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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 --FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1779
A letter, of 6, from N. Greene, Q. M. G., enclosing two petitions from the officers of the corps of Artificers, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 155, I, folio 95; the petitions are on folios 100, 104.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen: Mr. [Thomas] Nelson; Mr. [John] Armstrong and Mr. [Eliphalet] Dyer.
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The Marine Committee brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That as there are private persons who claim an interest in the armed cutter Revenge, the said vessel be sold at public auction; and that the Marine Committee be directed to make such sale, and to bid as much for her as she has been appraised at.
A letter, of 23 January, one of 6, and one of 12 February, from Major General Lincoln, with sundry papers enclosed, wasread:1
[Note 1: 1 The Letter, of the 6, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 158, folio 197; that of the 12 February, on folio 231.]
Ordered, That the letter from Brigadier Moultrie, one of the enclosed papers, be referred to the Committee of Intelligence; and the letters from Major General Lincoln, with the other papers enclosed, be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Thomas] Burke, Mr. [Henry] Laurens, and Mr. M[eriwether] Smith.2
[Note 2: 2 " The inclosed papers are referred to us by Congress, and we wish for the assistance of your Ideas to enable us to make a more perfect report. We request you therefore to take the trouble of committing to paper your Opinion on the proposed terms for the Exchange of Prisoners in the southern department, and also any thing which you think will conduce to that End without contravening your general arrangements or general policy and utility.
"We deem it inconvenient, in an inadmissable degree, to permit an exchange of mere citizens. The facility with which our Enemy can make Prisoners of our citizens, the difficulty of our making adequate reprisals, and many other circumstances incline us to this Opinion. It seems even better to suffer the captivity of such as unfortunately fall into their hands. For tho' this is a calamity which greatly affects our sensibility, yet it is far short of what we apprehend from admitting such exchange. We think it must necessarily prove an incentive to the making a greater number of Prisoners of that order, and that the Efforts for making them would be attended with an increase of ravage and horror, which we are not in a condition to prevent or chastise." Burke and Laurens to Washington, March 15, 1779. Washington Papers, Letters to Washington, 30, folio 377.]
The committee to whom was referred the memorial of sundry merchants of Philadelphia, respecting goods taken from them for the public service, immediately after the
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evacuation of the city by the enemy, and other papers relative to the said goods, brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the cloathier general be, and he is hereby, ordered, if there be any of the goods on hand, by him taken from the merchants of Philadelphia, at the time of the evacuation of the city by the enemy, and not fit for the use of the army, to return such goods to the persons from whom they were taken without delay; that for all such goods as he has sold to private persons, he pay to the persons from whom they were taken the sums for which they were sold:
With regard to the residue, a motion was made that the memorialists receive from the quarter master and cloathier general twelve hundred per cent. upon the sterling cost of the goods seized by them for the use of the army of these states; to which an amendment and substitute was moved as follows:
That the cloathier general and quarter master general pay to the memorialists from whom goods were taken for public use, the current price of the same at the time when the said goods were taken,
On this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Thomas] Burke,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
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