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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, FEBRUARY 4, 1778
A report from the Board of War being laid before Congress, the same was taken into consideration; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the first paragraph relative to empowering the Board of War to contract for the casting of brass cannon, &c. be referred to a committee of four: the members chosen, Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, Mr. [Eliphalet] Dyer, Mr. [James] Lovell, and Mr. [William] Ellery.
It was then moved, That Messrs. Goy, Pierre, Boichard, Parrison, and Niverd, together with ten artillery serjeants, and ten serjeants of artificers, being of the corps
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that came over with Mons. Coudray, be retained in the service of the United States: ∥Question put,∥
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
Resolved, That Mons. Goy, Mons. Pierre, Mons. Boichard, Mons. Parrison, and Mons. Niverd, be appointed captains of artillery, and receive the common appointments of that command while in America:
That the serjeants be appointed second lieutenants of artillery, with the common appointments of that command while in America.
Resolved, That Captain Isaac Corren receive monthly 25 dollars additional pay, besides his present appointments, in consideration of his teaching the laboratory art to such officers of artillery as shall be sent to him for that purpose.
That 2,000 dollars be advanced to Captain I. Corren, to pay his company of laboratory artillery men, and to recruit the said company to 100 men, agreeable to the directions of General Washington; he to account for the
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expenditure to Colonel Benjamin Flower, who is to be charged with the same.1
[Note 1: 1 These paragraphs formed a report from the Board of War, dated February 2, and are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, I, folio 485. The members present were Gates and Peters.]
Resolved, That the commissioner at the court of Tuscany be empowered and directed to endeavour to obtain a loan of money, not exceeding one million sterling, at the usual rate of interest, on the faith of the thirteen united states of America, for a term not less than ten years, with permission, if practicable, to repay the same sooner, if it shall be agreeable to these states, giving to the lender twelve months previous notice of such intention to return the money.
Ordered, That the Committee for Foreign Affairs signify to the commissioner at the court of Tuscany, that if the money which he is directed to borrow, cannot be obtained at a less interest than six per centum, he is permitted to engage for that rate; and that he stipulate if possible for the payment of the interest by annexing it to the principal annually during the continuance of the present war, after which the interest shall be paid off yearly as it becomes due.
That the said commissioner be instructed further to consider the money to be borrowed by him as a fund to be applied, unless Congress shall direct otherwise, solely to answer such draughts as Congress may make for the purpose of lessening the sum of paper money in circulation.
That he also be instructed to keep as secret as the nature of the thing will admit, whatever loan he shall be able to obtain on account of these united states; and to give the most early and repeated information to Congress of his progress in the directed application.
Resolved, That Mr. [John] Penn be added to the committee on the state of Georgia.
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A letter, of the 28 January, from M. Clarkson, was read, signifying his acceptance of the office of auditor, to which the Congress had been pleased to appoint him; also,
A letter, of the 20th January from General Sullivan; a letter, of the 12 January from A. Cary, speaker of the senate, and G. Wythe, speaker of the house of delegates, of Virginia, and one, of the 29, from the committee of Congress at the camp, were read.1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Clarkson is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, V, folio 133; that of Sullivan is in No. 160, folio 93; that of Wythe is in No. 78, XXIII, folio 437; that of the committee to camp is in No. 33, folio 75.]
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report: Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of North Carolina, for 20,000 dollars, in favour of the Commercial Committee, to be by them transmitted to Messrs. Hewes and Smith, for public service; the said Committee to be accountable.
Ordered, That a warrant issue on Nathaniel Appleton, Esqr. commissioner of the continental loan office in the State of Massachusetts bay, for 3,000 dollars, in favour of the Commercial Committee, to be by them transmitted to James Warren, Esqr. for public service; the said Committee to be accountable.
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of William Buchanan, Esqr. commissary general, for 312,000 dollars, of which 200,000 dollars to be transmitted to William Aylett, Esqr. deputy commissary general of purchases for the southern district, and the residue, viz. 112,000 dollars, for the use of the middle department; for which the said commissary general is to be accountable.
Ordered, That a set of bills of exchange be drawn by the President on the commissioners in France, for six
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hundred livres tournois, in favour of Lieutenant Fouquet, one of the officers of the late Mons. du Coudray's corps, it being for his gratification allowed by Mr. Deane, and not included in the settlement with Mr. le Brun, on the 13 of November last; and that the two sets of bills, drawn on the commissioners aforesaid, bearing date the 14 day of November last, one in favour of Captain Fouquet, for 573 livres, and the other, in favour of Lieutenant Fouquet, for 287 livres tournois, be delivered them, and be in full of their pay to the said 14 November last.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, II, folio 59.
On the back of the Treasury report (No. 136, II, folio 55), Charles Thomson has Noted:
"I have examined the journals, and see no reason why the bills reported on the 13 November last, as due to the two Fouquets for the ballance of pay should not be paid; especially as Mr. Lovel reported that when they entered into the new contract with the board of war, they mentioned that they expected to have those bills to send home to their family; and as it appears that the younger Bouquet received no gratification before he left France and that it was omitted by mistake upon the settlement with le Brun, that also should be paid, viz. 600 livres.
"But the 900 livres allowed for their passage and the 100 dollars allowed to carry each of them to the port of embarkation should be stopped, as they have entered into the service of the states."]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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