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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 --THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1777
A letter, of the 11, and one of the 14, from General Gates, at Albany;
One, of the 16, from Brigadier General M'Dougal, at Peek's Kill; and one, of the 13, from Gouverneur Morris, were read:1
[Note 1: 1 The letters from Gates are in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 154, I, folios 189 and 197; that of McDougall is in No. 161, folio 83, and that of Morris in No. 78, XV, folio 197.]
Ordered, That the last be referred to the Marine Committee.
Resolved, That blank commissions be delivered to the delegates of Maryland, for the seven batallions of Maryland forces, to be by them filled up with the names of the officers, but without affixing any date, which is to be inserted according to the orders of General Washington, who is to settle the rank of the several officers.
Congress took into consideration the report of the Board of War of the 16th; Whereupon,
Resolved, That Albany, Ticonderoga, Fort Stanwix, and their dependencies, be henceforward considered as forming the northern department:
That Major General Schuyler be directed forthwith to proceed to the northern department, and take upon him the command there:
Resolved, That the resolution passed the 6th March, 1776, directing General Schuyler to establish his head quarters at Albany, be repealed.
The Committee of Treasury laid before Congress a report from the Commissioners for adjusting the accounts to be presented to Congress:
That there is due to David Grier, for his pay as major and lieutenant colonel, and for the pay of several officers of the 6 Pennsylvania regiment, between the 1st January
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and 20 March, 594 60/90 dollars; and, for the repairs of arms and of a guard house at York Town, 32 41/90 dollars, amounting ∥in the whole,∥ to 627 11/90 dollars:
That there is due to Major Richard Campbell, of the 8th Virginia regiment, for sundry expences he paid while in Georgia and South Carolina, 135 69/90 dollars; for rations to sundry men at different times, 20 40/90 dollars; for 30 cords of wood while in barracks at Winchester, 30 dollars; ∥the whole amounting to∥ 86 19/90 dollars:1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated May 20, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 175.]
That there is due to the following gentlemen of the Philadelphia light horse, who were ordered to the Jersey on public service by Congress, the following sums agreeable to their respective accounts, and to be paid to Benjamin Randolph, viz.
To Benjamin Randolph, 102 42 dollars; to John Lardner, 11 47 dollars; to Thomas Peters, 21 30 dollars; to James Hunter, 21 30 dollars; to John Dunlap, 21 30 dollars, and to Thomas Leiper, 21 30 dollars; ∥the whole amounting to∥ 199 29/90 dollars:
That there is due to George Weiss, for riding express to Esopus, Boston, &c. by direction of Congress, the sum of 186 60/90 dollars:
That there is due to Lieutenant Colonel Ramsay, for his own and Captain Davidson's expences to Virginia, by order of Major General Schuyler, to hasten the march of the ∥North∥ Carolina troops, the sum of 133 78/90 dollars:2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 189.]
Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.
Resolved, That 5,000 dollars be advanced to John Knight, pay master of the 7th batallion of continental troops, raised in Pennsylvania, towards the pay and subsistence of the said batallion.3
[Note 3: 3 This paragraph, in the writing of James Duane, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 179.]
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Whereas, from the representation of the deputy pay master ∥general∥ in Virginia, it appears, that there is in his hands a considerable sum of money which cannot be drawn out, there being no general officer in the State to draw warrants; and whereas the public service may be greatly retarded for want of the necessary supplies of money,
Resolved, That whenever it shall happen that there is no general officer resident in the State, the governor and council of Virginia be authorized and empowered to draw warrants upon the deputy pay master ∥general∥ in Virginia, for such sums of money as, in their opinion, may be requisite for the service of the United States.1
[Note 1: 1 These two paragraphs, reported from the Treasury Office, are in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 187.]
The Board of Treasury brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon, Congress came to the following resolutions:
Whereas, Congress, on the 20th instant, resolved, that five millions of dollars, of the same tenor, (the date excepted) and denominations as the last emmission, shall be emitted under direction of the Treasury Board;
Resolved, therefore, That the said bills, so to be emitted, shall consist of the following denominations:
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Resolved, That the present inspectors of the press be directed and authorized to perform that service for the present emission:
That before they enter upon their office, they shall respectively take an oath, or affirmation, to be administered to them by any magistrate, "well and faithfully to "execute the trust reposed in them, as inspectors of the "press for the said emission, according to the best of "their skill and judgment:"
That the gentlemen appointed to sign and number the last emission, be authorized to number and sign the bills now agreed to be emitted, taking, before they enter upon that office, an oath or affirmation to be administered as aforesaid, "that they will well and truly sign and number all the bills to be delivered to them by the inspectors of the press appointed as aforesaid; and the same so signed and numbered, will deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the continental treasurer, or such person as he shall appoint to receive the same."
And, for avoiding dangers from fire, robbery, or negligence,
Resolved, That the inspectors of the press shall not deliver to any class more than two parcels of two hundred sheets each, to be in their hands at any one time.
Resolved, That the plates used for the last emission shall be used in the emission now directed; and that the bills shall be expressed in the following words:
THE UNITED STATES.
NO.DOLLARS.
THIS bill entitles the bearer to receiveSpanish milled dollars, or the value thereof in gold or silver, according to a resolution of Congress passed at Philadelphia, May 20, 1777;
and have such ornaments, escutcheons, and secret marks as the Board of Treasury shall direct:
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That each of the said bills shall be signed by two signers, and each different denomination numbered from number one progressively.
Resolved, That if it shall be inconvenient to any of the inspectors or signers to attend the service required of them by these resolutions, and they shall decline the same, the treasurer shall be, and he is hereby, authorized to nominate other fit persons in their stead, and to return their names to the Treasury Board, and a certificate of their qualifications.
Resolved, That it shall be the duty of the inspectors faithfully to superintend the emission of the said bills, carefully to keep the stamps and papers which have been or shall be delivered them for the purpose of the said emission, not to permit any impressions to be made unless in their presence; to cause so many bills and of such denominations to be struck as are hereby directed; to burn such of the bills as shall be imperfectly printed, and deliver the rest to the qualified signers, or to the treasurer, as shall be directed by the Treasury Board, or the treasurer, taking receipts from the person to whom they shall be delivered: that having completed the emission, they shall carefully return the stamps and the papers which may remain unused to the Treasury Board, or to such person as shall be authorized by them to receive the same:
That it shall be the duty of the signers faithfully to number and sign the bills, and hand them over to each other; the last signer to deliver them, when signed, to the treasurer, and to take his receipt for the same, which shall be delivered to the inspectors in exchange for the first receipts given by the respective signers, for the unsigned bills to the same amount.
Resolved, That when the emission shall be completed, the inspectors shall deliver to the treasurer the receipts given by him to the signers for the several parcels of
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signed bills as shall, from time to time, have come into his hands; and the treasurer shall then give to the inspectors, duplicate receipts for the whole amount of the emission; one of which shall be kept by them for their own discharge, and the other to be delivered to the Treasury Board as a voucher to charge the treasurer.
Resolved, That the inspectors of the said emission shall employ such person or persons as they shall think worthy of confidence to print the said bills, who shall, before his or their entering upon the business, take an oath, to be administered before any magistrate, in the presence of the said inspectors, or one of them, "well and faithfully to "discharge the trust reposed in him or them concerning "the said emission, according to the best of his or their "skill and judgment;" a certificate of which qualification shall be transmitted to the Board of Treasury by the said inspectors.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 181.]
The Committee on Foreign Applications brought in a report, which was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That Louis Fleuri, engaged by our commissioners in France, be sent as a captain of engineers to General Washington; and that two months' pay be advanced to him.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of James Lovell, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 25, I, folio 15. See note under May 26, post.]
Resolved, That the farther consideration thereof be postponed.
A petition of William Lennox was read:3
[Note 3: 3 This petition is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, IV, folio 130.]
Ordered, To lie on the table.
A memorial from Joseph Trumbull, commissary general, was read:4
[Note 4: 4 This memorial is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, X, folio 9. It relates to extra rations authorized by Messrs. Clymer and Stockton, as commissioners of Congress.]
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Ordered, That Mr. [James] Wilson be directed to make inquiry, and bring in a resolution, respecting the same.
The several matters &c. ∥to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.∥
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