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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 --MONDAY, JUNE 30, 1777
Absent, Maryland.
A letter, of the 28, from General Washington, at Middlebrook; one, of the 27, from Joseph Trumbull, Esqr. and [one], of this date, from Colonel George Morgan, were read:1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Washington is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, IV, folio 305. It is printed inWritings of Washington (Ford), V, 452.]
Ordered, That the letter from Joseph Trumbull be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A letter, of the 6, and one of the 27 of February, from Silas Deane, Esqr at Paris, directed to the Committee of Secret Correspondence, were laid before Congress and read.2
[Note 2: 2 Transcripts of these letters are in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 103, folio 77, 78 [Department of State].]
Ordered, That they be referred to the Committee on Foreign Applications.
Resolved, That 500 dollars be advanced to the delegates of Connecticut, for the use of that State, the said State to be accountable.
Ordered, That Mr. [Roger] Sherman have leave of absence.
Resolved, That Mr. [Richard] Law be appointed a member of the Marine Committee, in the room of Mr. [Roger] Sherman.
Resolved, That two members be added to the Committee on Indian Affairs:
The members chosen, Mr. [George] Walton and Mr. [James] Duane.
Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the letters and papers from the State of New York, the petition from Jonas Fay, &c. and
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the printed paper referred to them; and, after some time spent thereon, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. [Benjamin] Harrison reported, that the committee have had under consideration the letters and papers to them referred, and have come to sundry resolutions thereupon, which he was ready to report, when the Congress would receive it.
Ordered, That it be now received.
The report from the committee on the whole ||Congress|| was read, and agreed to, as follows:
Resolved, That Congress is composed of delegates chosen by, and representing the communities respectively inhabiting the territories of New Hampshire, Massachusetts bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pensylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, as they respectively stood at the time of its first institution; that it was instituted for the purposes of securing and defending the communities aforesaid against the usurpations, oppressions, and hostile invasions of Great Britain; and that, therefore, it cannot be intended that Congress, by any of its proceedings, would do or recommend or countenance any thing injurious to the rights and jurisdictions of the several communities which it represents.
Resolved, That the independent government attempted to be established by the people stiling themselves inhabitants of the New Hampshire Grants, can derive no countenance or justification from the act of Congress declaring the United Colonies to be independent of the crown of Great Britain, nor from any other act or resolution of Congress.
Resolved, That the petition of Jonas Fay, Thomas Chittenden, Heman Allen and Reuben Jones, in the name
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and behalf of the people stiling themselves as aforesaid, praying that "their declaration, that they would consider themselves as a free and independent State may be received; that the district in the said petition described may be ranked among the free and independent States, and that delegates therefrom may be admitted to seats in Congress," be dismissed.
Resolved, That Congress, by raising and officering the regiment commanded by Colonel Warner, never meant to give any encouragement to the claim of the people aforesaid, to be considered as an independent State: but that the reason which induced Congress to form that corps was, that many officers of different States, who had served in Canada, and alleged that they could soon raise a regiment, but were then unprovided for, might be reinstated in the service of the United States.
Whereas, a printed paper, addressed to the inhabitants of the district aforesaid, dated Philadelphia, April 11, 1777, and subscribed Thomas Young, was laid before Congress by one of the delegates of New York, to which address is prefixed the resolution of Congress of the 15th May, 1776, and in which are contained the following paragraphs: "I have taken the minds of several of the leading members of the honorable the Continental Congress, and can assure you, that you have nothing to do, but to send attested copies of the recommendation to take up government, to every township in your district, and invite all the freeholders and inhabitants to meet and choose members for a general convention, to meet at an early day to choose delegates for the general Congress and committee of safety, and to form a constitution for yourselves. Your friends here tell me that some are in doubt, whether delegates from your district would be admitted into Congress. I tell you to organize fairly, and make
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the experiment, and I will ensure you success at the risque of my reputation, as a man of honor or common sense. Indeed, they can by no means, refuse you: you have as good a right to choose how you will be governed, and by whom, as they had."
Resolved, That the contents of the said paragraphs are derogatory to the honour of Congress, are a gross misrepresentation of the resolution of Congress therein referred to, and tend to deceive and mislead the people to whom they are addressed.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of James Wilson, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 40, I, folio 153. A copy of the printed paper is in No. 78, II, 159.]
First form of this report.
