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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, SEPTEMBER 6, 1777
A letter, of the 5, from General Washington, at Wilmington; also a letter of the 5th from Thomas Wharton, Junr. president of the council of Pensylvania, were read.2
[Note 2: 2 The letter of Washington is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, V, folio 27. That of Wharton is in No. 69, I, folio 403. It is printed inPennsylvania Archives, First Series, V, 586.]
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That there be paid to David Nesbit, or order, 250 dollars, in discharge of a bill drawn in his favour by John Ashe, Esqr. public treasurer of the State of North Carolina, on the continental treasurer, expressed to be for the use of the United States; the farther sum of 500 dollars in discharge of another bill drawn in his favour by the said public treasurer of North Carolina on the continental treasurer, both the said bills bearing date the 10th of May last; and the further sum of 125 dollars in discharge
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of another bill, without, date, drawn in favour of the said David Nesbit by the said public treasurer of North Carolina on the continental treasurer; the two last bills being expressed to be for the use of the said State of North Carolina; the whole of the said sums amounting to 875 dollars, for which the said State is to be accountable; these sums being in part of the 500,000 dollars ordered to be advanced to that, State.
Resolved, That there be paid to James Millegan, Esqr. or his order, 28 18/90 dollars being so much disbursed by him at the request of the standing committee of Congress on Indian affairs, towards making up a present for the Caghnawaga Indians, and an Oneida who paid a visit to Congress last month.
Resolved, That a warrant issue on the commissioner of the loan office for the State of Pensylvania, in favour of the Marine Committee, for 7,000 dollars, in consequence of their having drawn on the said commissioner two warrants, dated the 12 of December last, for the said sum, one in favour of John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Elbridge Gerry, Esqrs. for 1,000 dollars, and the other in favour of the said Elbridge Gerry, Esqr. for 6,000 dollars, which sums were borrowed by the Marine Committee, and delivered to Captain John Brown, of Massachusetts bay, for the use of the navy; the said Marine Committee to be accountable.
Resolved, That there be advanced to the Marine Committee 4,000 dollars for the use of that department, and for which they are to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 417.]
The Committee on the Treasury having taken into consideration the letter from General Gates, of the 28 August, respecting cloathing for the army under his command referred to them by Congress, report;
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That it appears from the cloathier general's report, that he has ordered considerable supplies of cloathing to be forwarded to the army in the northern department from Boston, and that he has little doubt of being able to furnish, in the course of the year, the specific articles of cloathing directed to be given, as a bounty to the troops; and as it will be equally disadvantageous to the soldiers and to the service, should they receive money instead of such cloathing, the Board disapprove of the stoppages made by the deputy pay master general in the northern department, out of the pay of the troops in that department on account of cloathing, and direct the money to be returned, except in cases where a regiment shall have been furnished with more cloathing than the bounty; that the greatest care ought to be taken to do justice to the soldiers, as well as the public, in this essential article. It is not sufficient, in the opinion of this Board, that the cloathier general charges the regiment with the articles delivered and takes the receipt of the colonel or commanding officer, and that the colonel, or commanding officer, on delivering the cloathing to the captains or commanding officers of each respective company, takes his receipt; every commanding officer of a company ought, moreover, strictly to be required to keep a clothing account with his company, distinguishing the several articles delivered to each non-commissioned officer and private, and taking receipts for the same as his vouchers; and when each non-commissioned officer and private respectively shall have received his bounty of cloathing, the commanding officer of the company to which he belongs shall deliver the account and receipts to the commanding officer of the regiment, to enable him to settle the cloathing account with the cloathier general, as well as to discover whether equal justice has been done to the company:
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That such troops as have not been supplied with cloathing, ought to be furnished their full bounty without delay, which the Board have earnestly recommended to the attention of the cloathier general, and he, on his part, has engaged to exert every means in his power to accomplish:
That, such of the troops as, at their own expences, shall have provided themselves with any of the articles of cloathing allowed as a bounty, or shall not draw their cloathing in the course of the year, shall be entitled to receive the full value thereof at the average price which the cloathing of the army shall cost the public.
And, whereas, when the bounty of cloathing was provided by Congress, it was conceived, that it might be impracticable to obtain a, sufficient quantity of cloth for regimental coats for the troops, and, for that reason, two hunting shirts were substituted; but, in the event, so considerable a supply has been procured, that the cloathier general has been enabled to furnish most of the troops with regimental coats instead of hunting shirts, and experience has shown that a further alteration of the articles of cloathing, allowed as bounty, may be made to the advantage of the soldiers, and without loss to the public; and, therefore, it is the opinion of the committee, that it be
Resolved, That the cloathier general be directed, as far as he shall have it in his power, to furnish all the noncommissioned officers and privates in the service of the United States, who have not yet received their bounty of cloathing, at their election, either with the several articles allowed by Congress, in the resolution of 8 October, 1776, or in lieu thereof, the following articles, viz.
One regimental coat, averaged at 8 60/90 dollars; one jacket, without sleeves, 2 60/90 dollars; one pair buckskin and two pair linen or woollen breeches, 8 dollars; one hat
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or leathern cap, 2 60/90 dollars; two shirts, 8 dollars; one hunting shirt, 4 dollars; two pair overalls, 6 dollars; two pair of stockings, 4 dollars; two pair of shoes, 6 dollars; one blanket, 6 dollars; making in all 56 dollars:
But, as the cost of the articles, last specified, exceeds that of the cloathing allowed as a bounty to the troops by 8 30/90 dollars, so much shall be stopped out of the pay of every non-commissioned officer and private, who shall be supplied in the manner last directed, as will make the amount, of cloathing he shall receive equal to the value of the bounty of cloathing, which, upon an average of the price of the several articles, is estimated at 47 60/90 dollars:1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated September 3, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 411.]
The said report being read twice, on the question put,
Resolved, That Congress agree to the foregoing report and resolves.
Resolved, That there be allowed to Michael Hillegas, Esqr. treasurer of the United States, from the sixth day of August, 1776, when Mr. Clymer resigned the office of joint treasurer, a salary after the rate of three thousand two hundred dollars per annum, for discharging the duties of that office.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, dated the 4th, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, I, folio 413.]
Congress took into consideration the report of the committee to whom the papers transmitted by the supreme executive council of Pensylvania were referred; Whereupon,
Ordered, That the papers, as reported by the committee from No. 1 to No. 11, both inclusive, be published.
Congress took into consideration the remonstrance from Israel Pemberton, James Pemberton, John Pemberton, Thomas Wharton, Henry Drinker, Thomas Fisher, Samuel
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Pleasants, and Samuel R. Fisher, who were taken into custody upon the recommendation of Congress, praying to be heard;by Congress or the president and council of Pennsylvania, in order to "manifest the falsehood of the suspicions entertained against them"1 Whereupon,
[Note 1: 1 In thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 53, folio 80, is the following undated motion, in the writing of William Ellery: "That the Memorial of Israel Pemberton &c., and the Letter of Owen Jones, Jr. with the letter accompanying it be referred to the State of Pennsylvania."]
Resolved, That it be recommended to the supreme executive council of the State of Pensylvania, to hear what the said remonstrants can allege, to remove the suspicions of their being disaffected or dangerous to the United States, and act therein as the said council judge most conducive to the public safety.
The Committee on Foreign Applications, to whom the resolution agreed to was referred, to prepare a preamble, brought in the same, which was read:
Ordered, To lie on the table.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock on Monday.
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