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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, NOVEMBER 2, 1778
A letter, of 27 October, from Brigadier Count Pulaski, was read:1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Pulaski is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 164, folio 54.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of this day, from Christopher Hele, was read.
A letter, of 30th October, from W[illiam] Killen, chief justice of the State of Delaware, was read, with sundry affidavits enclosed:
Ordered, That the same be referred to the committee appointed to enquire into the abuses of the quarter master general's department.
A letter, of 1, from the council of New Jersey, was read:
Ordered, That a copy thereof be sent to General Washington, and that he be directed to take order thereon.
A letter, of 27 October, from Governor Johnson, was read, enclosing one of 16 July, from hon. Arthur Lee, at Paris, directed to him:2
[Note 2: 2 The New Jersey letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 68, folio 417; that of Johnson, in No. 70, folio 281; that of Lee, on folio 285.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to a committee of three, who are directed to confer with the hon. Sieur Gérard, ∥minister plenipotentiary of France∥ thereon:
The members chosen, Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris, Mr. [William Henry] Drayton, and Mr. S[amuel] Adams.
A letter, of 27 October, from Mr. President Rodney, of Delaware, and one of 29 of the same month, from Mr. J. M'Kinley, with sundry papers enclosed, were read.
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A letter, of 22 September, from Major General [R.] Howe, was read:1
[Note 1: 1 Rodney's letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 70, folio 671; that of McKinley, in No. 78, XV, folio 399; that of Howe, in No. 160, folio 491.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee appointed to prepare a plan for procuring reinforcements.
Another letter, of 22 September, from Major General Howe, was read:
Whereas a considerable force hath been directed to assemble at Charleston, in South Carolina, for the defence of that State and Georgia, and it is possible that the enemy may not make an attack in that quarter,
Resolved, That in such case Major General Lincoln be directed to endeavour to reduce the province of East Florida.
Ordered, That the letter be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [William] Duer, Mr. [William Henry] Drayton, and Mr. [Edward] Telfair.
A letter, of 1st August, from Colonel Malcolm, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 Howe's letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 160, folio 483; that of Malcolm, in No. 78, XV, folio 369.]
Resolved, That a chaplain be appointed to the garrisons in the posts on Hudson's river, in the Highlands, and that he be entitled to the same pay and subsistence as a brigade Chaplain:
Congress proceeded to the election, ∥and the ballots being taken,∥ when the Rev. Mr. John Mason was appointed ∥chaplain to the garrisons in the said posts:∥
The committee to whom were referred the letter of 8 October, from Governor Trumbull, and the memorial of William Hoskins, brought in a report; which was read:
That for the service of the late Joseph Trumbull, Esq., as Commissary general of Stores and Provisions for the army of the United States, executed with fidelity and great oeconomy, under the risk and embarrassments
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peculiar to the business of his department in the early stages of it, a half per Cent. on all the monies received and expendedRecommitted 5 Novr. by him for the use of his Department, be allowed to his legal representative on the close of his accounts, in lieu of former allowances deducting what, if anything, has been received thereon.
That William Hoskins be appointed and impowered to call to account and settle with all persons employed by the late Commissary General Trumbull, whose accounts are yet unclosed, and to prepareRecommitted as soon as possible and lay before the Treasury for a final settlement, all the accounts of the said Commissary General; and that the said Hoskins be allowed for his Services therein at the rate of 2,000 Dollars a year.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Oliver Ellsworth, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, VI, folio 61. It is printed, in part, under March 31, 1779, post.]
Ordered, That the consideration thereof be postponed to Wednesday.
A memorial from Lieutenant Colonel Oswald, was read, requesting leave to resign his commission as lieutenant colonel in the corps of artillery; Whereupon, it was moved,2
[Note 2: 2 This memorial is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, VII, folio 206.]
That the memorial of Lieutenant Colonel Oswald be referred to the committee of arrangement, and that General Washington be directed to transmit to the said committee the principles upon which was grounded the determination of the board of general officers, convened to adjust the relative rank betwixt Colonel Lamb and Colonel Harrison, and of Lieutenant Colonel Oswald and Lieutenant Colonel Carrington, together with a state of the claims of the respective officers above-mentioned; and that the committee report to Congress on the premises as soon as possible:
That the President be directed to inform Lieutenant Colonel Oswald, that Congress, having ordered an enquiry to be made into the principles upon which the board of general officers settled the relative rank betwixt himself
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and Lieutenant Colonel Carrington, they cannot for the present accept his resignation.
The previous question was moved, that question be not now put; and the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [William] Duer,
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So the main question was set aside.
A motion was then made,
That the memorial be referred to General Washington, and that he be directed to report his opinion thereon, together with the grounds on which the board of general officers determined the relative rank of the memorialist and Lieutenant Colonel Carrington, and the difference between the cases of Colonels Lamb and Harrison, and of Lieutenant Colonels Carrington and Oswald:
A previous question was moved, that that question be not now put; and the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [William] Duer,
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So the main question was set aside.
A motion was then made, that the resignation of Lieutenant Colonel Oswald be accepted:
At the request of South Carolina, the determination of that question was put off till to morrow.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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