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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 --SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 1779
Sundry reports from the Board of Treasury were read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of William Young, steward of the President of Congress, for eight thousand dollars, the said William Young to be accountable.4
[Note 4: 4 This report, dated January 8, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 23a.]
Ordered, That upon the application of the delegates of the State of North Carolina, a warrant issue in their favour on the treasurer, for twenty thousand dollars, to enable them to pay an allowance of sundry articles made by the State, as a gratuity to their battalions in the continental service; and for the further sum of eight hundred and eight dollars and 70/90, for discharging a pay roll of sundry militia officers in camp at the expence
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of the said State; for both which sums, amounting to 20,808 70/90 dollars, the said State [is] to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of the Board of War and Ordnance, on their application, for eighty seven thousand six hundred and twenty one dollars and 72/90; of which, twenty four thousand eight hundred and thirty six dollars and 60/90 are for a purchase made by Colonel Pickering of sundry arms, accoutrements and necessaries for the army; the residue, being 62,785 12190 dollars, is for the payment of linen purchased by the Board, who are to be accountable for the sum first mentioned.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated January 5, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 5.]
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of the honble Nathaniel Scudder, Esq, one of the delegates of the State of New Jersey, for five hundred dollars, advanced upon his application; for which the said State is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of the paymaster of the Board of War and Ordnance, for twenty three thousand dollars, to be paid to Captain George Rice, of Virginia, in full of his contract for building barracks in Albemarle county in that State; the said paymaster to be accountable.
That upon the application of the Board of War and Ordnance, a warrant issue on the treasurer, for one hundred thousand dollars, in favour of Colonel Benjamin Flower, commissary general of military stores, for the use of his department; for which he is to be accountable.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, dated January 6, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 11.]
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Major General Greene, quarter master general,
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for one million of dollars, for the use of his department; for which he is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Jeremiah Wadsworth Esq., commissary general of purchases, for two millions and five hundred thousand dollars, for the use of his department; for which he is to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated January 6, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 15.]
Ordered, That the managers of the lottery receive the bills of the emission of May 20, 1777, and April 11, 1778, in payment for lottery tickets.
The Commissioners of Claims report,
That there is due to William Govett, his pay as deputy auditor general, from 25 of April, 1777, to the 2d of November, 1778, inclusive, two thousand two hundred and seventy one dollars.
Ordered, That the said account be paid.
In consequence of an adjustment by the Commissioners of Claims, the auditor general reports:
That there is due to Christopher Ludwig, his pay as baker general and sundry disbursements, from the first of March to the first of November, 1778, two thousand eight hundred and nineteen dollars and 8/90ths.
That there is due to the officers and privates of Colonel Lewis Nicola's regiment of invalids, their pay and subsistance for the month of October last, the sum of eighteen hundred and twenty-four dollars and 52/90ths.
That there is due to Andrew Burkhaut and Company, their account for an American atlas furnished Congress, one hundred dollars.
That there is due to his Excellency Governor Livingston, for expences attending business relating to the quarter master's department and other matters, forty-five dollars.
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That there is due to Thomas Eddison, his pay as clerk in the Secretary's office, from the first November to 31 December, 1778, inclusive, two hundred dollars.
That there is due to George Bond, for his service as clerk in the Secretary's office, from the 12 October to 31 December last inclusive, two hundred and sixty nine dollars and 60/90ths.
That there is due to Robert Patton, his pay as door-keeper to Congress, from the 13 October to the 31 December last inclusive, and for extra service, three hundred and fifty seven dollars.
That there is due to William Hurrie, for his services as door keeper to Congress, from 30th September to the 31 December last inclusive, and for extra pay, and cash advanced for sundries, three hundred and fifteen and 81/90 dollars.
That there is due to James Brown, his account for sawing wood for the use of Congress, eighteen dollars and 60/90.
That there is due to Charles Disher, his pay as commissary of stores, under instructions from the Council of Pennsylvania, from the 11 of March to the 23 October, 1778, inclusive; and for cooperage and storage of flour for the public service, five hundred and seventy five dollars and 6/90ths.