Whereas certain Persons within the State of New York, stiling themselves Inhabitants of the New Hampshire Grants, have published, and circulated a paper dated the 15th. day of Jany last, in which it is asserted that by the Resolution of Congress of the 4th. day of July last, declaring the United Colonies in America to be free and independent of the Crown of Great Britain the Jurisdiction granted by the Crown to the Government of New York over the Inhabitants of the said Grants is totally dissolved. that they are without Law or Government, and in a State of Nature, and consequently have a Right to forum a Government for themselves,
And, Whereas, in persuance of such Declaration a Petition was on the 8th. day of April last presented to Congress signed in behalf of the Inhabitants aforesaid by Jonas Fay and others, and praying that their Declaration of Independence may be received, and the District therein described be rank'd by Congress among the free and Independent States, and Delegates therefrom admitted to Seats in Congress.
And, Whereas, a Representation from the State of New York was on theday ofpresented setting forth among other things that the Convention of that State had contemplated the Misconduct of a Part of its Inhabitants in the District, aforesaid with Silent Concern, being restrain'd from giving it suitable Opposition, lest at so critical a Juncture it might weaken their Exertions in the common Cause; that Advantage had been taken of their patient Forbearance, and the
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Spirit of Disaffection artfully fomented by misconstruing certain Resolutions of Congress into an Approbation of their Proceedings, and by propagating Reports that particular Members had advised, and were resolved to justify, and support their Scheme of Separation.
And as under this Delusion some of the said Inhabitants had proceeded so far as to claim the Protection of Congress in their propos'd Independence and a Seat for their Delegates, so on the other hand the State of New York requested Congress, by a public Declaration, to undeceive the said Inhabitants, with respect to any of their Resolutions which had been construed to imply an Approbation of their establishing a Government distinct from the rest of their Fellow Citizens, and independent of the Authority of the State of which they are Members.
[Here followed lite extract from the printed paper.]
Resolved, Therefore, I That the Seperation from the State of New York and the Independant Government attempted to be establish'd by the said Inhabitants can derive no Countenance, or Justification from the Resolution of Congress, declaring the United Colonies to be free and Independent of the Crown of Great Britain, and that such Separation, and Independence have not been countenanced, or encouraged, or intended to have been countenaced or Encouraged, by any other Act, or Resolution of Congress.
IIResolved, That the Principle upon which such intended Separation is asserted to be grounded (to wit.) "That by the Declaration of Independence of the United Colonies the Jurisdiction granted by the Crown of Great Britain to the Government of New York is dissolved, and the said Inhabitants possessed of a Right to form a Government for themselves," is unwarrantable in itself, and highly dangerous in its Consequence since if it should prevail, and be carried into practice, it must inevitably destroy all Order, Stability and good Government, in particular States and entail Disunion, Weakness, and Insecurity on the United States.
IIIResolved, That it be recommended to the aforesaid Inhabitants who have attempted such Separation to desist therefrom, and to Submit themselves quietly and peaceably to the Jurisdiction of New York, to which it appears from their own Representation they were subject before, and at the Time of the Declaration of Independance of the United Colonies.
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IVResolved That the said Printed Paper, signed Thomas Young, is a false scandalous and malicious Libel, calculated to foment a Spirit of Jealousy, and Distrust betwixt the Congress and the State of New York, and to deceive, and mislead the people to whom it is addressed.1
[Note 1: 1 This paper, in the writing of William Duer, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 40, 1, folio 147.]
Whereas this Congress is, and from its first Institution has been, composed of Delegates chosen by the Communities inhabiting the several Territories of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, &c. as they then stood,and there the said Congress could not do any act which should be binding on any persons other than the said inhabitants and being Instituted for the Purposes of securing and defending the said Territories against the Usurpations, Oppressions and Hostile Invasions of Great Britain, can not be intended by their Recommendations to mean any thing Injurious to the Rights and Jurisdictions of the several Communities which they represent [and not being by their Constituents Invested with Power or Authority to consider or decide any Disputes relative to the particular Bounds or Jurisdiction of these States, nothing in the Resolutions of Congress contained can be construed to have any Effect upon such Disputes,] therefore
Resolved, That the paper signedof the following Tenor is a gross Misrepresentation of the Resolution of Congress of theday ofrecommending to each State to form Constitutions of Civil Government for their Internal Police which Misrepresentation tends to mislead many of the Inhabitants of these United States into unwarrantable Seperation from and Opposition to the Jurisdiction of the several Communities of which they were Members at the Time when the Congress was first Instituted.
Resolved, That the Contents of the said paper are highly Injurious to the Honor and Dignity of Congress.2
[Note 2: 2 This paper, in the writing of Thomas Burke, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 40, I, folio 151.]
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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