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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 --WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1779
A letter, of this day, from T. Paine, was read.
A letter, of 20th, from J. Trumbull jun. was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
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A memorial from Edmund Custis was read,1 relative to a vessel [sloop Kitty] said to be captured by a French privateer:
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Paine is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 55, folio 51; the memorial of Custis is in No. 41, II, folio 73.]
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Meriwether] Smith, Mr. [Gouverneur] Morris and Mr. [William] Paca.
A letter, of 20, from W[illiam] McKissack was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, VI, folio 129.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
On motion of Mr. [.James] Duane, seconded by Mr. S[amuel] Adams, Congress came to the following resolution:
Resolved that the said motion and order was made and passed upon a representation that the business of the Treasury required his constant attendance in that Department: two other members of the Committee on the Treasury being also of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.3
[Note 3: 3 These two paragraphs, in the writing of James Duane, are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, I, folio 20.]
Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry having applied to have an explanation of the order of Congress of the 17th of March on a motion for adding a member to the Committee on Foreign Affairs in his room:
Resolved, That the member who made the said motion, assigned as a reason in support of it that Mr. Gerry's necessary attention to the affairs of the treasury would not admit of his attending the Committee on Foreign Affairs; and that the order for postponing the consideration of that motion till Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry should come in was passed with a view that Congress might have information on the subject from Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry.4
[Note 4: 4 This explanation, in the writing of John Jay, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, I, folio 19.]
A motion was made by Mr. R[ichard] H[enry] Lee, seconded by Mr. [William] Carmichael that the doors of Congress being open, &c:
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Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of five;
The members chosen, Mr. R[ichard] H[enry] Lee, Mr. [Henry] Laurens, Mr. [William] Ellery, Mr. S[amuel] Adams, and Mr. [James] Lovell.
A motion was made by Mr. [William Henry] Drayton, seconded by Mr. [Meriwether] Smith,
That the House do proceed in the order of the day upon the report of the committee of 13 upon foreign affairs.
On which the yeas and nays being required, by Mr. [John] Penn,
{table}
Thereupon Congress proceeded to consider the fifth article of the report.
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On motion of Mr. [William] Ellery, and seconded by Mr. [John] Henry,
Resolved, That the names of the ministers therein referred to be repeated, and the question taken on each individually.
Adjourned to 10 oClock to Morrow.
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