PREVIOUS

NEXT

NEW SEARCH

A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875

Journals of the Continental Congress --WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1778

Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1778

A letter, of 3, from General Greene, quarter master general; one, of the 7, from Mr. R[obert] Morris, at Manheim; one, from the war office in Massachusetts Bay, dated 26th of March; and one, of 27 March, from R. T. Paine, Oliver Ellsworth, and Henry Marchant, Esqrs. commissioners appointed to enquire into the causes of the

Page 322 | Page image

failure of the expedition against Rhode Island, were read:¹

[Note 1: 1 The letter of Greene is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 155, I, folio 59; that of Morris is in No. 137, Appendix, 225; thai of the war office in No. 147, I, folio 569; and that of the commissioners in No. 78, XVIII, folio 175.]

Ordered, That the letter from the war office of Massachusetts Bay, be referred to a committee of three:

The members chosen, Mr. [Francis] Dana, Mr. [Thomas] Burke, and Mr. [Samuel] Chase.

Ordered, That the letter from Messrs. Paine, Ellsworth, and Marchant, with the examinations by them taken, which accompany the letter, be referred to a committee of five:

The members chosen, Mr. [William Henry] Drayton, Mr. [John] Banister, Mr. [John] Henry, Mr. [Joseph] Reed, and Mr. [William] Duer.

A representation from the legislative council and assembly of New Jersey, was read:²

[Note 2: 2 This representation is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 68, folio 341.]

Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:

The members chosen, Mr. [Joseph] Reed, Mr. [Francis] Dana, and Mr. [Nathaniel] Scudder.

The committee to whom were referred the proceedings of a convention of committees of the states of New Hampshire, etc. to Pensylvania, inclusive, together with a letter of the 30 January last, from Thomas Cushing, Esq. president of the convention, and sundry resolutions of 19 December last, from the State of North Carolina, brought in a report, which was read:

• 1st. That 20,010,000 Dollars, emitted by Resolutions of Congress of the 22d Day of June, 25th of July, and 29th of November, 1775, and the 5th of January, 17th of February, 9th of May, and 22d July, 1776, be borrowed on loan office Certificates of the United States, and destroyed.
• 2d. That for this purpose, It be recommended to the respective States forthwith to provide Laws for stopping the Circulation of all

  ---

  Page 323 | Page image
  
  Bills of the Emissions aforesaid after the ... Day of ... next, by not considering them as a legal Tender; but that they be received in Exchange for Loan Office Certificates, or in Payment of a Continental Tax to be raised by the States agreeable to a Resolution of Congress of the ... Day of ... last.

• 3d. That the several Commissioners of the Continental Loan offices be directed to cut by a circular punch of an Inch Diameter, an Hole in each Bill which they may receive of the said Emissions to cross the same and thereby render it impassible, whilst the Sum or Value is to remain legible, and to transmit such Bills to the Continental Treasurer to be by him in the Presence of a Committee of Congress to be appointed for that purpose, examined, accounted, and destroyed.
• 4th. That if any Loan Office shall be unsupplied with Certificates at the Time that any Holder of such Bills shall deliver them to the Commissioner, such Holder shall be entitled to receive the Commissioners Receipt for the Sum so delivered, and in Exchange therefore, Certificates of a similar Date, provided that such Receipts shall not be negotiable.
• 5th. That it be most earnestly recommended to the several States to carry into immediate and vigorous Effect the Resolutions of Congress of the ... Day of ... last, for calling in by Taxes or Loans and cancelling the Bills of Credit which they have respectively emitted, for raising by Tax a Sum to supply the Continental Treasury, for confiscating and making Sale of the Estates of Persons who have forfeited the protection of the respective States, and lending to the United States on Loan Certificates the Money arising on such sales; and for ceasing to make further Emissions of Bills of Credit.
• 6th. That the Commissioners of the Loan Offices be respectively directed to receive in Exchange for Certificates such Bills of Credit only, as have been or may be emitted by Congress, any Resolution to the contrary notwithstanding.
• 7th. That the Resolution of Congress of the 10th of September last, for paying in Bills of Exchange on the Commissioners of the United States at Paris, or in Bills of Credit, at the Option of the Lender, the Interest arising after the Date of that Resolve on Loan Office Certificates issued before the first of March last, be extended to all Certificates which have been since issued, or that shall be issued before the ... Day of ... next.
• 8th. That proper Extracts of the Proceedings of the Convention of Committees of the several States from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania,

  ---

  Page 324 | Page image
  
  be transmitted to the respective States from Maryland to Georgia inclusive, that the Propriety of adopting similar Measures, be referred to their serious Consideration, and that it be recommended to Delaware, Pennsylvania and the States eastward thereof to suspend the Execution of the Plan of the Convention, for regulating Prices, until Congress shall inform them of the Proceedings of the southern States upon the same Subject.

• 9th. That a circular Letter be addressed to the respective States shewing the Necessity of their executing the preceding Resolves.¹

  [Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 24, folio 393. It is endorsed: "Read, 8th April, 1778. Postponed to Friday next."]

Ordered, That the consideration thereof be postponed to Friday next.

Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee appointed to confer with Colonel Wadsworth, and after debate,

Resolved, That the same be re-committed, and that Mr. [Joseph] Reed and Mr. [Francis] Dana be added to the committee who brought in the report, and that the committee be directed to confer farther with Mr. Wadsworth.

Resolved, That the officers, prisoners to the United States, who are ordered to Lancaster by the commissary of prisoners, for the purpose of being exchanged, be detained at Lancaster till the farther order of Congress.

Adjourned to 9 o'Clock to Morrow.

PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR

PREVIOUS

NEXT

NEW SEARCH