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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 --WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1777
A letter, of this day, from General Washington, was read.1 Also,
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, IV, folio 439.]
A letter of this day from the continental navy board was read2 which last was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
[Note 2: 2 This letter, dated August 6, and signed by John Nixon and John Wharton, is in thePaper of the Continental Congress, No. 37, folio 105.]
Resolved, That John Rodeg be appointed second lieutenant, in the navy of the United States.
Whereas, Major General Gates, by virtue of the power and authority to him given and granted by Congress, did, on the first of May last, grant to Louis Jean Baptist Chambaron d'Antignac a commission of a captain in the army of the United States:
Resolved, That a continental commission be granted to him, the said Louis Jean Baptist Chambaron d'Antignac, in lieu of the commission granted to him by General Gates.
A memorial from Mons. du Coudray, was read:3 on which a motion was made and seconded,
[Note 3: 3 This memorial, dated August 5, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, II, folio 19.]
That the said memorial lie on the table. Question put: passed in the negative, 7 noes, 4 ayes.
A motion was then made that the said memorial be dismissed. Question put: passed in the affirmative, 7 ayes, 4 noes.
A letter, of the 5, from Henrich Klein, was read:4
[Note 4: 4 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XIII, folio 443.]
Ordered, To lie on the table.
Resolved, That John M'Comb, of Princeton, be authorized to act as quarter master at that place, for such detachments
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of the army as may be passing that way, till the quarter master general shall give further directions on this subject; and that he take care that no damage be done to the college at that place.
Resolved, That Major General Gates inform those states whom he shall apply to for militia, that Congress think it imprudent in the present circumstances of things to adhere to settled quotas which ought to be called out from each particular state.
Congress proceeded to the appointment of a deputy commissary general of purchases, and a deputy commissary general of issues, and a deputy pay master general in Georgia: Whereupon,
Resolved, That James Rae, Esqr be appointed deputy commissary general of purchases in the State of Georgia; John Bohun Gerardeau, deputy commissary general of issues; Joseph Clay, deputy pay master general in ditto.
Resolved, That Brigadier Howe be directed to order Brigadier M'Intosh to repair, with all possible expedition, to head quarters, where his service is necessary.
Resolved, That the sum of four thousand dollars be paid to the officers and men on board every fire-ship in the river Delaware, and to the officers and crew of any chain of fire-rafts, which shall actually set on fire and destroy any one of the enemy's ships of war of twenty guns or upwards; and three thousand dollars for every ship or vessel of war under twenty guns; and one thousand five hundred dollars for every transport; the proof of the execution done to be certified by the commodore, or commanding officer, or by the oath of such person or persons, as may have been witness to the fact.
Resolved, That the rewards aforesaid shall be divided in the following proportions: one fourth to the captain or commander, one seventh to the lieutenant, and the
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remainder to the crew, to be equally divided amongst them.
A petition of John Green and Peter Knight, was laid before Congress, praying that they may have leave to enter an appeal against a sentence of a court of admiralty for the state of Georgia, on the 20 day of December last, in the libel John White, &c.vs. the sloopPolly:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Appeals.
Congress proceeded to the election of officers in the commissary's department; and, the ballots being taken,
Ephraim Blaine, Esqr. was elected deputy commissary general of purchases, in the room of Mr. Buchanan:
Archibald Stewart, Esqr. was elected deputy commissary general of issues, in the room of Mr. Hoops, who has resigned:
James Blicker, Esqr. was elected deputy commissary general of issues in the room of Mr. Avery, resigned:
Resolved, That in case Mr. Blicker this day appointed deputy commissary general of issues for the northern Department, shall decline the office, the commanding officer of the said department be authorized to appoint another person in his stead, and inform Congress thereof.
Resolved, That another deputy commissary general of issues be appointed for the eastern department: the ballots being taken, Samuel Gray, Esqr. was elected.
