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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 --FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1778
A petition from Elisha Doane, ∥was read,∥ accompanied with the proceedings of a court of admiralty for the State of New Hampshire, on the libel "Treadwell and Penhallow,versus brigSusannah," &c. praying that he may be allowed an appeal to Congress:2
[Note 2: 2 This petition, dated September 14, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No 44, folio 187.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Committee on Appeals.
Resolved, That Mr. [Oliver] Ellsworth be appointed a member of the Marine Committee, for the State of Connecticut.
Ordered, That Friday next be assigned for taking into consideration the proceedings and sentence of the court martial on the trial of Major General Lee.
A letter, of 8 September, from General Schuyler, with a petition of Dominique L'Eclise enclosed, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of 30 September, from Major General Heath, with a paper of intelligence enclosed, was read:3
[Note 3: 3 Schuyler's letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 153, III, folio 352; that of Heath, in No. 157, folio 206.]
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Ordered, That the same be referred to the Board of War.
A report from the Board of War was read; Whereupon,
Resolved, That if any of the states in which Colonel Moses Rawlins shall recruit for his regiment shall give to persons inlisting in the same, for three years, or during the war, the bounty allowed by the State, in addition to the continental bounty, the men so furnished, not being inhabitants of any other of the United States, shall be credited to the quota of the State in which they shall be inlisted.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated October 8, and prepared by Richard Peters, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, II, folio 321.]
In consequence of an adjustment by the commissioners of claims, the auditor general reports,
That there is due to the officers and privates of the invalid regiment, commanded by Colonel L. Nicola, for pay and subsistence for the month of August last, the sum of 1558 25/90 dollars:
That there is due to Paul Feager, 907 15/90 dollars, being a balance due for two hundred and thirteen reams of money paper delivered to Hall and Sellers:
That there is due to John Thaxter, his pay as clerk in the secretary's office, from the 16 June to 16 October, 1778, three hundred and sixty-six and two-thirds dollars, and for extra expences from Yorktown to Philadelphia, twenty-five dollars, making in the whole, 391 60/90 dollars:
That there is due to William Hurrie, for his services as door keeper to Congress, from 3d July to 30th September, 1778, inclusive, one hundred and sixty-one dollars, and for cash advanced for sundry small articles for the use of the house, seventeen 54/90 dollars, making in the whole, 178 54/90 dollars:2
[Note 2: 2 This report, dated October 8, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, II, folio 609.]
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Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on finance, and on that part of the report that the several States be called upon to provide funds to the amount ofmillions of dollars annually for payment of interest of the monies borrowed and ordered to be borrowed on the credit of the United States, a motion being made to fill the blank with "four"; and the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [William] Duer,
{table}
So the States being equally divided the motion was lost.
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Three o'Clock p. m.
Resolved, That three hundred dollars be allowed to Mr. Nourse, pay master to the Board of War and Ordnance, over and above his pay, in compensation for his trouble and risque in paying the sums of money entrusted to him.
Resolved, That the sum of three hundred dollars be paid to Mr. John Thaxter, in reward for his extra services as clerk in the secretary's office.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of the pay master of the Board of War and Ordnance, for two hundred thousand dollars, to answer the demands of the Board in prosecuting the purchase of shoes, hats, blankets, hose and mittens: the said pay master to be accountable:
That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of Colonel Benjamin Flower, commissary general of military stores, ∥for 100,000 dollars,∥ being advanced upon the application of the Board of War and Ordnance, for the use of his department; for which he is to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, II, folio 613.]
A letter, of this day, from John Connolly, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee on the letter of 15 September, from Mr. Beatty, commissary general of prisoners.
The committee of arrangement brought in a report:2
[Note 2: 2 See under November 24, 1778,post.]
Ordered, That Monday next be assigned for taking the same into consideration, and that the Board of War lay on the table the three last returns of the continental army.
Resolved, That two members be added to the committee on the cloathing department:
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The members chosen, Mr. [Joseph] Reed and Mr. [William] Duer.
The Committee to whom was referred a report of a former Committee,1 and several letters and papers from the Board of War Respecting the clothing of the army, beg leave to report as their Opinion:
[Note 1: 1 This report was printed under August 19, 1778. P. 812,ante.]
That it will be best for the future that the several states make provision for Clothing their respective Quotas of Troops for the Continental Army, agreeably to the Articles of Confederation, and therefore submit to the consideration of Congress, the following Resolutions:
That he deliver all the Clothing and Goods of every kind in his Custody belonging to the United States with Invoices of the same, specifying the Quantity and Cost of each Article, to such person or persons as the Board of War shall direct, and the Board of War are hereby Authorized to appoint proper persons to receive the same, and give them proper Instructions.
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That when any State hath appointed such Agent, and notified the same to the Board of War, the Clothing for the Troops belonging to that State shall be Delivered to the said Agent.
That duplicate receipts shall be taken of the Agent of each State for the Quantity and Cost of the Clothes to him delivered on account of the State, which shall be charged to the account of such State in the Books of the Treasury; for which purpose one of said receipts shall be transmitted by the Board of War to the Auditor General.
The Committee having some further matters under consideration ask leave to sit again.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 31, folio 21. I have inserted it at this place, finding no subsequent mention of a report from the committee. It is not in the writing of a member of the committee.]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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