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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, SEPTEMBER 4, 1778
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That any regimental officer, who has been, or shall be, ordered by the Commander in Chief, or commanding officer of any department, on business not incidental to his office, and distant from camp, be allowed, for the expence of himself and horse, three dollars a day, whilst necessarily employed on such service.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, II, folio 525.]
The committee to whom was referred the letter of the 26 August, from the Board of War, relative to the expence of fitting up Mr. Dickinson's house for the residence of Mons. Gérard, report, "that they have waited on Mr. Dickinson, who shewed them a contract entered into between him and the Board of War, whereby it appears that the repairs are to be at the expence of the United States;" Whereupon,
Resolved, That the committee be discharged.
On motion,Resolved, That the Committee of Commerce do, with all convenient speed, prepare and report to Congress a state of the debts and contracts of the United States, and an estimate of the sums necessary to fulfil and discharge such debts and contracts:
That the said committee be empowered to employ such persons, and call for such accounts and papers as may be necessary for the purposes above mentioned.
That the members of the Secret Committee, now present, be a committee to close the accounts of that committee,
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and deliver them to the Committee of Commerce, and that the said members be authorized to employ proper persons for adjusting and closing the accounts of the Secret Committee.
The Committee of Commerce laid before Congress an invoice of sundry articles shipped on board the French tartanLa Ceres, Captain Claude Icard, by order of ∥the late∥ Thomas Morris, Esq., of Philadelphia, at Nantes, and consigned to William Bingham, Esq., in Martinique, for account and risque of the United States, amounting to £14,437 15 1, French money:
Ordered, That the Committee of Commerce liquidate and pay the said account.
Congress being informed that the books and papers of Thomas Morris, late commercial agent of the United States in France, are deposited with the commissioners at the court of France, or some of them; and the hon. Robert Morris, Esq. surviving partner and administrator of the deceased, applying to this house, to cause the same to be delivered to him, so that he may proceed to a settlement of the estate, &c.
Ordered, That the commissioners or commissioner, who shall be possessed of the said books and papers when this order arrives, deliver the same, both public and private, to the said Robert Morris, or to his order.
A letter, of 1st, from I. Murray to Mr. Robert Morris, was laid before Congress, and read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of this day, from Mr. Joseph Nourse, was read, requesting leave to resign his office of secretary to the Board of Ordnance, and pay master to the Board of War and Ordnance:1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XVII, folio 55.]
Ordered, To lie on the table for consideration.
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Three o'Clock, p. m.
A letter, of 1, from General Washington, enclosing a copy of a letter of 29 August, from General Sullivan, on the north end of Rhode Island, giving an account of an action with the enemy on the 29th, was read:1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Washington is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, VI, folio 321.]
Ordered, That the letter from General Sullivan be referred to the Committee of Intelligence.
On motion,Resolved, That the committee of arrangement, to whom the letter of 11 June, from the council of war of Rhode Island was referred, be discharged from proceeding thereon, and that the letter be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Titus] Hosmer, Mr. S[amuel] Adams, and Mr. [Richard Henry] Lee.
According to order, Congress took into consideration the motion relative to the requisition made by the Earl of Carlisle, Sir Henry Clinton, and William Eden, respecting the troops of the convention of Saratoga, which was read as follows:
Whereas Congress, did, on the 8 day of January, 1778, resolve "that the embarkation of Lieutenant General Burgoyne and the troops under his command be suspended till a distinct and explicit ratification of the convention of Saratoga shall be properly notified by the court of Great Britain to Congress:
Resolved, That no ratification of the convention of Saratoga, which may be tendered in consequence of powers, which only reach that case by construction and implication, or which may subject whatever is transacted relative to it to the future approbation or disapprobation of thecrown or parliament of Great Britain, can be accepted by Congress."
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An amendment was moved to strike out the words "crown or," and the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [William] Duer,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
Another amendment was moved, after the recital of the resolution of the 8th of January, to add "and notwithstanding a requisition hath been made of the said troops, yet no such ratification hath been notified as aforesaid" and in lieu of the resolution moved, to insert "therefore resolved, that the said troops be still detained, agreeably to the said resolution;" and the yeas and nays being required by Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was then made in lieu of the whole to substitute as follows:
"Whereas on the 8th day of January, 1778, Congress by their resolve, for good and sufficient causes therein specified, suspended the embarkation of the troops of the convention of Saratoga, under the command of Lieutenant General Burgoyne, until the ratification of the convention of Saratoga by the court of Great Britain should be duly notified to Congress: and, whereas, on the 26 of August, the Earl of Carlisle, Sir Henry Clinton, and William Eden, Esq. reciting their authority, did make a remonstrance to Congress, offering to ratify the said convention, and requiring permission for the said troops to embark in pursuance of the said convention: and, whereas, the said
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ratification would be subject to the future ratification of the British parliament, without which it would be of no validity: therefore, resolved, that Congress will abide by their demand of a ratification by the court of Great Britain, duly notified to Congress; and therefore that the said requisition be not complied with."
The question put, passed in the negative.
Question put on the original motion as amended, resolved in the affirmative.
Adjourned to 9 o'Clock to Morrow.
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