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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, JUNE 26, 1777
Absent, Maryland.
A letter, of the 25 of June, from General Washington, at Quibble town, was read:1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, IV, folio 295. It is printed inWritings of Washington (Ford), V, 450.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee of Intelligence,to extract therefrom and publish such parts as they think proper.
A letter, of this day, from Matthew Irwin, ∥was read,∥ wherein he informs Congress that he cannot accept the office of deputy commissary general of issues, to which Congress have been pleased to appoint him.2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XIII, folio 47. On the back, in the writing of Charles Thomson, is found the following: "Resolved, Each State have a right to send one representative in Congress for every 30,000 inhabitants, contained within the said State. That each member in Congress shall have a voice in determining questions." This probably, has some connection with the debates on the Articles of Confederation of this day.]
The committee appointed to enquire into the conduct of the commissaries, to whom the petition of John Lawrie, Michael Mount, and Jacob Hendrickson, and also the petition of Captain Francis Wade, were referred, reported, That Captain Francis Wade was, in January last, commissioned by General Washington, in pursuance of authority from Congress, to collect in New Jersey, for the
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use of the army, all the beef, pork, flour, spirits, liquor, &c. not necessary for the subsistence of the inhabitants, and if not to be otherwise obtained, to use force for that purpose; that he accordingly collected considerable quantities, for most, of which, greater prices were asked by the proprietors than he thought proper to give;--upon due consideration whereof, your committee recommend, that Captain Francis Wade be directed to pay the following prices for such articles by him taken in the Jerseys, the forepart of January last, which were not paid for to the satisfaction of the owners, viz:
Pork at seven pounds ∥18 2-3ds dollars∥ per barrel; West India rum, twenty shillings ∥2 2-3ds dollars∥ per gallon; French and country rum, fifteen shillings ∥2 dollars∥ per gallon; Salt, thirty shillings ∥4 dollars∥ per bushel; Sugar, nine pounds ∥24 dollars∥ per hundred; Cheese, fifteen pence ∥15/90ths dollar∥ per pound, and Hogs-lard, one shilling ∥12/90ths dollar∥ per pound.
That they have enquired into Captain Wade's conduct as a public officer, and are of opinion, that hegoverned himself as nearly by the Priniples of Justice and moderation acted with as with little severity as might be expected in the execution of such an office, ever disagreeable to a free people to have exercise among them, and which nothing but pure necessity could authorize.
The committee farther report, in addition to their report of the 14 April last, that having in the course of their enquiry into the conduct of the commissaries, received sundry informations respecting the misconduct of Mr. Carpenter Wharton, and, at his request, furnished him with the charges brought against him, which were sent by a messenger of this house, and are as follows, viz.
1. That during the last campaign, he neglected his duty in not seasonably supplying the army with provisions, and
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put the general under the necessity of appointing a commissary in his stead.
2. That in the fall of the last year, he brought to Fort Lee, such a large number of cattle (by his own acknowledgment, not less than 700, others say more,) at a time, that they suffered greatly for want of proper keeping, and became unfit for beef, many of them in such state when delivered, and from the largeness of their numbers many were lost; and upon the retreat of our army across Delaware river, droves of cattle by his direction were brought in, out of one of which droves, 254 cattle were taken as unfit for killing, and sent to his farm to winter, which he acknowledges were afterwards sold, the loss upon which, it is supposed, the public are charged with.
3. That he purchased large quantities of flour to supply the magazines and army, at extravagant prices, much beyond what the same might have been procured for, employing persons to purchase, either wholly unacquainted with business, or such as designedly raised the prices with a view to increase their profits, under the idea of receiving commissions.
4. That he raised the price of pork by bidding either by himself or agents, much greater prices than people he purchased from had agreed to sell the same for, to other commissaries; that he also purchased rum at prices higher than the same might have been obtained for.
5. That so far from endeavouring to serve the public faithfully, he refused to confer with other commissaries for concerting a mode for preventing the extravagant rise of provisions, by their bidding upon each other, said he would take his own method of purchasing, and others might do the same.
6. That he neglected his duty in not purchasing larger quantities of pork, in the proper season, when the same might have been had on reasonable terms.
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That since sending the above charges, the committee have, till this time, delayed any further proceedings therein, that Mr. Wharton might have sufficient time to offer what he thought proper in vindication of his conduct, but have not heard any thing further from him: they are therefore-of opinion, that Mr. Carpenter Wharton ought to be immediately required to settle all his commissary accounts with the commissioners for auditing accounts now sitting at Philadelphia; and that the said commissioners be furnished with the above charges, and such other information as the committee may think proper to give, the better to enable them to detect frauds if attempted, and do justice in the premises.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Abraham Clark, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 29, folio 77.]
Congress taking into consideration the said report,
Resolved, That the same be agreed to.
Agreeable to the order of the day, Congress took into consideration the Articles of Confederation; and, after some debate thereon,
Resolved, That the farther consideration thereof be postponed.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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