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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, FEBRUARY 3, 1779
A memorial, from Brigadier Count Pulaski, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A memorial from James Mather, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee appointed to superintend the commissary and quarter master's department.
A letter, of 1, from Mons. Mauleon, was read.1
[Note 1: 1 Mather's memorial, dated February 1, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, VI, folio 109; the letter of Mauleon is in No. 78, XV, folio 433.]
A memorial, of this date, from the honble Sr. Gérard, minister plenipotentiary of France, was read, respecting the quantity of flour he can depend upon for the fleet of his most Christian Majesty in the West Indies; Whereupon, it was moved,
That the Committee of Conference with the Minister of France, be instructed to represent the evils arising from the high rate of exchange, and confer with him on the means of preventing them.
On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Henry] Laurens:
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That 5,000,160 dollars in bills of credit, be emitted under the direction of the Board of Treasury, and on the faith of the United States:
That the bills shall, excepting the numbers, be of the same tenor and date as the emission directed on the 14th December last, and be numbered from the last number in each denomination progressively, and consist of the following denominations, viz.
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of the Committee of Commerce, for one hundred and three thousand two hundred dollars, for the payment of
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a debt due to Mr. Samuel Curson, continental agent at St. Eustatia; the said committee to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated January 29, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 69.]
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of the Marine Committee, on their application, for twenty thousand dollars, for the use of the navy board of the middle district; the said Marine Committee to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Joseph Carleton, paymaster to the Board of War and Ordnance, for seventy thousand dollars, to enable the Board to exchange bills of the emissions of May 20, 1777, and April 11, 1778, agreeably to a resolve of Congress; the said paymaster to be accountable.
The Committee of the Treasury to whom was recommitted their report of January 30th., relative to the new jail in this city, having reconsidered the said report, beg leave again to submit Postponed. it without alteration to Congress, together with a copy of the supposed contract upon which the order for recommitment was Grounded.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, dated February 1, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 51.]
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Joseph Carleton, paymaster to the Board of War and Ordnance, for one hundred thousand dollars, advanced upon the personal application of the said Board, for the purchase of military stores, for which the said paymaster is to be accountable.3
[Note 3: 3 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 79.]
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Joseph Carleton, paymaster to the Board of War and Ordnance, for one million of dollars, to be by him transmitted to John Lewis Gervais, deputy paymaster general, in South Carolina for the use of his department, for which he is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of the honble William Henry Drayton, Esq. a delegate from South
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Carolina, for fifteen hundred dollars, advanced him upon his application, and to be charged to the said State.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated February 2, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 77.]
The commissioners of claims at the treasury report:
That there is due to Captain William Peery's independent company of the Delaware State, for pay and rations, or subsistence, and contingencies, from 1 August, 1777, to 31 December, 1778, a ballance of four thousand three hundred and forty five and 55/90 dollars, to be paid to Captain William Peery.
That there is due to Nathan Sellers, for laying 192 letters on the new paper mould for bills of credit, one hundred and ninety two dollars:2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 83.]
Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.
Congress was resolved into a Committee of the Whole, to consider a report of the Board of Treasury of 23 January; and, after some time spent thereon, the President resumed the chair, and Mr. F[rancis] L[ightfoot] Lee reported, that the committee had come to a resolution thereon, which he was ready to report:
Ordered, That the same be received.
The report was read, and is as follows:
Resolved, That 20,000,000 of dollars be borrowed on the faith of the United States, at an annual interest of six per cent. and that loan office certificates for the same, of such denominations as the Board of Treasury shall think proper, be forthwith struck and sent to the continental loan offices, under the direction of the Board of Treasury:
Provided that the said bills shall not be payable to the Bearers thereof, unless the said Bearers have due authority from or under the Person to whom the said Bills respectively shall be made payable to receive the amount thereof.3
[Note 3: 3 This report, in the writing of John Jay, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 57.]
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On the question to agree to the said report, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Thomas] Burke,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
Resolved, That to morrow be assigned for taking into consideration the report of the committee appointed to confer with the Commander in Chief on the operations of the ensuing campaign.
Resolved, That a member be added to the committee appointed to confer with the Minister Plenipotentiary of France:
The member chosen, Mr. [Richard] Hutson.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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