That there is due to Captains Fearer [Führer] and Kleinsmeit, of the German volunteers, for their pay, from the 3d day of September to the 5th of December, 1778, inclusive, together with one month's extra pay and subsistence, and for bounty, inlisting expences, and pay of two sergeants, a ballance of three hundred and ninety seven dollars and 30/90ths.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated January 7, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 19.]
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Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.
The Board of Treasury, to whom was referred the Memorial of Colonel de la Balme, brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the prayer of the said memorial be not granted.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated January 7, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 23.]
A letter, of 6th, from the Board of War, was read: Whereupon,
Resolved, That a battalion consisting of 600 men, properly officered, be forthwith raised on continental establishment in Virginia, for the space of one year from the time of their inlistment, unless sooner discharged, under the direction of the governor and council of that State, who are hereby empowered to appoint the officers of the said battalion out of those of the Virginia line, who have been left out of the late arrangement of the continental army, as far as their numbers will reach: the regiment to consist of one lieutenant colonel commandant and captain, one major and captain, six captains, one captain lieutenant, seven lieutenants, nine ensigns, one surgeon, one surgeon's mate, eight companies of 75 men each, including corporals, three sergeants, one drum and one fife to each company:
That these troops be stationed at, and not removed (except to such distances as the duty of that post may require) from the barracks in Albemarle county, as guards over the convention troops; that they receive the usual pay of the continental army, and a suit of cloaths as a bounty to each non-commissioned officer and private:
That as soon as the said regiment shall be so far completed as to be able to do the duty of the post, the militia now in the service there be discharged.
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The Board are informed that this regiment might be very soon completed if orders for that purpose were now issued, as the people of that country are apprehensive of a draft to serve in the continental army, to avoid which they would enlist on the condition of being stationed at the barracks and not subject to be ordered to camp.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 5.]
A letter, of 31 December, 1778 from Major General Putnam to General Washington was laid before Congress and read; also2
[Note 2: 2 "Congress have also been pleased to refer to us General Putnam's Letter, which is sent that we may have the Benefit of your Thoughts upon it when we meet. For the same Reason I transmit the papers referred to us concerning the French Engineers. Your Excellency will perceive the high Tone in which they consider and represent their Services and their Importance. Congress do not see the Necessity or even Reasonableness of altering the mode they adopted, it appearing to them to be sufficiently honourable and respectful: But as they are determined not to weaken your Hands in a Branch that may be essentially injured by the Retirement of all the Gentlemen skilled in it, they have reserved it as a Subject of our Conference." Duane to Washington, January 10, 1779. Washington Papers. Letters to Washington, 30, folio 74. The Engineer papers were probably called out by the resolutions passed January 1, 1779. A letter of Du Portail to the Board of War, dated January 7, 1779, offering the services of the engineers, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 9.]
A letter, of the 7th, from the Board of War, and
One, of the 3, from Colonel Beatty, commissary of prisoners, were read.3
[Note 3: 3 The letter of the Board of War is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 13; that of Beatty, in No. 78, III, folio 233.]
Ordered, That they be referred to the committee appointed to confer with General Washington.
A letter, of 8, from Colonel Wadsworth, commissary general of purchases, was read.
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee appointed to superintend [the] commissary's and quartermaster's departments.
A memorial from Lieutenant W[illiam] Macpherson, was read.4
[Note 4: 4 This memorial is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, VI, folio 93.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
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A memorial from John Henderson and Ichabod Holloway was read.
Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Appeals.
A letter from Lieutenant Colonel de Crenis was read, accompanied with certificates in his favour, and requesting a certificate from Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, V, folio 299.]
Ordered, That the President give Lieutenant Colonel Crenis such certificate as he shall judge him entitled to.
A letter from B. P. Smith, T. Eddison and George Bond was read, requesting the decision of the House on a report from the Board of Treasury, in their favour for an augmentation of salary.
Ordered, That the Secretary inform them that Congress will take up the report as soon as time and other pressing business will admit.
A memorial from Colonel Haussegger was read:2 whereupon a report from the Board of War of September 18, 1778, was taken into consideration; and, thereupon,
[Note 2: 2 This memorial, dated January 8, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, IV, folio 47.]
