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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 --MONDAY, MAY 3, 1779
A letter, of 1st, from Brigadier Du Portail, was read;2 Whereupon,
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 164, folio 338.]
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the Treasury, in favour of Brigadier du Portail, for one thousand dollars, to be advanced to him, for which he is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Colonel La Radière, for eight hundred dollars, to be advanced to him, for which he is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Monsr. Villefranche, for six hundred dollars, to be advanced to him, for which he is to be accountable.
A letter. of April 29, from General Washington, was read.3
[Note 3: 3 letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, VII, folio 283.]
A letter, of this day, from W[illiam] Ellery and J[ohn] Collins, was read: Whereupon,
Philadelphia,May 3d, 1779.
Sir, The Undersigned Delegates of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, with great reluctance, adopt; this mode of soliciting the attention of Congress to a motion made by them so long ago as the 14th of the last month, at the special instance and direction
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of said State; but the duty they owe to it, and the justice they owe to their own reputations constrain them to persue every decent measure to accomplish the wishes of their constituents.
Finding every avenue to the motion referred to barricadoed by reports of the boards of treasury and war, and orders of the day, which their utmost efforts have not been able to remove, that if they must wait for its decision untill the reports of those boards and orders of the day already made and received, and others which are constantly increasing the Pile, shall be decided, they may wait until the intire destruction of their State shall have rendered all application to congress, in its behalf, altogether unnecessary: Finding too, that it is out of their power to demonstrate to their constituents the assiduity they have used to procure a speedy determination of said motion, the house having voted it to be disorderly to connect with motions for postponing the reasons therefor, the Undersigned are compelled to this mode of Application, which they have observed hath generally proved successful.
The Undersigned forbear to take notice of the uncommon obstructions which have been thrown in the way of the request of the State which they have the honour to represent, whenever it hath had the good fortune to come under the Consideration of Congress.
The Undersigned trust that Congress will never give to any one of the United States just occasion to tax them with partiality, sincerely wish that their Union may be perpetual, and are with the greatest Respect, Your Excellency's most obedt hble Servts.,
William Ellery
John Collins.1
[Note 1: 1 This letter, in the writing of William Ellery, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78 VIII, folio 319.]
Ordered, That to morrow be assigned for the consideration of the motion respecting raising troops for the defence of Rhode island.
A letter, of 1, from the Board of War,2 enclosing one of the same date, from Charles Stewart, commissary general of issues;
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 297.]
Also one, of April 29, from the said Board, enclosing one, of April 18th, from Daniel Joy, respecting the contract for
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cannon entered into by the Board with Messrs. Hughes, were read:
Ordered, To lie on the table.
On motion of Mr. [Daniel of St. Thomas] Jenifer, seconded by Mr. [John] Henry,
Resolved, That the Board of War be directed to apply to the Governor and Council of Maryland, and request them, if there are any heavy cannon belonging to the State, which can be spared from the immediate defence thereof, to lend them to the Continent for the defence of the posts on Hudson's river, on condition that Congress will return them or a like number of equal bore, or pay the State the full value thereof, at the election of the general assembly.
On motion of Mr. [John] Witherspoon, seconded by Mr. [Henry] Laurens,
Resolved, That the reading the other public dispatches be postponed.
Resolved, That the consideration of the reports of the Board of Treasury and Board of War be postponed.
The delegates of the State of Pensylvania, to whom was referred an extract of a letter from the Board of War, respecting the defences of the river Delaware, brought in a report; Whereupon,
That by order of the Commander in Chief Colonel Proctor's Regiment is, as soon as equipped, to march from this city, whereby the Posts occupied by them upon the River Delaware will be evacuated and the numerous Stores in and near this place will be unprotected,
Resolved, That the president and council of the State of Pensylvania be requested to order such of the militia of that State to take post at Fort Mifflin and Billingsport in the room of Colonel Procter's men, as shall be judged by the said president and council sufficient; the said militia to be allowed continental pay and subsistance.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Samuel Atlee, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, II, folio 41.]
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The order of the day being called for, Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on foreign affairs; and the question under debate being stated, viz. shall Mr. A. Lee be recalled:
Mr. [William] Carmichael arose, and informed the House, "that as the committee appointed by Congress to examine into the state of their foreign affairs, have thought proper to refer to him for information on the charges reported by them against some of the public servants abroad, and as some gentlemen have expressed a desire he should reduce to writing the information he gave the House in his place when those charges were read, he was induced to indulge their wishes, as well to shew more explicitly the reasons which determined his voice on the decision of a question on which he thinks the honor and interest of the United States highly depend;" he then proceeded to lay on the table a paper signed by him, which, with sundry papers therein referred to, was read.
On the question, shall Mr. A. Lee be recalled?
The yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Meriwether] Smith,
{table}
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So the states were equally divided.
Adjourned to 10 oClock to Morrow.
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