| 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 --MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1779
A letter, of this day, from James Wilson and William Lewis, Esquires, attornies at law, in behalf of the claimants of the sloop Active, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XXIV, folio 83.]
Ordered, That the consideration thereof be postponed until the 15 September instant.
A memorial of John Wharton, James Read and William Winder, Junior, commissioners of the navy board in the middle department, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [William] Whipple, Mr. [Joseph] Hewes, and Mr. [James] Forbes.
Colonel Samuel Atlee was nominated by Mr. [John] Armstrong, to supply the vacancy at the Board of War.
A letter, of 31 August, from General Washington, was read, enclosing a letter of the same day from him to Colonel Bland, countermanding conformably to the resolution of 21st of that month, his former orders on the subject of officers of the convention troops going into Canada; Whereupon,3
[Note 3: 3 The letters of Washington are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, VII, folios 713 and 719.]
A motion was made by Mr. [Henry] Marchant, seconded by Mr. [William] Carmichael, in the following words:
Whereas the direction of General Washington to Colonel Bland, permitting two officers of the convention troops to go into Canada by the way of New York, obviates the reasons
Page 1029 | Page image
which occasioned the resolution of Congress, of the 21 August last,
Resolved, That the letter from General Washington, of the 31 August last to Colonel Bland, be detained and that Congress approve of the orders intended to be countermanded by it.
When the question was about to be put, the previous question was moved by Mr. [John] Mathews, seconded by Mr. [Henry] Laurens; on which the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John] Jay,
{table}
So the states were equally divided, and the question lost.
On the main question, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John] Jay,
Page 1030 | Page image
{table}
So it passed in the negative.
A letter, of 30th August, from D[aniel] Putnam, was read, with sundry papers enclosed:
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of the 4th, from Lieutenant Colonel [John] Ternant, was read:1
[Note 1: 1 The Putnam letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XVIII, folio 235; that of Ternant. in No. 78, XXII, folio 641.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Mr. [Joseph] Hewes, one of the delegates for the State of North Carolina, on his application, for five thousand dollars; for which the said State is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Robert Troup, secretary to the Board of Treasury, on his application, for two thousand dollars; for which he is to be accountable.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, dated September 6, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III folio 615.]
Page 1031 | Page image
A report from the commissioners of claims at the Treasury on the accounts of John Baynton, pay master in the western district, was read:
Ordered, That it be re-committed.
The committee on the quarter master and commissary general's department laid before Congress a letter of 30 August from Jeremiah Wadsworth, commissary general of purchases, which was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Marine Committee; and that they be directed to take the proper steps for obtaining a division of the prize goods lately captured by continental vessels, and cause such of the articles as they judge proper to be retained for the future order of Congress.
A letter, of 4, from the Board of War, was read, enclosing an extract of a letter from General Washington, of 27 August:
Sir: The Board are unable to judge whether or not it is expedient to detain the Generals Phillips and Riedhesel on account of the debts due from the convention troops and therefore beg leave to report:
That the part of General Washington's letter of the 27th ultoo., relative to the proposed parole exchanges of the Generals Phillips and Riedhesel, be referred to the Treasury Board.
An extract of that part of his Excelleney's is inclosed.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, II, folio 447. The extract is on folio 451.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A report from the Board of War was read; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the quarter master general be directed to erect barracks, at the expence of the United States, for quartering the troops in the State of Rhode Island:
That the said barracks be of such dimensions and situated in such place as General Gates, or other officer commanding the troops in that State for the time being, shall approve of.
The Board of War, to whom was referred the letter, of 24 August last, from the president of the State of Pennsylvania, report,
Page 1032 | Page image
That they find it impracticable, without taking them from the supplies provided for the army which are yet vastly deficient, to furnish the blankets requested for the ranging companies raised in this State and that every blanket given without one.
We therefore cannot without the express direction of Congress agree to supply them. But we take the liberty of reporting that,
It be recommended to the supreme Executive Council of the State of Pennsylvania to provide blankets for the ranging companies raised for the defence of the frontiers of that State and charge the expense of procuring such blankets to the United States.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated September 2, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147. II, folio 439.]
The committee appointed to prepare an answer to the speech of the honble Sr. Gérard, minister plenipotentiary of France, brought in a draught, which was read:
The committee, to whom was referred the memorial of the officers and citizens, prisoners on Long Island, brought in a report; which was read.
Your Committee to whom was referred the Memorial of the American Officers and Citizens, Prisoners on Long Island, in behalf of said Citizens, report,
That in the opinion of this Committee the Enemy have no right by the law of Nations to Captivate and hold the Citizens of these States, not taken in Arms, as prisoners of war: wherefore your Committee recommend the following Resolution as the most proper Expedient for their comfort and relief, viz.
Resolved, That it be recommended to the Respective States whose Citizens have been taken by the Enemy, not in arms and are now held by them as prisoners of war, or may be hereafter so taken and held, to make such provision for their Relief and comfortable subsistance as they shall judge necessary and Expedient, and to keep an Account of such Expenditures [in order that the same may be adjusted and paid at the final settlement of accounts with the enemy respecting prisoners.]2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of Samuel Huntington (the words in brackets being by Thomas McKean), is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 28, folio 55.]
Page 1033 | Page image
The Board of War, to whom was referred the letter of the 5th from General Washington, relative to the arrangement of the Massachusetts line of officers, brought in a report; Whereupon,
War Office, September 4, 1779.
The Board having considered General Washington's letter of the 5th ulto, referred to them by Congress, relative to the arrangement of the Massaehusets line of officers, beg leave to observe, That the arrangement of Officers in every other line serving in the Northern States has been made upon the same principles, and by the same authority, as that of the Massachusetts line now presented; that the final x arrangement of it was postponed merely from the numerous embarrassments attending it: that if the present arrangement be set aside and the making anew one referred to the State, the whole affair must be again involved in confusion, and occasion infinite delays and discontents; not to remark, that in case of disputes (and those now settled will of course all be revived) they must be adjusted by the same rules, and by the same modes as have been pursued by the Commander in Chief in fixing that he has transmitted: that the Officers of the Massachusetts line expect the present will be a final settlement of the ranks they are now entitled to; having giving in their returns and claims under the same orders, and to be determined by the same rules, with the ranks of officers of those States whose arrangements were fixed before the 28th of June last. The Board are also humbly of opinion that Congress by the Resolution of that date, did not intend to control the primary arrangements to be made pursuant to the acts of May 27, 1778, and November 24, 1778, and other subsequent acts directing the arrangements to be made agreeably to the rules established in the Acts of May 27th and November 24th. We therefore beg leave to report:
Resolved, That the arrangement of the officers in the Massachusetts line, as now fixed by the Commander in Chief, be confirmed, and their commissions issued accordingly.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, II, folio 443.]
Adjourned to 10 oClock to Morrow.
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |