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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 --FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1779
A letter, of 30, from the honourable the Minister Plenipotentiary of France, and a memorial from Mr. Holker, were read, respecting a demand for damages to the owners of the ship Holy Martyrs, captured by an American privateer, and acquitted on an appeal:
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
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The members chosen, Mr. [Thomas] M'Kean, Mr. [William] Ellery and Mr. [Thomas] Burke.
A memorial from F. Hopkinson, treasurer of loans, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A letter, of 30th, from the Board of War; one, of 31, from Jeremiah Wadsworth; and a letter from G[ouverneur] Morris, were read:1
[Note 1: 1 The memorial of Hopkinson is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41. IV, folio 83; that of the Board o[ War is in No. 147, II, folio 699; that of Wadsworth, in No. 78, XXIV, folio 149.]
Resolved, That Monday next be assigned for taking into consideration the report of the Medical Committee.
The committee appointed to confer with the Board of War report as their opinion, that the plan communicated to them by the Board appears practicable, and if carried into execution promises supplies of certain articles immediately wanted for the troops at much less expence and with greater dispatch than they can otherwise be procured; that no coertion is requisite in the execution; that the expence will not exceed half a million of continental dollars, and the risque to the United States is inconsiderable:2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of Thomas Burke, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 27, folio 93.]
A letter, of 27, from General Washington, was read giving intelligence of a second embarkation of troops sailing from New York on the 26 instant:
Ordered, That copies be sent by express to the governors of Maryland and Virginia.
A letter, of 25, from General Washington, was read, enclosing a representation from Elizabeth Burgin:3
[Note 3: 3 Washington's letters are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, VIII, folios 271, 312.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of this day, from the Board of Admiralty was read, enclosing sundry letters respecting Captain Papley:
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Ordered, That the same be referred to the Board of Admiralty to take order thereon.
A report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Mr. [Allen] Jones, one of the delegates for the State of North Carolina, for six thousand dollars, on his application; for which the said State is to be accountable.
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of John Biddle, Isaac Howell, Peter Thomson, Isaac Snowden and Nathaniel Falconer, inspectors of the continental press for three thousand dollars, each; for which they are to be respectively accountable.
Whereupon, Resolved, that the same be referred to the Board of War, and that they be authorised to take order.
The committee, to whom was referred the report of the Board of War on the petition of Robert Jewell;
The Committee to whom was referred the Report of the Board of War on the Petition of Robt. Jewell beg leave to Report,
That twenty five dollars and one ration a Day be allowed to Robert Jewell, Keeper of the New Goal in Philadelphia; seventeen dollars and one ration a day to each of his assistants, and eight dollars and one ration a day to his Turnkey, in full for their services and subsistence, until the further orders of Congress; and that the pay aforesaid commence the eighteenth day of August last.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, III, folio 283. The adopted report is printed under January 1, 1780, post. On the report is the record of a vote taken on a motion of James Forbes, as follows:
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And the committee appointed to report a proper allowance for the officers of sundry departments brought in their several reports.1
[Note 1: 1 See under January 27, 1780.]
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee respecting the commissary and quarter master's departments, and made some progress therein:
On the question to agree to the following proposition:
"That one and three-fourths per cent. be allowed to each of the assistant purchasing commissaries upon all the purchases made within their respective states, out of which they shall pay all inferior deputies, and defray the whole expence attending such purchases: nor shall they or either of their deputies be entitled to rations or forage, except when called by the necessary business of their departments to attend the army, in which case, they shall be permitted to draw rations for themselves and one servant each, and forage for two horses.
"And whereas, the payment of commissions is, on the one hand, necessary, in order to apportion the wages of the officer to the business that passes through his hands, while, on the other, the increased prices at which provisions are sometimes necessarily laid in, may subject them to unjust censure:
"That all commissions on the produce of the country shall be rated in continental bills of credit at twenty for one on the price at which such produce sold in the year 1774, and at thirty for one on all foreign commodities."
A division was called for, and the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] M'Lene, on the first paragraph, for granting commissions, rations and forage in certain cases:
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So it passed in the negative
Adjourned to 10 oClock to Morrow.
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