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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 --TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1778
The delegates from North Carolina produced a new commission, which was read, as follows:
(L. S.) State of North Carolina.
To Whitmill Hill and Thomas Burke, Esquires, greeting:
Whereas, the General Assembly have made choice of you, the said Whitmill Hill and Thomas Burke, as Delegates in Continental Congress, to represent this State, together with John Penn, Cornelius Harnett, and John Williams, Esquires, who have been heretofore appointed for that Purpose. We do therefore Commissionate and appoint you, the said Whitmill Hill and Thomas Burke, Delegates in Continental Congress, to represent this State for and during the Term of one Year, unless sooner removed by the General Assembly of this State; of which five Members, to wit, John Penn, Cornelius Harnett, John Williams, Whitmill Hill, and Thomas Burke, We do empower and require three and no more, unless prevented by unavoidable Accident, to attend the Councils of Congress, Hereby giving and granting unto any two of the said Delegates present in Congress, full Power and Authority, by their Vote or Assent, to bind the Inhabitants of this State in all Cases, not inconsistent with the Constitution thereof and its Rights and Privileges as an Independent Sovereign People, and the Instructions which they shall receive from this State.
Witness, Richard Caswell, Esquire, Governor, Captain General, and Commander in Chief of the said State, under his Hand and Seal now used for said State, at Hillsborough, the 13th day of August, in the Third Year of our Independence, Anno Domini, 1778.
Richard Caswell.
By his Excellency's Command,
J. Glasgow, Secretary of the State.1
[Note 1: 1 The original is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, North Carolina, Credentials of Delegates.]
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A letter, of 30 August, from Baron d'Arendt, was read:
Ordered, To lie on the table.
A letter, of this day, from Cornelius Sweers, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [William Henry] Drayton, Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris, and Mr. [Samuel] Chase.
A letter, of this day, from Colonel Wadsworth, was read;1 Whereupon,
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Arendt is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, VII, folio 201; that of Wadsworth, in XXIII, folio 547.]
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the Board of War, of the 25 August, and thereupon,
The said Commissaries General also representing,
That great Difficulties attend the present Mode of receiving and Killing the Cattle sent to Camp by the several Purchasers; there being no Person whose particular Duty it is to examine the Fitness of the Cattle for the Consumption of the Army, or equitably to distribute them according to their Condition among the Divisions or Brigades; to condemn such Provisions as are unwholesome, to settle any Difference of Opinion which may arise on the Subject between the purchasing and issuing Departments, and to perform the Duties hereafter mentioned. That the Article in the old System, No. 14, is impracticable as every purchaser by that Article is to send a Deputy to see the Cattle he buys Killed, and this will introduce a Multitude of unnecessary People, and besides is impossible to be carried into Execution. That altho' the issuing Commissaries in some Cases have received and given Receipts for Cattle, yet from hence in some Instances Partialities and Impositions have arisen, which are intended to be hereby prevented, and especially any undue Management, which may possibly happen between some of the Persons employed under the Heads of each Department. Agreed further to report,2
[Note 2: 2 For this 14th article see Journals for 1777, VIII, 438 ante.]
Resolved, That the commissary general of purchases be empowered and directed to appoint and remove, at his pleasure, an inspector of cattle, at a salary of four dollars a day, with an allowance of one ration a day, and forage for one horse:
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That the duty of the said inspector shall be to receive and take account of the fat cattle at camp, from the several drovers; to inspect over the bullock guard and pastures; to superintend the butchers, and see that no cattle are killed but those fit for use; to keep accounts of the beef delivered to the brigade commissaries, and settle the same with them every month; to see that the hides and tallow are seasonably delivered to the commissary of hides, and to superintend and regulate every thing relating to beef cattle at camp.
That he report monthly his proceedings to the Board of War, and all occurrences worthy of notice within the line of his duty.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Richard Peters, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, II, folio 211.]
A letter, of the 20 July, one of the 1 August, and one of the 11 of the same month, from General Heath, were read:
Ordered, That the letter of 20 July, lie on the table, and that the letter of 1 August, be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A letter, of 29 August, from the Board of War, and one without date, from Mons. Holker, were read, respecting cannon arrived in North Carolina; Whereupon,2
[Note 2: 2 Heath's letters are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 157, folios 178 and 190; that of the Board of War is in No. 147, II, folio 243.]
Ordered, That the committee to whom was referred the letter of 21 ∥August∥, from the Board of War, be discharged from proceeding further in that matter, and that the said letter, together with those now read from the Board of War and Mr. Holker, be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [John] Mathews, Mr. [John] Witherspoon, and Mr. S[amuel] Adams.
A letter, of 23 August, from J. Temple, was read, informing that, after seven years absence from his native
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country, he arrived at New York with his wife and family on the third of that month, and begging "leave to solicit Congress for liberty to come to Philadelphia, to pay his respects to them;1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XXII, folio 589.]
A motion was made, that leave be granted:
The yeas and nays being required by Mr. [William Henry] Drayton,
{table}
So it passed in the negative.
A motion was then made, "That the secretary inform Mr. Temple, that, if it is his intention to reside in one of
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the United States, he do signify the same to the State in which he means to reside, and obtain their approbation, previous to the granting of any passport:"
Whereupon the previous question was moved that that question be not now [put], and the same being put,
Passed in the negative.
The main question being then put, and the yeas and nays being required by Mr. President [Henry Laurens],
{table}
So it was resolved in the affirmative.
A letter, of 30 August, from Monsr. Galvan was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
Adjourned to 9 o'Clock to Morrow.
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