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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, JANUARY 14, 1780
A memorial from John Halstead was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A report from the Board of War was read; Whereupon, Congress came to the following resolutions:
At a Board of War Jany 12. 1780
The Board taking into consideration the letter from Genl Washington on the subject of Genl Duportail and other Engineers referred to them by Congress beg leave to report,
Whereas Congress on the first day of January in the year 1779 resolved, "That Brigadier Duportail and Messrs la Radiere, Laumoy and Gouvion be retained in the service of the United States as Engineers for another campaign if agreeable to their inclination and permission can be obtained from His Most Christian Majesty or his Minister Plenipotentiary."
And the said Engineers in consequence of the above resolution having agreed to continue, under permission obtained from the Minister Plenipotentiary of France, in the service of the United States and having except Col. La Radiere who died much regretted served the last campaign, so honorably to themselves and usefully to these States as to obtain ample testimonials of their abilities and exertions from the Commander in Chief who is of opinion that Genl Du Portail, and Cols Laumoy and Gouvion should be retained in the service during the war or so long as is consistent with their duty to their King and agreeable to their inclinations,
Resolved, That Congress have a very favourable opinion of the conduct and capacity of General Du Portail and Messrs. Laumaoy and
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Gouvion and lament the untimely death of Col La Radiere who during his services in America had by his zeal and exertions highly recommended himself as an officer and a gentleman.
Whereas Brigadier General du Portail and Colonel Laumoy, and Lieutenant Colonel de Gouvion, have continued in the service of the United States pursuant to a resolution of Congress of the 1st day of January, 1779, and under a permission from the Minister Plenipotentiary of his most Christian Majesty, and have obtained from the Commander in Chief ample testimonials of honorable and useful services rendered during the last campaign:
Resolved, That Brigadier General du Portail and Messieurs Laumoy and Gouvion be retained in the service of the United States (if permission can be obtained for that purpose from his most Christian Majesty or his Minister Plenipotentiary) so long, during the present war, as shall be consistent with their inclinations and duty as officers to their King:
That the Board of War be directed to confer with the Minister of France on the subject, and inform General du Portail and Messieurs Laumoy and Gouvion of the result of such conference.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, IV, folio 63.]
A report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer, in favour of Benjamin Stoddert, Esquire, secretary to the Board of War, for six thousand dollars on account of his salary.
That on the application of Charles Pettit, assistant quarter master general, a warrant issue in his favour, on the supreme executive council of the State of Pensylvania, for two hundred thousand dollars, (being part of the monies raised by the said State, for the use of the United States) on account of Major General Greene, quarter master general, and for the use of his department; for which he is to be accountable.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 35.]
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The committee on a court of appeals brought in a report.
Ordered, That the same be taken into consideration to morrow.
The committee, to whom was re-committed that part of the report on the commissaries department, which related to the appointment of inspectors, brought in a report.
The Committee on the Post Office brought in a report, which was read; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the Commander in Chief be authorised to order so many expresses to be retained in the public service as he may judge necessary for the immediate purposes of the army.
Ordered, That the remainder of the report be re-committed.
On motion of Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, seconded by Mr. [Roger] Sherman,
Resolved, That the Board of Treasury be directed to report proper salaries for such officers of the United States as have acted without stipulated allowances; and also what denominations of officers are entitled, by resolutions of Congress, to receive commissions, and at what rates, on the sums which they have respectively negotiated.
The committee to whom was referred the memorial from the honble the Minister Plenipotentiary of France brought in a report.
On motion of the Committee for Foreign Affairs, Congress came to the following resolution:1
[Note 1: 1 The resolution is entered in the writing of George Bond.]
Whereas by the eleventh article of the treaty of amity and commerce between his most Christian Majesty and the United States of America, it is provided, "That the subjects and inhabitants of the said United States, or any one of them, shall not be reputed aubains in France, and consequently shall be exempted from the Droit d'Aubaine, or other similar duty, under what name soever: they may, by
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testament, donation or otherwise, dispose of their goods, movable and immovable, in favor of such persons as to them shall seem good; and their heirs, subjects of the said United States, residing, whether in France or elsewhere, may succeed them, ab intestat, without being obliged to obtain letters of naturalization, and without having the effect of this concession contested or impeded under pretext of any rights or prerogatives of provinces, cities or private persons: and the said heirs, whether such by particular title, or ab intestat, shall be exempt from all duty, called Droit de Detraction, or other duty of the same kind; saving, nevertheless, the local rights or duties, as much and as long as similar ones are not established by the United States or any of them: The subjects of the most Christian King shall enjoy, on their part, in all the dominions of the said States, an entire and perfect reciprocity relative to the stipulations contained in the present article; But it is, at the same time, agreed that its contents shall not affect the laws made or that may be made hereafter in France, against emigrations, which shall remain in all their force and vigor; and the United States, on their part, or any of them, shall be at liberty to enact such laws relative to that matter as to them shall seem proper."
