| 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 --TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1779
A letter, of 29 July, from General Washington, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of 28 July, from Major General Greene, enclosing a number of papers; and one, of 5 of same month, from James Cole Mount Florence, were read:2
[Note 2: 2 Washington's letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, VII, folio 451; that of Mount Florence, in No. 78, V, folio 385.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to the committee for arranging the several departments.
A letter, of 20th July, from the council of Massachusetts bay, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Marine Committee.
Two papers directed to John Allan, one from John Starr and the other from John Prebble, were read:
Page 917 | Page image
Ordered, That they be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of 28 July, from Doctor W. Shippen, was read;1 Whereupon,
[Note 1: 1 The Allan papers are in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, I, folios 273, 275; the Shippen letter is in No. 78, XX, folio 435.]
The Medical Committee, to whom were referred the several papers and memorials from the officers of the Medical department, brought in a report, which was read:
Ordered, That the same be taken into consideration, when the report from the committee on a farther allowance to the officers of the army is considered.
On motion of Mr. [James] Duane, seconded by Mr. [William] Carmichael,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Colonel William Palfrey, paymaster general for five hundred thousand dollars, to be transmitted to Joseph Clay, deputy paymaster general in South Carolina, for the use of the troops in his department; for which the said deputy paymaster general is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of William Palfrey, paymaster general, for one hundred thousand dollars, to be transmitted to Benjamin Harrison, Jun. deputy paymaster general in Virginia, for the use of the troops in his department; for which the said deputy paymaster general is to be accountable.
Whereas Thomas White, of Kent county, in the State of Delaware, yeoman, was arrested by Brigadier General Smallwood, in pursuance of an order of Congress of the 26th day of March, 1778, and afterwards on the 27th day of May, in the same year, was permitted to remain at his own house on parole:
On motion of the delegates of Delaware,
Resolved, That the said Thomas White be discharged from his parole.
Page 918 | Page image
Congress proceeded to the consideration of the report of the committee the letters from A. Lee, Esq. and the communications from the Minister Plenipotentiary of France, and some time being spent thereon,
Congress resumed the consideration of the preliminary article; and on motion of Mr. [Thomas] Burke, seconded by Mr. [James] Duane,
Resolved, That the word "acknowledged" be expunged; and that in lieu thereof the word "assured" be inserted. And that after "Great Britain" be inserted the words, "agreeable to the eighth article of the treaty "of alliance between his most christian majesty and "these United States."
And on the question,
Resolved, N. D. C., That previous to any treaty, or negotiation for peace, the liberty, sovereignty, and independence, absolute and unlimited, of these United States, as well in matters of government, as of commerce, shall be assured on the part of Great Britain, agreeable to the treaty of alliance between his most christian majesty and the United States.
And if the same shall be done,
Resolved, That the minister or ministers of these United States assist at, and contract and stipulate in such negotiation for peace, as may be set on foot under the mediation of his catholick majesty, or otherwise.1
[Note 1: 1 These proceedings were entered only in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs.]
Resolved, That so much of the paragraph in the report as precedes the former resolution from "That in the event of a negotiation--to preliminary" both inclusive, be struck out.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |