| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1779
A letter, of 25, and one, of 26, from General Washington, were read.2
[Note 2: 2 Washington's letter, of the 26, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, VII, folio 375; that of the 25, on folio 379.]
A petition from Isaac Forster and others, officers of the hospital in the eastern department, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Medical Committee.
According to the order of the day, Congress proceeded to the consideration of the report of the Treasury Board on finance; and thereupon came to the following resolution:
Whereas it is indispensably necessary that the greatest oeconomy should be introduced into the public expenditures:
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to make strict enquiry into the establishments and contingent expences of the respective boards and departments, and to consider and report the retrenchments and reformations
Page 662 | Page image
which shall appear to be practicable and expedient; and that they have power to call for returns from the offices, and for information from the officers of any department, and to confer thereon with the Commander in Chief:
The members chosen, Mr. [John] Dickinson, Mr. [Roger] Sherman, and Mr. [Nathaniel] Scudder.
On motion of Mr. [Thomas] Burke, seconded by Mr. [Henry] Laurens,
Resolved, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury to consider of, and, if they judge it expedient, report a plan for anticipating the taxes recommended to be raised in the several states by the subscriptions of public spirited individuals, to be repaid when the tax shall be collected.
The Board of Treasury having reported that, in their opinion, it will be impracticable to carry on the war by paper emissions at the present enormous expences of the commissary general's, quarter master general's, and medical departments: that it appears to them that a general opinion prevails, that one cause of the alarming expences in these departments arises from allowing commissions to the numerous persons employed in purchasing for the army, and that a very general dissatisfaction has taken place on that account among the citizens of these United States; and that, in their opinion, it is necessary to put the said departments on a different footing with respect to the expenditure of public money:
Resolved, That the same be referred to a committee of three, and that they be directed to report a plan for the purpose:
The members chosen, Mr. [John] Dickinson, Mr. [Samuel] Huntington, and Mr. [Thomas] Burke.
On motion of Mr. [John] Dickinson, seconded by Mr. [William] Carmichael,
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to consider the most advisable mode of negotiating a foreign loan,
Page 663 | Page image
to what amount, and in what manner the same may be most advantageously applied to the use of these states:
The members chosen, Mr. [John] Dickinson, Mr. [Henry] Laurens, and Mr. [Meriwether] Smith.
At A Board Of War,May 28th, 1779.
Present, Col Pickering and Mr Peters.
Agreed to Report to Congress:
That the supreme executive authorities of the respective States be authorized to allow to persons apprehending deserters, the Sum of thirty dollars for each deserter apprehended and delivered into safe custody in the State, or sent to their respective regiments, and also 36/90ths of a dollar for each mile between the place in which they may be taken and to which they may be conveyed; and that the said Supreme Executive Authorities draw on Congress for the amounts of all such advances, informing the Commander in Chief and the Board of War from time to time, of the names and regiments of the deserters so apprehended.
That it be recommended to the Legislatures of the respective States to make effectual provision for the apprehending deserters and having them secured and sent to their regiments, and for the appointment of proper persons in the several States to pay the rewards and mileage due for apprehending such deserters, and that effectual care be taken to prevent the detention of deserters in prisons, after their being apprehended on account of the maintainance or Prison fees.
That all Officers in the service of the United States, who may happen to be in any State with parties or detachments of troops proceeding to the Army wherein the regiments are to which the deserters belong, on the application of the Government of the State, take charge of all deserters put under their care and deliver them to their respective regiments; or if such Officers shall not receive such requisitions from the Government, or shall be at a distance from the seat thereof, that they apply to the nearest justice of the Peace for an order on the keeper of the prison in which deserters shall be confined. That if no such Officers be with parties in the State, the government thereof are requested to collect the deserters at proper places of Rendezvous, send them under proper guards of Militia and duly convey them when released from prison to their respective regiments; or in case their particular regiment shall be detached from the Army or at too great a
Page 664 | Page image
distance, that the deserter or deserters be delivered to the nearest Corps of the same State to which they belong, there to be punished or serve until an opportunity Offers of their joining their proper regiments or Corps.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, III, folio 361.]
Ordered, That the report of the committee appointed to confer with the Commander in Chief, dated February 2, 1779, be referred to the said committee.
Congress proceeded in the consideration of other parts of the report, and some time being spent thereon,
Adjourned to 10 oClock to Morrow.
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |