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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 --THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1778
Mr. Samuel Atlee, a delegate for Pensylvania, attended, ∥and took his seat in Congress.∥
The president informed Congress that General Washington was arrived in town, pursuant to their orders: ∥Whereupon,∥
Resolved, That the Commander in Chief be introduced to Congress, and informed from the chair, that Congress have directed his attendance in order, among other things, to confer with him on the operations of the next campaign, and that a committee will be appointed for that purpose.
Ordered, That the secretary present the Commander in Chief with the foregoing resolution, and acquaint him that Congress are now ready to receive him.
In pursuance of the foregoing order, the Commander in Chief attended, and being informed by the President of the end for which Congress has directed his attendance, and that a committee will be appointed agreeably to the foregoing resolution, he withdrew.
Congress proceeded to the election of a committee:
The members chosen, are Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [Jesse] Root, Mr. M[eriwether] Smith, Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris, and Mr. [Henry] Laurens.
Congress took into consideration the charge against Brigadier General Thompson, and his defence; Whereupon the defence was called for, and read.
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A motion was then made, that the apology made by Brigadier General Thompson be accepted as satisfactory:
The charge and depositions were then called for; Whereupon a motion was made, that the examination of Mr. Justice Atlee, and the deposition of Colonel Noarth, the one offered to support the charge against Brigadier General Thompson, and the other in his exculpation, be rejected, the same being takenex parte:
To which an amendment was offered, ∥ by way of substitute,∥
That the examination of Mr. Justice Atlee, taken before Congress on Monday the 7th inst. in support of the charge against Brigadier Thompson, be rejected, and that the deposition of Colonel Noarth, produced last night by Brigadier Thompson in his own exculpation from the charge, be also rejected:
A question was taken, whether, consistent with order, the latter proposition can be offered as an amendment to the former: and
The yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Henry] Laurens,
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So it was resolved to be in order.
The question being put on the amendment, passed in the negative.
The main question being divided,
On the question, that the examination of Mr. Justice Atlee be rejected,
The yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] Duane,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
The question was put, that the deposition of Colonel Noarth be rejected:
Resolved in the affirmative.
The question was put, on these words of the proposition, namely, "the same having been taken,ex parte,"
The yeas and nays being required by Mr. F[rancis] L[ightfoot] Lee,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
The question being taken on the whole,
Resolved, That the examination of Mr. Justice Atlee, and the deposition of Colonel Noarth, the one offered to support the charge against Brigadier General Thompson, and the other in his exculpation, be rejected, the same having been takenex parte.
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The proceedings on the journal relative to Brigadier Thompson, the charge and the depositions of the witnesses, were read: Whereupon,
A motion was made, that Brigadier General Thompson is guilty of a breach of privilege:
On which the yeas and nays being required by [Henry] Laurens,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
It was then moved,
That General Thompson's apology is satisfactory:
On which the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Henry] Laurens,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock on Saturday.
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