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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 --SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1779
A petition of Pierpoint Edwards and others was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Appeals.
Ordered, That Mr. [Daniel of St. Thomas] Jenifer, and Mr. [William] Paca have leave of absence.
Ordered, That two members be added to the Committee on the Post Office, in the room of Mr. [Henry] Laurens and Mr. [William] Paca, who have leave of absence.
The members chosen, Mr. [John] Dickinson and Mr. [Roger] Sherman.
The following gentlemen were put in nomination for a commissioner of the Board of War:
Mr. J[esse] Root, by Mr. [Henry] Marchant.
For auditor general:
Mr. Francis Hopkinson, by Mr. [Joseph] Hewes.
For commissioners of the Board of Treasury;
Mr. Francis Hopkinson by Mr. [Henry] Laurens; Mr. John Hurd, by Mr. [Woodbury] Langdon.
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The Committee on the Post office brought in a report; Whereupon,
The Committee on the Post Office Report:
That the Post Master has laid before them his general accounts, which are herewith presented. It appears from one of these accounts A, that a balance was due on the 5th. inst. to the Post Master of £375 18 6.
From another account, marked B, that the office is now indebted for arrears to post riders about £17666 1 3 according to the nearest computation that the Comptroller can at present make.
The post Masters salary is at present 2000 Dollars per annum.
The Comptroller's, 1500 per annum.
The surveyors, each, 20 dollars per day: of which these officers respectively complain as being insufficient for their support, as appears by the Post Master's letter of the 5th. inst and the Comptroller's of the 22d., which also accompany this, and to which the Committee beg leave to refer.
The Committee beg leave to recommend that the accounts be Agd. referred to the Treasury Board; that a warrant issue on the treasurer to pay into the Post Master's hands 40,000 dollars Agd. Passed in order to discharge the arrears due by, and for continuing the functions of the office; he to be accountable.
That the post Masters salary be encreased to 3500 Dollars per Passed annum to commence the first day of September last.
That the Comptroller's salary be encreased to 2500 dollars per Passd. annum, to commence on the said 1st September.
Mr Bryson, one of the surveyors, has proposed to the Committee in a paper marked C, to continue in his office at the present allowance of 20 dollars per day, on condition of being allowed to draw forage for one horse and clothing for himself on the terms under which officers of the army draw clothing from the clothier general, which the Committee beg leave to submit to Congress, and recommend that whatever additional allowance be made to Mr. Bryson, may also be made to Mr. Hazard and Mr. Stevens respectively the other surveyors.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing oi Henry Laurens, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 61, folio 459. It is endorsed: "Read, October 23, 1779. Part passed: remainder postponed to Tuesday 26. Part passed and past recommitted, December 1."]
The last paragraph recommitted.2
[Note 2: 2 A line in the writing of Samuel Huntington.]
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Resolved, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of R. Bache, Esq. postmaster general, for forty thousand dollars, to discharge the arrears due by and for continuing the functions of the office; for which sum he is to be accountable:
Ordered, That the farther consideration of the report be postponed till Tuesday next.
The Marine Committee, to whom were referred sundry papers relative to the navy department, brought in a report,
Ordered, That the same be taken into consideration on Thursday next.
The Marine Committee, to whom was referred the letter of 21, from the supreme executive council of Pensylvania, report, that they have written a letter to Captain Harding, of the Confederacy, reciting "that they have received information, that; he has lately impressed on board the said frigate several seamen, citizens of this State, who have left families in this city in a distressed situation, and ordering him, if this be true, to discharge them immediately."
The Marine Committee to whom was referred a letter from President Reed dated the 21st of October 1779 beg leave to report to Congress the following Resolution:
Resolved, That no Commander of any ship or vessel of war in the service of the United States shall impress, or cause to be impressed, any person on board the same without permission first obtained from the Legislative or executive authority of the State in which such ship or vessel may then be.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 37, folio 167.]
Ordered, That the report of the Medical Committee on the medical staff be taken into consideration on Wednesday next.
According to order,
Congress took into consideration the report of the committee to whom was referred so much of the resolutions respecting the establishment of a Board of Treasury as relates
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to the annual election of the of officers, and who were also to consider proper salaries for the said officers;1 Whereupon,
[Note 1: 1 From this point to the end of October 26 the entries are in the writing of George Bond.]
Resolved, That the commissioners, secretary and clerks of the Board of Treasury, and all officers in the departments of the auditor general, treasurer, and chambers of accounts, who may be appointed before the conclusion of the present war, shall hold their respective offices during the pleasure of Congress; any thing contained in an ordinance for establishing a Board of Treasury, and the proper offices for managing the finances of these United States, to the contrary notwithstanding:
On passing the foregoing resolution, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] Mercer,
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So it passed in the affirmative.
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Resolved, That until the further order of Congress, the commissioners of the Board of Treasury, not members of Congress, be respectively allowed a salary of fourteen thousand dollars per annum:
That the auditor general be allowed a salary of twelve thousand dollars per annum:1
[Note 1: 1 In the original report the salary of the auditor general was fixed at the same rate as the commissioners.]
That the commissioners of the chambers of accounts be allowed twelve thousand dollars per annum:
That the secretary of the Board of Treasury, and the assistant auditor general, be respectively allowed ten thousand dollars per annum:
That the treasurer be allowed fifteen thousand dollars per annum:
That the clerks of the Board of Treasury, and of the departments of the auditor general, treasurer and chambers of accounts, be allowed 7,000 dollars per annum respectively:
That the salaries aforesaid shall be annually or oftener, if Congress shall judge it expedient, revised and altered agreeable to the appreciation of the continental currency.
Provided that the said salaries shall not at any time be reduced lower than 2000 Dollars pr annum for each of the said Commissioners of the Board of Treasury and Auditor General; nor than Postponed 1500 Dollars pr an. for each of the Commissioners of the Chambers of Accounts, Secretary of the Treasury, and assistant Auditor General; nor than 2200 Dollars pr year for the Treasurer, nor than 1000 Dollars pr year for each of the clerks aforesaid.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 83.]
Ordered, That the farther consideration of the report be postponed till Monday next.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
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Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris, one of the delegates for the State of New York, on his application, for four thousand dollars; for which the said State is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on Thomas Smith, Esq. commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pensylvania, in favour of Joseph Carleton paymaster to the Board of War and Ordnance, on their application, for forty one thousand one hundred and ninety eight dollars and 60/90 in loan office certificates, to enable them to discharge a draft of William Smith, Esq. their agent for purchasing cloathing at Baltimore; for which the said Joseph Carleton is to be accountable.
That on the application of James Wilkinson, Esq. clothier general, countersigned by the Board of War, a warrant issue in his favour, on the supreme executive council of the State of Pensylvania in part of the sum lent them on the ninth of April last, for one hundred thousand dollars, for the use of the hide department; for which the said James Wilkinson, Esq. is to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This repot, dated October 22, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 747.]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock on Monday.
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