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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, NOVEMBER 12, 1779
A certificate under the hand and seal of Governor Caswell, that George Cavey, late master of the flag sent with the British Commissioners' manifesto and made prisoner, is permitted to repair on parole, to the city of New York, to obtain the exchange of an American prisoner of equal rank, or return to his captivity in a limited time, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War, to take order.
A letter, of this day, from W. Palfrey, paymaster general, being read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 165, folio 517.]
Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on the memorial of Colonel W. Palfrey.
The first resolution reported by the committee being read:
"That W. Palfrey, for the extra services he has at various times performed by order of Congress, be allowed the sum of fifteen thousand dollars."
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On motion of Mr. [Jesse] Root, seconded by Mr. [Nathaniel] Peabody, the report was amended to read:
"That W. Palfrey, pay master general, as a further compensation for his past services, be allowed the sum of thousand dollars:"
A motion was made by Mr. [John] Fell, seconded by Mr. [Jesse] Root, to fill the blank with "twenty-five:"
On which the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] Forbes,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was then made by Mr. [Gouverneur] Morris, seconded by Mr. [Cornelius] Harnett, that the blank be filled with "twenty."
On which the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] Forbes,
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So it was resolved that William Palfrey, Esq. pay master general, as a further compensation for his past services, be allowed the sum of 20,000 dollars.
Resolved, That until the further order of Congress, the pay master general to the armies of the United States, be allowed at the rate of fourteen thousand dollars per annum:1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of John Mathews, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, V, folio 9. A last paragraph refusing to accept his resignation is not entered on the Journals.]
That so much of the memorial of Colonel Palfrey, of the 29 September last, as relates to the deputy pay masters general, 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. Henry Laurens, for thirty five thousand dollars in
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full of his household expences for thirteen months, being the time of his acting as President of Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 797. The preamble states that the sum allowed by Congress had been reduced, agreeably to Laurens's request.]
That a warrant issue in favour of Joseph Carleton, Esq. paymaster to the Board of War and Ordnance, on their application on Nicholas Gilman, Esq. commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of New Hampshire, for one hundred thousand dollars; another warrant on Nathaniel Appleton, Esq. commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Massachusetts bay, for three hundred thousand dollars; another warrant on Joseph Clarke, Esq. commissioner of the continental loan office in the State of Rhode Island and Providence plantations, for two hundred thousand dollars. Another warrant on Derick Ten Broeck, Esq. late commissioner of the continental loan office, for the State of New York, for one hundred and forty nine thousand seven hundred and eighty four dollars, or on his successor in office, if he has received of Mr. Ten Broeck the said sum, it being the ballance drawn by him more than were necessary for exchanging bills of the emissions of May 20, 1777 and April 11, 1778; and
Another warrant on Michael Hillegas, Esq. treasurer, for two hundred and fifty thousand two hundred and sixteen dollars; for all which sums amounting to one million dollars, the said Joseph Carleton, Esq. is to be accountable.
That on the application of Mr. H[enry] Marchant, one of the delegates for the State of Rhode Island, a warrant issue on Joseph Clarke, Esq. treasurer of the said State, for three hundred thousand dollars, in favour of the same State and to the order of the legislature thereof, (payable out of their quota of the continental tax), for which the said State of Rhode island &c. is to be accountable.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, dated November 8, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 801. The last paragraph was a revised opinion of the committee on that part of their report of November 5 recommitted to them.]
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That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Major General Greene, quarter master general, on the application of Charles Pettit, Esq. one of his assistants, for three million dollars, for the use of the said department, for which Major General Greene is to be accountable, the warrant to be made payable to the said Charles Pettit.
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the Board of Treasury, which was postponed on the 6th instant; and, thereupon,
Resolved, That each of the commissioners of the Board of War, not members of Congress, be allowed 14,000 dollars per annum, and each of the commissioners of the navy board, 12,000 dollars per annum; the secretary to the Board of War, 10,000 dollars; and each of the clerks in the offices of the secretary of Congress and of the Board of war, 7000 dollars per annum.
Resolved, That the salaries aforesaid be annually or oftener, as Congress shall judge it expedient, revised and altered according to the appreciation of the continental currency.
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to report a proper allowance for the officers of the Treasury, Board of War, Marine and Commercial Committees, and Secretary of Congress from the last adjustment of their accounts, respectively:
The members chosen, Mr. [Cornelius] Harnett, Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, and Mr. [Thomas] McKean.
The Board of War brought in a report: Whereupon,
Resolved, That regimental pay masters, not being of the rank of captains, quarter masters and adjutants, be entitled to receive the same subsistence money as is allowed to captains by the act of Congress of the 18th of August last; this subsistence to commence on that day.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, dated November 8, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, II, folio 573.]
Resolved, That the eleven companies of artificers, raised by the quartermaster general, be reformed, and incorporated
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and arranged in such manner as the Commander in Chief shall deem proper:
That when such arrangement shall have been made, the same be transmitted to the Board of War, to the intent the officers may receive their commissions, which shall entitle them to rank only in their own corps, and enable them to hold regimental courts martial in cases that concern their own corps only, and are usually cognizable by regimental courts martial of the line:
That the officers and men of the said corps be considered as part of the quotas of the 80 battalions as apportioned on the several states to which they respectively belong.
Resolved, That the remainder be re-committed.
On motion of Mr. [John] Mathews, seconded by Mr. [Gouverneur] Morris,
Resolved, That the Marine Committee be empowered, if they judge it proper, to discharge the vessel which they were directed to take up and employ as a prison-ship.
The Chevalier de la Luzerne, having transmitted to Congress another copy of the speech which he intends to make at his public audience, the same was read; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the resolution of the 8th instant, to agree to the draught of an answer reported by a committee be reconsidered.
Resolved, That the report of the said committee together with the paper from Mr. de la Luzerne be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Gouverneur] Morris, Mr. [William Churchill] Houston, and Mr. [John] Dickinson.
An appeal from the judgment of a court of admiralty for the State of New Jersey on the libel Decatur & Fordick vs. schooner Barberry, was lodged with the secretary and referred to the Committee on Appeals.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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