Resolved, That it be recommended to the legislatures of the several United States to make provision, where not already made, for conferring like privileges and immunities on the subjects of his most Christian Majesty, agreeable to the form and spirit of the above recited article.
The Committee to whom was referred the representation from the Legislative Council and general assembly of the State of New Jersey, have had the same and the subject matter therein mentioned under their consideration, and beg leave to report.
That the sudden depreciation of Continental currency between the months of March and May last, the great increase of price of all articles since the resolve of Congress of the first of September last
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for limiting the emissions of paper money, and the circular letter soon after, whereby Congress not only renewed the obligation of redemption at the nominal value; but evinced the sufficiency of the funds for that purpose, leave your Committee no room to doubt but that the real causes of this great and alarming depreciation are wholly owing to the acts of some disaffected to our government, and others whose extortion and avarice scandalize all governments, and not to scarcity of Commodity or over quantity of a circulating medium, nor want of faith in Government, the causes heretofore assigned with so much plausibility. In proof of this your Committee beg leave to observe, that the quantity of money, that can possibly be in circulation, under the aforementioned resolve of Congress, is not more than 200 m. of Dollars, which is not more than seven times the quantity actually necessary for a common medium, and tho' this quantity will admit of a progressive depreciation, yet no calculation can carry it to fifteen prices. Yet it is notorious that the article of flour in this market is not only now at 50 prices but that it has raised 150 p. et. since the limitation of future emissions and other articles have advanced nearly in the same proportion.
Your Committee further report that the sudden and continuing depreciation must necessarily discourage all foreigners from commercial connexions with the American States, that the present importations depending so much on the small number of vessels and seamen is in fact a monopoly and must continue so till vessels can be built or until foreigners shall assist in the importations, which they cannot do with any safety while the Country produce, by which alone they must make their remittances are raising many prices by the week. That the great demand of country commodities for the support of the army and other public uses, enables the farmer and others to exact what prices they please; that as such public expense must in the end be defrayed principally by the Landholder and yeomanry of America, the rise of Country Commodities does but encrease their debt and render the operations of taxation ineffectual in the appreciation of the currency.
Your Committee also report that the late Requisitions of 15 millions of D. by the month from the respective States being founded on estimates according to the monthly expenses prior to the first of September last, that as all the supplies for the army are thus encreased since that period, it becomes absolutely necessary to limit the prices
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of such articles according to their rates when the estimates were made, or to make further emissions of bills of credit, your Committee being well satisfied, that the whole quantity now in circulation, would not be sufficient to supply the public wants at the present advanced prices of all articles--and as Congress are determined on no occasion to make further emissions your Committee are of opinion, that a general and universal limitation of price of all articles as well foreign as country produce is the only and effectual means of maintaining the army. That the same ought to be adopted as soon as may be in order to stop the great increase of public debt, and to aid the taxes in the reduction of prices--and that the limitation should be liberal at the beginning in order to allow scarce articles their advantage over those that are plenty.
Resolved, therefore, that it be recommended to the Legislatures of the respective States to pass laws for limiting the prices of labour and all commodity foreign and domestic (salt and military stores excepted) so as not to exceed twenty prices of what the same article sold for in the yearallowing such additional price for imported articles, for insurance, freight and other charges as the nature of the trade of each State shall justify and allowing also as an encouragement for country manufactures the same price as a foreign commodity of like quality shall sell for, deducting the price of insurance.
Resolved, that for the more certain limitation of the price of foreign articles and for the encouragement of importations it may be expedient for the several States to open offices for insuring the importations of their respective inhabitants.
N. B. Salt excepted, to be remedied by compelling importation as to tonnage of American vessels.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, I, folio 311.]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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