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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 --TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1779
A letter, of 4, from Captain W[illiam] Burke, was read,1 giving information that his vessel [the Henry], on board of which were stores for the Continent, was, on her passage from Boston, cast away on Brigantine Beach, and desiring advice how to proceed:
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, III, folio 407.]
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of two to take order:
The members chosen, Mr. [John] Mathews, and Mr. [William Churchill] Houston.
A letter, of November 8, from Lieutenant Colonel Charles Simms, was read, desiring leave to resign:
Ordered, That his resignation be accepted.
A letter, of 4, from General Washington, was read:
A letter, of 6, from G. Bryan, Esq. was read, declining to accept the office of commissioner of the Board of Admiralty.
A letter, of 16 November, from Governor Jefferson, of Virginia, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 Simms's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78. XV, folio 479; that of Washington, in No. 152, VIII, folio 283; that of Bryan, in No. 78, III, folio 411; and that of Jefferson, in No. 71, I, folio 287.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
The Committee on the letter of 6 November from Jeremiah Wadsworth the Post office and the committee appointed to prepare a resolution for carrying into effect the resolve ordering a monument in memory of Brigadier General Count Pulaski; also,
The committee, to whom was referred the letter, of the 2d November last, from the governor of Connecticut;3 and the committee on the letter, of 18 November, from General Washington, brought in their several reports.
[Note 3: 3 See under December 28, p. 1416, post.]
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The Committee to whom was referred a letter from General Washington, of the 18 November last, with an abstract of the returns of the army, and the report of the Committee to whom was referred the Report of the Board of War, on the construction of a resolution of Congress, of the 15 March 1779, beg leave to report:
That each State annually, during the continuance of the war, in the month of October be informed by Congress of the deficiency of its quota of troops, and called upon to furnish by draught Passed or otherwise, men for its complement, or for such part thereof, as Congress may from time to time, judge necessary.
That the men to be so furnished join the army by the 1st of January in each year, and serve until the first of January in the Passed next succeeding year, unless sooner discharged.
That the Commander in Chief, or Commanding Officer of the respective department be authorized and directed to appoint an Officer or Officers in each Battalion, to enlist such of the Passed recruits as may be willing to engage for the war, allowing Two hundred dollars to every soldier who may so enlist, and Ten dollars to the Officer enlisting him.
That the Commander in Chief be directed on or before the first of October annually, to transmit to Congress a return of Passed the army specifying the number of Troops from each State, and the Recruits necessary to complete its quota.
That in addition to the recruits to be furnished by the first of April next, each State be required to furnish by draught or otherwise, men to supply the place of such of their troops whose time of service will expire in April, June and September next, and that the men so supplied join the army before the times of service of the said Troops shall respectively expire, and continue in service until the first of January, 1781.
That it be earnestly recommended to the several States to abolish all State, County and Town Bounties to recruits for the Continental Army.
And Whereas on the 14th. of April, 1777, Congress passed the following resolution, viz: "That it be recommended to the Legislatures of each of the United States, to enact laws exempting from actual service any two of the Militia, who shall within the time limited by such laws, furnish one able bodied recruit to serve in any Battalion of the Continental Army, for the term of three years, or during the present
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war: Such exemption to continue during the term for which the recruit shall inlist, every such recruit to be entitled to the Continental bounty and other allowances."
Resolved that it be recommended to the several States to repeal their laws made in pursuance of the Resolution aforesaid.
The Committee ask leave to sit again.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, VI, folio 257.*]
A report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Mr. E[zra] L'Hommedieu, one of the delegates for the State of New York, on his application, for five thousand dollars, for which the said State is to be accountable:
That on the application of Charles Pettit, Esq. assistant quarter master general, the following warrants issue in his favour for account of Major General Greene, quarter master general, for the use of his department; and for which he, the said General Greene, Q. M. G., is to be accountable, viz;
One on John Lawrence, Esq. commissioner of the continental loan office in the State of Connecticut, for five hundred thousand dollars;
And one on Thomas Smith, Esq. commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pensylvania, for three million dollars.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, dated December 7, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, III, folio 881.]
The commissioners report,
That there is due to Monsr. Lotbinier, chaplain to Colonel Livingston's regiment, for his pay and subsistance for the month of November last, two hundred and forty dollars:
That there is due to George Evans for an entertainment ordered by a committee of Congress in consequence of a resolution for that purpose, ten thousand three hundred and eighty eight dollars and sixty ninetieths:3
[Note 3: 3 See note under December 6, p. 1356, ante. The entertainment was in compliment to the Minister of France.]
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Ordered, That the said accounts be paid.
Congress proceeded to the election of a commissioner for the Board of Admiralty; and, the ballots being taken,
Francis Lewis, Esq. was chosen.
Congress proceeded to the election of a commissioner of the Board of War; and, the ballots being taken,
Colonel William Grayson, was chosen.
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee for establishing a court of appeals; after some time,
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of the whole.
Congress was then resolved into a committee of the whole, and after some time, the President resumed the chair, and Mr. [George] Plater, reported that the committee have had under consideration the report referred to them and made some progress therein, but not having come to a conclusion, desire leave to sit again.
Resolved, That on Friday next, Congress be resolved into a committee of the whole to consider farther the report of the committee on the plan for establishing a court of appeals.
Resolved, That two members be added to the Commit Lee on Appeals, in the room of Mr. [Henry] Marchant and Mr. [Jesse] Root:
The members chosen, Mr. [Ezra] L'Hommedieu and Mr. [William] Ellery.
Ordered, That Mr. [Cornelius] Harnett have leave of absence.
Adjourned to 10 oClock to Morrow.
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