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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, JUNE 29, 1779

Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789
TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 1779

A letter, of 19, from Ebenezer Hazard was read:¹

[Note 1: 1 Hazard's letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 61, folio 59.]

Ordered, That so much thereof as relates to the Board of Treasury be referred to the Board, and the remainder to the Board of War.

A letter from Captain Colomb was read:

Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.

A letter, of this day, from Mr. Holker, was read:

Ordered, That it be referred to the committee on the commissary and quarter master general's departments.

A letter from Major Burchardt of the German battalion, was read, requesting leave to resign;²

[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, III, folio 327.]

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 the delegates of the State of Rhode island, for three hundred

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thousand dollars, on their application; for which the said State is to be accountable.¹

[Note 1: 1 This report, dated June 28, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 429.]

That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Colonel W. Palfrey, paymaster general, for one hundred thousand dollars on his application, for the payment of the troops and contingent expences in the western department; and for which he is to be accountable.

That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of Benjamin Armitage, superintendant of the paper mills, on his application for five hundred dollars; for which he is to be accountable.

That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Doctor John Warren, for seventeen hundred and forty three dollars and 60/90, in full of his account for the support and education of Joseph Warren, son of the late Major General Warren, to April, 1779, as allowed by the council of Massachusetts bay, and that the said sum be paid to David H. Conyngham authorised to receive the same.²

[Note 2: 2 Based upon an order of the Council of the State of Massachusetts of May 3, 1779.]

That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Mrs. Sarah Kennedy, widow and executrix of the late Doctor Samuel Kennedy, on her application, for five thousand dollars on account of rent for the farm and buildings used for a hospital at the Yellow Springs; for which she is to be accountable.

The board, having reconsidered their report of the 24 instant, by order of Congress, beg leave to report as follows:

Whereas the allowance of two-ninetieths parts of a dollar upon every hundred dollars, made to the commissioners for destroying bills of credit taken out of circulation by order of Congress, is, in consequence of the time which they have necessarily spent in conducting this business, inadequate to their services:

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Resolved, That in lieu of such allowance, the said commissioners be entitled to receive five-ninetieths parts of a dollar for every hundred dollars so destroyed; and that the allowance for future service be divided amongst them in proportion to the number of dollars which shall be counted by them respectively.

Resolved, That an additional commissioner be appointed for destroying bills as aforesaid.

The board having nominated Samuel Downe, Esq. to be appointed commissioner for destroying bills called out of circulation:¹

[Note 1: 1 This report, dated June 29, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 433. Downe's resignation because of ill health is in No. 42, II, folio 289. It is without date.]

Congress proceeded to the election: and, the ballots being taken, Mr. Samuel Downe was chosen.

The Committee on the Treasury, having arranged the several resolutions for borrowing twenty million dollars, reported the same for publication, as follows:

As Congress are bound by every motive of policy, and of public and private justice, to maintain the credit of the paper money emitted by their authority on the faith of the United States, so it is their intention, not only to avoid further emissions, but to diminish the quantity in circulation, provided that the respective states, by correspondent and vigorous exertions, shall put it in their power to raise the necessary supplies.

Resolved, therefore, That twenty million dollars, or such a part thereof as shall be brought into the continental loan offices on or before the first day of October next, be borrowed on the faith of the United States, at an interest of six per cent. per annum.

For facilitating the said loan,

• Resolved, 1. That the loan officers in every State do immediately open subscriptions for the said loan:

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• 2. That the executive authorities of the several states be requested immediately to appoint persons of character and influence in every county, town or district, to receive subscriptions and transmit the same to the loan officer or officers in the states respectively.
• 3. That no subscription be received for less than five hundred dollars:
• 4. That all subscriptions under ten thousand dollars shall be paid into the loan office where the same shall be subscribed, or into the hands of the person obtaining the subscription, within fourteen days after the subscription shall be made:
• 5. That any person subscribing ten thousand dollars, or upwards, shall be allowed to pay the same at two periods, to wit, one half within fourteen days after the subscription, the residue on or before the first day of October next: the whole to bear interest from the time of the first payment, provided the other payment shall be punctually made.
• 6. That each lender shall have his election either to receive the principal at the expiration of three years from the date of the loan, or to continue it in the funds on interest until the whole amount of continental bills in circulation shall not exceed the sum in circulation at the time of the loan.
• 7. That interest on all sums which shall be paid into the loan office before the said first day of October, or which shall be subscribed and paid agreeably to the terms of the 5th resolution aforesaid, shall be payable annually at the continental loan office of the State in which the money was originally subscribed.
• 8. That when the interest on monies which have been or may be placed in the several loan offices on or after the first day of March, 1778, shall become due and be paid, the same, until some more accurate standard of value can be devised, shall be increased in proportion to the increase of the sum of

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  continental paper money which may be in circulation after the date of such loans respectively.

Ordered, That the loan officers transmit to the Board of Treasury monthly returns of all sums subscribed and received in their respective offices.

Ordered, That so much of the report of the Committee on the Treasury as relates to the memorial of the 9th instant, from Silas Deane, Esq. be re-committed.

The committee, to whom was referred the report of the Board of War of the i May last, relating to the department of military stores, report as their opinion,

That it is not expedient to raise salaries at present, when Congress are adopting measures to restore the credit of the currency; but that in consideration of the particular circumstances of that department, such temporary allowances, not exceeding three hundred dollars per month to the commissary general, one hundred and fifty dollars per month to the deputy commissary general, and to the other officers and men in the same proportion to their former pay with that of the deputy commissary general, should be made by the Board of War to the said officers and men, as will enable them to continue in the service until the further orders of Congress.

Resolved, That Congress agree to the said report.¹

[Note 1: 1 This resolution was entered only in the manuscript Secret Domestic Journal.]

Adjourned to 10 oClock to Morrow.

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