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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 --TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 1779
A resolution of the council of Massachusetts bay, of 23 February, was read, respecting the powers of foreign consuls:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Marine Committee.
A letter, of 6, from J. Trumbull, governor of Connecticut, to Mr. [Jesse] Root, one of the delegates of that State in Congress, was read, respecting the Salisbury furnace:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter from Francis Bailey, printer, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee appointed to superintend the publication of the journals.
A letter, of 29, from J. Reed, president of Pensylvania, was read, desiring to be furnished with copies of the affidavits of Majors Clarkson and Franks, taken in the case of Major General Arnold, in which are any particulars respecting him:1
[Note 1: 1 The Massachusetts resolution is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 65, I, folio 386; the letter of Trumbull is in No. 66, II, folio 5; that of Bailey, dated the 29th, is in No. 78, III, folio 297, and the affidavits are in No. 69, II, folio 35.]
Ordered, That he be furnished with copies of the affidavits required.
A letter, of 26, from General Washington; and one, of 29, from S. Deane; and a letter, of this day, from honble Sr. Gérard, minister plenipotentiary of France,were read:2
[Note 2: 2 The Washington letter is in No. 152, VII, folio 203; that of Deane is printed in the Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (Wharton), III, 104; that of Gérard is in the same volume, 106.]
Mr. R[ichard] H[enry] Lee laid before Congress an extract of a letter from W. Aylett, deputy commissary general of purchases in Virginia, which was read:
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Ordered, That it be referred to the committee appointed to superintend the departments of the quartermaster and commissary general of purchases.
An extract from the minutes of the general assembly of Pensylvania was read, respecting the German battalion:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Alexander Fowler, Esq., auditor for the army in the western district, on his application for five hundred dollars, for which he is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Joseph Carleton, paymaster to the Board of War and Ordnance, for five thousand dollars, to enable him to exchange money out of circulation for officers and soldiers on their way to camp, and for which he is to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated March 26, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 193.]
The commissioners report,
That there is due to Colonel Lewis Nicola's regiment of invalids, their pay and subsistance for the month of January last, amounting to two thousand two hundred and seventy five and 50/90 dollars, to be paid to Colonel L. Nicola.
That there is due to Captain W. Peery, for his expences on a journey to Yorktown, and twice to Philadelphia, to procure money to pay his independent company at Lewistown on Delaware, one hundred and seventy three and 30/90th dollars.
That there is due to B. P. Smith, for his services in the Secretary's office, from the 10 January to the 19 of March,
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1779, inclusive, two hundred and thirty three dollars and 30/90ths.
That there is due to Thomas Paine, his pay as secretary to the Committee for Foreign Affairs, from 17 September, 1778, to 8 January, 1779, when he resigned, two hundred and sixty one dollars, and for rent of the committee chamber, fire, candles, &c. one hundred and fifty dollars, the whole making 411 dollars:1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated March 26, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 195.]
Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.
Ordered, That so much of the report of the commissioners, of 3 March instant, as relates to J. Dunlap's account be referred to the Board of Treasury.
The committee on the quartermaster's and commissary's departments, to whom was referred the memorial of James Mather, brought in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a copy of the said memorial of James Mather be transmitted to William Buchannan, late commissary general of purchases, and that he be directed to cause justice to be done in the premises.
On information, and at the request of the committee appointed on the 6 to confer with a committee of the general assembly of Pensylvania, on the subject of the proceedings relative to the sloop Active:
Resolved, That the said committee be discharged, and that the subject be referred to the committee appointed yesterday to confer with the joint committee of the general assembly and council of Pennsylvania.
The committee on the quarter master's and commissary's department, to whom were referred the petitions of Thomas Levis, and of Bernard Gotz, and the memorial of Henry Shitz and others, reported,
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That no private compensation can or ought to be made to individuals, other than such as may be due by general resolutions in such cases made and provided.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of William Whipple, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 22, folio 149. On it Thomson has noted the following vote:
]
- Frost, ... no
- S. Adams, ... no
- Lovell, ... no
- Holten, ... no
- Collins, ... no
- Root, ... no
- Spencer, ... no
- Jay, ... no
- Morris, ... ay
- Floyd, ... no
- Armstrong, ... no
- Searle, ... no
- Muhlenburg, ... no
- McClene, ... no
- Van Dyke, ... no
- Plater, ... no
- Paca, ... no
- Henry, ... no
- T. Adams, ... no
- F. L. Lee, ... ay
- Smith, ... no
- Penn, ... no
- Hill, ... no
- Laurens, ... no
- Drayton, ... no
- Langworthy, ... no
On the question to agree to the report,
Passed in the negative.
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the Committee on the Whole, and some time being spent thereon,
Adjourned to 10 o Clock to Morrow.2
[Note 2: 2 In the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, I, folio 29, is a petition from John Ashmead to the Marine Committee, dated March 30, on which is endorsed the following report of the Committee:
"The above Petition, having been considered by the Marine Committee, they do not think themselves authorized to augment the pay of the Petitioner, nor make such compensation as his necessitous circumstances occasioned by the lowness of his pay, and losses sustained in the service of the Public, entitle him to: But the strict attention which he has always given to the public Interest, and the faithful discharge of his Duty, has been such as induces the Committee to move to Congress that an allowance of one thousand dollars be made to him in consideration of his heavy losses."]
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