Resolved, That the appointment of a deputy commissary general of purchases, in the room of Mr. Wadsworth, be postponed, till to morrow.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report, which was taken into consideration: Whereupon,
Resolved, That there be advanced to the pay master general, William Palfrey, Esqr. five hundred thousand dollars, for the use of the army, for which he is to be accountable:
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Resolved, That there be advanced to Richard Bache, Esqr. post master general, 2,000 dollars, for which he is to be accountable:
Resolved, That a warrant issue in favour of the Board of War, for three hundred thousand dollars, to be transmitted to Jonathan Trumbull, Esq. ∥deputy∥ pay master general in the northern department, for the use of that department, and for which he is to be accountable:
Resolved, That a warrant issue from the president to the commissioner of the loan office for the state of Massachusetts bay, in favour of William Sever, Esqr. president of the council of the said State, for 30,000 dollars, for building a magazine, laboratory, and barracks in that State, agreeable to the order of Congress, for which the said council [is] to be accountable:
Resolved, That there be paid to Richard Bradley, Esqr. pay master of the 3d batallion of continental troops raised in North Carolina, 3,500 dollars, for which he is to be accountable:
Resolved, That there be paid to John Taylor, pay master of the 8th batallion of continental troops raised in North Carolina, 1,000 dollars, for which he is to be accountable:
Resolved, That there be advanced to Dr. William Shippen, Jr. director general of the hospitals, the sum of fifty thousand dollars, for the use of the hospitals, for which he is to be accountable:
Resolved, That there be advanced to Chevalier de Failly, one hundred dollars, for two months' pay, he to be accountable:
Resolved, That the president issue his warrant on the commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Rhode Island, in favour of Daniel Tillinghast, Esqr. for 10,059 4/90 dollars, in discharge of a bill drawn by
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Abraham Livingston and William Turnbull, agents for James Mease, Esqr. cloathier general, on Robert Morris, Esqr. chairman of the Secret Committee, and tendered for payment to Congress, dated Boston, June 16, 1777; the cloathier general to be accountable:
Resolved, That the president issue his warrant on the commissioner of the loan office for the State of Pensylvania, in favour of James Mease, Esqr cloathier general, for fifty thousand dollars, for the use of his department, and for which he is to be accountable.
The committee farther report, "That they have conferred with the managers of the states lottery, and find that a considerable number of tickets remain unsold, in the hands of the managers, as well as their agents in the several States; that from the present state of the lottery, and the uncertainty of the enemy's intentions, the committee recommend the drawing to be postponed till the 6th day of November next, and that a farther quantity of tickets be transmitted to the several States; and that it be recommended to their respective executive powers to give all the assistance they can to expedite the sales thereof:"1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 339.]
With this report Congress concurred, and direct the Board of Treasury to cause the same to be carried into effect.
Resolved, That the commissary general of musters be hereafter allowed the pay and rations of a colonel; that the pay of his deputy commissaries general be increased to 60 dollars a month, and of the muster masters to 45 dollars per month.
Resolved, That the several muster masters be directed to omit making the returns to the pay master and deputy pay masters general, which have been heretofore ordered by Congress.
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Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry moved two resolutions which were seconded. A motion was made to postpone them. The question put. Carried in the negative, 7 noes, 3 ayes. The first was taken into consideration and being amended with the addition of the words "which they are required to do as speedily as possible," passed as follows:
Whereas, Joseph Trumbull, Esqr. having resigned his commission of commissary general of purchases under the new regulations, has signified his intentions of discontinuing his services under the former establishment on the 20 day of the present month; and whereas the commissaries general of purchases and issues, who are to succeed him in office, may not be prepared with their respective assistants to proceed in the business at the time aforesaid, and a failure of supplies may be attended with the most dangerous consequences:
Resolved, That Mr. Trumbull, with the officers under him, be desired to continue in the business of supplying the army under the former establishment, until the commissaries general of purchases and issues shall signify their readiness to proceed therein under the new regulations, which they are required to do as speedily as possible:
The second was taken into consideration, which is in these words: "That General Washington be authorized, during the present campaign, to remove such officers and make such appointments in the commissary's department, as he shall judge necessary, reporting their names to Congress; and if, in carrying into execution the regulations aforesaid, any alterations shall appear to him essential to the service, he is further authorized to propose the same to Congress;"
The proposition being divided, and the question put on the first, carried in the negative, 7 noes, 3 ayes.
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The question being put on the latter part, carried in the negative,with out calling the States.
The several matters &c ∥to this day referred, being postponed, ∥
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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