Resolved, That the commissary general of prisoners be furnished with money, from time to time, by the Treasury Board, for the purpose of subsisting the officers and soldiers of the United States while in captivity and in the actual possession of the enemy, and to accommodate them with sufficient sums, on account, to defray their travelling expences to their homes or regiments:
That the accounts of all prisoners who shall hereafter be released from captivity, for the pay and subsistence due to them while in the actual possession of the enemy, be received and adjusted by the said commissary general, who, after charging them with the moneys he shall have supplied them, shall certify the sums due thereon to the
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pay master general, the deputy pay master general of any military department, or pay master of the Board of War and Ordnance, as shall be most convenient for the prisoners respectively, which sums shah be paid by the said pay masters upon warrants to be given for the same, as usual for other payments by them made:
That the accounts of all prisoners heretofore released from captivity for their pay and subsistence, while in the actual possession of the enemy, and of all prisoners whatsoever, for all matters previous and subsequent thereto, be, and they are hereby, directed to be settled by the commissioners of accounts at camp, or those where Congress shall sit, according to the convenience of the prisoners respectively, each board communicating their settlements to the other, to prevent mal-practices or mistakes:
That all officers, while they continue prisoners on parole, shall receive their pay and subsistence of the pay master general or deputy pay master general of the department in or nearest to which they reside, by warrant from the Commander in Chief or general officer commanding in the department, or of the pay master to the Board of Wax and Ordnance, by warrant from the Board; these subordinate pay masters to transmit accounts monthly to the paymaster general of all such payments:
That, for defraying the expences of officers and soldiers released from captivity, on their way home, or to join their regiments, the said commissary general of prisoners, and commissioners of accounts respectively, in settling the accounts aforesaid, make an allowance of one day's pay and rations for every twenty miles such officers and soldiers had or have to travel to their homes, in case of the expiration of their time of service, or release on parole, or if otherwise, to join their regiments:
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That the pay master general and other persons, having already paid or advanced moneys to prisoners, send accounts thereof immediately to the aforesaid commissioners of accounts:
That the commissary general of prisoners be allowed a clerk to enable him to perform the extra duty above assigned him, to assist him in the usual business of his department, and perform the duties and receive the pay and rations of a deputy commissary of prisoners.
Congress proceeded to the election of brigadiers, when, by general consent,
Colonel Hogan was put in nomination as a brigadier for the North Carolina troops; and, the ballots being taken, Colonel Sumner, Colonel Hogan, and Colonel Huger, were elected brigadiers.
Resolved, That a brigadier be elected for the Maryland troops:
By general consent Colonel Gist was nominated by the delegates of Maryland.
And the House by general consent, having agreed to proceed to ballot, and the ballots being taken,
Colonel M. Gist was elected a brigadier.
A member having in his place given the house information respecting certain frauds supposed to be committed by persons entrusted with the transacting the commercial affairs of these United States, as he observed
Ordered, That the member reduce the information to writing, and lay the same on the table.
The hon. Henry Laurens, Esq. with the leave of the House, rose in his place to remark on a paragraph in the Pennsylvania Packet, of this day, which he conceived might make unfavourable impressions against him, and in the course of his observations on the said paragraph, related some things which he had, he said, mentioned in
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Congress at York town, which tend to raise a suspicion of fraudulent proceedings to the detriment of the public, by the house of Willing, Morris, & Co. or Willing & Morris; Whereupon,
Ordered, That the said member be requested to reduce the above relation to writing, and lay it on the table.1
[Note 1: 1 This paper, in the writing of William Paca, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, IV, folio 113. A second copy, with a few verbal differences, in the writing of Gouverneur Morris, is in No. 55, folio 29.]
Congress resumed the consideration of the letter of the 8th, from Thomas Paine; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the determination of the question of the 7th instant, for substituting the last amendment in lieu of all the sets of resolutions moved prior to it, on which the yeas and nays were called for by Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris, did not imply, nor can it be justly construed to imply, that Congress had determined that Mr. Thomas Paine was not to be heard.
On this the yeas and nays being required by Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris,
{table}
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock on Monday.
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