, be paid by Bills of Exchange, to be drawn by the president on the Commissioners in France, upon Advices from them, that the Money applied for by Congress has been obtained, and that the said Messrs. Price and Haywood be notified by the president, when the Bills are ready.2
[Note 2: 2 Recommitted. See under April 1, 1777.]
Resolved, That the commissioners in the northern department make an allowance to James Price, Esq. for the time which he acted as deputy commissary general in Canada.3
[Note 3: 3 This report, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 89.]
That there should be advanced to Joseph Trumbull, Esq. commissary general, the sum of four hundred thousand dollars by a warrant of 50,000 dollars on the commissioner of the loan office, for the State of New Hampshire; and 350,000 dollars by a warrant on John Gibson, Esq. auditor general:
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That there should be advanced to James Stevenson, Esq. one of the commissioners of accounts for the middle department, the sum of 600 dollars by a warrant on the commissioner of the loan office for the state of Connecticut, he to be accountable.
∥Resolved,∥ That there should be paid to Allen M'Donald, Alexander, Archibald, Reynold and Allen M'Donald, Junr. for the allowance of two dollars per week, due to them, and the allowance due to their three servants, at 10/per week, from the 18th of December to the 12th of March, being 12 weeks, the sum of 168 dollars.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, without the first paragraph, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 51.]
Resolved, That the sum of 300 dollars be paid to the Rev. Mr. James Caldwell, of the state of New Jersey, for extraordinary services.
A petition from William Barnard, setting forth, that he sailed from England, in the month of November last, as mate of the brigantine Hanover, bound for St. Augustine, commanded by John Pinkham, and that, on the passage, the said Barnard, with the crew, consisting of six persons, all inhabitants of these United States, was read, praying that the said brig and her cargo having been seized by said Barnard and crew, and carried into North Carolina, might be distributed as prize among them: Whereupon,
Resolved, That said petition, with the papers enclosed therein, be referred to the Marine Committee.
The Marine Committee reported to Congress, that there are several very fine prize ships in the state of Massachusetts Bay, very suitable for the service of the Continent, and which might be fitted out at a small expence; and recommended to Congress, that they should be empowered to purchase three of said ships for the purpose aforesaid;
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and also recommended to the notice of Congress, Captain Daniel Waters, and Captain Samuel Tucker, who were early employed by General Washington in cruising vessels, and were very successful, and are strongly recommended by the General and others, ∥are, in their opinion, proper to be appointed to the command of two of them:∥ Whereupon,
Resolved, That the Marine Committee be empowered to give directions to the agents to purchase three ships, and order them immediately to be armed and fitted out for the service of the United States, to be under the direction of the Marine Committee.
Resolved, That Daniel Waters and Samuel Tucker be appointed captains in the navy of the United States, and that they have the command of two of the ships ordered to be purchased; and that the command of the other ship be given to Captain John Paul Jones, until better provision can be made for him.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock Monday morning.
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