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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 --MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1778
Ordered, That the Committee of Foreign Affairs prepare an answer to the letter from the governor of Havanna.
A letter from Mons. de Vrigny was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
An appeal from the judgment of a court of admiralty for the State of New Jersey, on the libel "Yelverton Taylor, &c.versus sloopLark," was lodged and referred to the Committee on Appeals.
A letter, of 24, from Brigadier Count Pulaski, was read:1 Whereupon,
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 164, folio 46.]
Resolved, That Count Pulaski's legion and all the cavalry at or near Trenton, be ordered, forthwith, to repair
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to Sussex court house, there to wait the order of General Washington; and that the President write a letter to the General, informing him of this resolution, and pointing out the necessity of ordering the cavalry to some place or places, where they may be easily supplied with forage.
Ordered, That so much of the letter from Count Pulaski as relates to blankets, be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of 21, from Major General Lord Stirling, enclosing a letter to him from Dr. Griffith, with sundry affidavits relative to the massacre of Colonel Baylor's regiment, on 27 September last, was read:
Ordered, That so much of the said letter as relates to the massacre, be referred to the Committee of Intelligence.1
[Note 1: 1 The report of the Committee of Intelligence, in the writing of Richard Henry Lee, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 53, folio 133. It also bears notes by Charles Thomson and William Henry Drayton.]
A letter, of 22, from Governor Livingston, on the same subject, was read.
A letter, of 16, from Governor Trumbull, and one, of the 15, from Gosuinus Erkelens, with a paper enclosed, were read:
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Committee on Finance.
A letter, of 15, from Joshua Huntington, and one from Christopher Hele, were read:
Ordered, That they be referred to the Marine Committee.
A memorial from Robert Jewell, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of 18, from Major General Sullivan, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury:
A letter, of 25, from Mons. Bedaulx, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 Stirling's letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 162, folio 539; that of Livingston, in No. 68, folio 413; that of Trumbull, in No. 66, I, folio 422; that of Jewell, dated October 24, in No. 41, IV, folio 396; and that of Bedaulx, in No. 41, I, folio 164.]
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Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris, Mr. [William Henry] Drayton, and Mr. [Nathaniel] Scudder.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on William Pynchon, Esq. treasurer of the county of Hampshire, in the State of Massachusetts Bay, in favour of Jeremiah Wadsworth, Esq. commissary general of purchases, for four hundred dollars, which the general sessions of the peace of the said county, ordered to be paid by Malcolm Henry, in consequence of his having been convicted of stealing lead to the value of forty pounds, the property of the United States; the said commissary general to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated October 24, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, II, folio 639.]
Ordered, That a warrant issue on Thomas Smith, Esq. commissioner of the continental loan office in Pensylvania, for thirty-five thousand dollars; and another warrant on the treasurer, for twenty-five thousand dollars, in favour of Colonel George Morgan, for the purchase of cattle made by his direction for the troops on the western frontiers; he to be accountable for the sums aforesaid.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, dated October 24, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, II, folio 641.]
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to superintend the publication of such matters relating to the disputes, petitions, and negotiations to and with the court of Great Britain, and such notes and explanations thereon as to them shall appear proper; and that they agree with the printer for 1300 copies of such publication, on account of Congress:
The members chosen, Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris, Mr. [William Henry] Drayton, and Mr. R[ichard] H[enry] Lee.
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The committee on the further instructions to the minister plenipotentiary of the United States to the court of France reported the same, which were agreed to.1
[Note 1: 1 In the Secret Journals was added: "N. B. The further instructions were the eighth article, and the plan of attack, and what relates thereto: and hence it was, that the whole, being blended together, were dated the 26th October." The papers are printed under October 22, p. 1042ante.]
Ordered, That Mr. [Josiah] Bartlett be added to the Medical Committee:
That Mr. M[eriwether] Smith be added to the Committee of Commerce:
That Mr. [Oliver] Ellsworth be added to the Committee on Appeals.
Whereas great public injury arises from the present purchases of wheat in the forage department:
Resolved, That, for the future, no wheat be purchased for forage by any person, for the use of the United States, unless Congress shall order otherwise.
An appeal from the judgment of a court of admiralty of the State of Rhode Island, &c. on the libel "Jonathan Tredwell, &c.versus schoonerHawke," was entered and referred to the Committee on Appeals.
The committee to whom was referred the memorial of Griffin Greene, brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That whenever it may be necessary to employ merchant vessels on account of these United States, the same ought to be chartered rather than purchased; and that the commissary general, agent or contractor, on behalf of these United States, if he shall, at any time, find it expedient to take into the service of government vessels to be employed as transports on the high seas, and such vessels cannot be obtained without insurance on the part of government, shall cause the value thereof to be ascertained by three reputable men, having knowledge in such business, on oath and under their hands and seals; which
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said valuation shall be inserted in the charter party, and any loss that may arise to the owner or owners, by means of the enemy, shall be paid according to the common course of insurance.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Meriwether Smith, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, II, folio 525.]
An appeal from the judgment of a court of admiralty for the State of New Jersey, on the libel "Samuel Ingersol, &c.versus schoonerLovely Nancy," was lodged and referred to the Committee on Appeals.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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