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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, AUGUST 22, 1778
A letter, of this day, from Benjamin Randolph, was read.
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of this day, from Colonel Proctor, was read.
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XIX, folio 253. That of Proctor is in No. 58, folio 273.]
A letter, of 18, from Baron de Kalb, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 These letters are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 164, folios 318 and 322.]
Ordered, To lie on the table.
A letter of the 17, from Baron de Kalb, was read.2
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Richard Henry] Lee, Mr. [William] Duer, and Mr. [James] Lovell.
Two letters, of this day, from Captain Stoddard, were read:
Ordered, To lie on the table.
A letter from Mrs. [Hannah] Sweets was read:3
[Note 3: 3 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XX, folio 255.]
Ordered, To lie on the table, till the report of the committee on the case of Colonel Flower and Cornelius Sweers is taken into consideration.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of Joseph Nourse, pay master of the Board of War and Ordnance, for 332,743 60/90 dollars, being the balance of the sum of 932,743 60/90 dollars, granted by Congress on the 11 of June last, for carrying on an expedition
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against the Indians; the said Joseph Nourse to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, II, folio 491.]
The order of the day being called for, Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on the treasury, when it was agreed, that the report shall be considered and debated by paragraphs; to which amendments may be offered and questions taken on the several amendments, but no question shall be put on the report till the whole is gone through, and then the question shall be put to agree to the whole as amended.
In considering the powers of the comptroller,
A motion was made, after the words "payable by the United States," to insert "in consequence of resolutions of Congress;"
Question put, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Samuel] Chase,
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So the states were equally divided, and the motion lost.
Ordered, That the farther consideration thereof be postponed to Tuesday next.
Adjourned to 9 o'Clock on Monday.
At a Board of War, August 22d, 1778.
Present, Mr. Duer, Col. Pickering, Mr. Peters.
The Board of War to whom was referred the letter of Genl. Washington of the 3d inst. on the subject of the intended Northern Expedition against the Indians, having maturely considered the same are of opinion,
That from the Want of early Preparations, the advanced Season of the Year, it being not only too late to begin the Supplies but also for the attempting to assemble a sufficient Body of Men at a proper Place of Rendezvouz in Time to proceed in the Enterprize; the large Number of Men requisite for the carrying the Expedition thro' with Safety and the Danger of weakening the Grand Army at this Time, much diminished by large Detachments; the greater Importance of the Objects which at this Time claim our Attention and to the Accomplishment whereof our whole Force is barely sufficient, and little Assistance to the intended Expedition to be expected from the Northern Militia, and the Probability that in a Change of Circumstances in this Quarter the Indian Ravages will cease of Course, it is impracticable and imprudent to proceed on the said Expedition. Wherefore, the Board beg Leave to report to Congress,
That the intended Expedition against the Senecas and other Hostile Tribes of the Northern Indians, mentioned in the Resolution of Congress of the 11th of June last, be for the present laid aside.
That Genl. Washington be directed to pursue such practicable Measures for the Defence of the Frontiers of the States exposed to the Incursions of the Northern Indians, as to him shall seem best adapted to present Circumstances calculated to check the Ravages of the Enemy and to protect the distressed Inhabitants of the said Frontiers.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Richard Peters, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, II, folio 207.]
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