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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 --TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1778
A letter, of 30 August, from Major General Heath, ∥was read,∥ enclosing a petition from William de Passern, major of the regiment of Hesse Hanau, of the convention troops, requesting permission to go to Europe on parole;1 Whereupon,
[Note 1: 1 The petition of Passern, dated August 27, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, VI, folio 176.]
It was moved, that Major William de Passern be permitted to go to Europe on his parole, not to act against the United States or their allies until released or exchanged according to the terms of the convention of Saratoga.
And the yeas and nays being required by Mr. J[ames] Smith,
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So it passed in the negative.
A letter, of 29 August, from Major General Heath, respecting supplies for Count d'Estaing's fleet, was read:
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Ordered, That it be referred to the Marine Committee.
Mr. [William] Duer laid before Congress an extract of a letter from Maryland:
Ordered, That the same, together with the letter of the 4, from Colonel H. Hollingsworth, and the memorial of 31 August, from E. Blaine, deputy commissary general of purchases, be referred to a committee of four:
The members chosen, Mr. R[obert] Morris, Mr. [William] Duer, Mr. R[ichard] H[enry] Lee, and Mr. [Henry] Marchant.
Two letters, of 5, from Stephen Steward, directed to the Committee of Commerce, were read:
Ordered, That they be referred to the Committee of Commerce, who are directed to report thereon.
A letter, of 8, from John Peers, master of theMermaid, a prisoner, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Marine Committee.
A letter, of 4, from General Washington, with sundry papers enclosed, was read:1
[Note 1: 1 The memorial of Blaine is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 59, III, folio 195; the letter of Washington, in No. 152, VI, folio 325. It is printed in theWritings of Washington (Ford), VII, 175.]
Ordered, That so much of the said letter as relates to the laying up of magazines to the eastward of Hudson's river, be referred to the committee on the letters from Col. Hollingsworth, Colonel Blaine, &c.
A motion being made for empowering the General, if he finds it necessary, to give an additional bounty of ten dollars to recruits inlisting for three years, or during the war: to which an amendment was moved to add, "and that such additional bounty be at the expence and charged to such of the states as have been deficient in procuring their quotas, according to such deficiency."
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On which the previous question was moved, that that question be not now put; and the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Samuel] Chase,
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So it passed in the affirmative, and the amendment was set aside.
Resolved, That General Washington be authorized, if he shall judge it for the interest of the United States, to augment the continental bounty to recruits, inlisting for three years or during the war, to a sum not exceeding ten dollars, and that he use his discretion in keeping this matter secret as long as he shall deem necessary, and in applying the augmentation of bounty, as circumstances may require.
∥Ordered,∥ That a warrant issue on the treasury in favour of Joseph Nourse, pay master of the Board of War and Ordnance, for 80,000 dollars, to be by him transmitted to William Palfrey, Esq. pay master general, for the purpose of inlisting recruits for the continental service.
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Resolved, That so much of the General's letter as relates to cloathing, be referred to the Board of War, and that the Board of War be directed to make use of the most vigorous exertions for transporting to camp the ready made cloathing stored in the eastern states, and in procuring and forwarding to the army such a number of blankets as in their opinion will be necessary to make up the deficiency of blankets already imported or purchased on account of the United States:
That the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, &c., Connecticut, and New York, be desired, when applied to by the Board of War, to afford every assistance in their power, in causing to be made up the linen and other cloathing imported into the eastern states for the continental army.
Ordered, That the memorial of the Rev. John Peter Tetard, enclosed in the General's letter, be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [William] Duer, Mr. [John] Harvie, and Mr. [James] Lovell.
A letter, of this day, from S. Deane, was read:
Ordered, to lie on the table until to morrow.
Three o'Clock, p. m.
Resolved, That those members of the Treasury Board whose State may be represented in Congress without their personal attendance, be requested to attend at the Treasury Board every forenoon, till the further order of Congress.
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on the arrangement of the treasury; Whereupon,
A motion was made, that the report of the Board of Treasury of 15 April last, be substituted in lieu of the report of the committee:
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On the question put, passed in the negative.
Adjourned to 9 o'Clock to Morrow.
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