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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 --THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1780
A letter, of 13, from General Greene, quarter master general was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee, to whom his letter of 12th December, was referred.
A letter, of 13, from Francis Bailey, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee for printing the journal, to take order thereon.
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A letter, of 18, from General Washington, was read, enclosing a report from General Lord Stirling, relative to an expedition against Staten Island, and also other intelligence.1
[Note 1: 1 Greene's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 155, I, folio 196; that of Bailey in No. 78, III, folio 429; that of Washington in No. 152, VIII, folio 343.]
Ordered, That the letter from General Washington, and the report from General Lord Stirling, be referred to the Committee of Intelligence.
Ordered, That an extract of the intelligence relative to supplies sent to the enemy from New Jersey and Connecticut be sent to the governors of those States.
A report from the Board of Treasury, was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on Thomas Smith Esqr Commissioner of the Continental Loan Office of the State of Pennsylvania the treasurer, for one hundred thousand dollars in loan office certificates, in favour of Charles Pettit, assistant quarter master general, on account of Major General Greene, quarter master general, for the use of his department, to be applied in transporting supplies to the army, and for which he is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on Thomas Harwood, Esquire, commissioner of the continental loan office, for the State of Maryland, for three hundred thousand dollars, in favour of Ephraim Blaine, commissary general of purchases, for the use of his department; and for which he is to be accountable.
Also the following warrants, to wit;
One on Henry Gardiner, Esquire, treasurer of the State of Massachusetts Bay, for five hundred thousand dollars.
One on Joseph Clarke, Esquire, treasurer of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, for one hundred and seventy five thousand dollars.
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One on John Lawrence, Esquire, treasurer of the State of Connecticut, for one million five hundred and fifty thousand dollars; and
One on Samuel Patterson, Esquire, treasurer of the State of Delaware, for one hundred and seventy five thousand dollars, amounting in the whole to two millions and four hundred thousand dollars, and being part of the monies raised in the said states, respectively, for the use of the United States, in favour of Ephraim Blaine, Esquire, commissary general of purchases, for the use of his department; for which he is to be accountable.
That a Warrant issue on John Lawrence Esqr., Commissioner of the Continental Loan Office for the State of Connecticut for three millions of dollars in favor of Jeremiah Wadsworth Esqr. late Commissary Re-committed General of purchases to be by him transmitted to Henry Champion, Deputy Commissary General of purchases for the purpose of discharging sundry contracts for beef, and compleating a further supply thereof, and for which the said Commissary General is to account.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 43.]
Provided always that if the said states, or any or them, shall have made provision for purchasing supplies for the army by persons of their appointment, and under their direction, the payment of the warrants on the treasurers of such states be suspended, and the warrants returned by the commissary general to the Treasury Board.2
[Note 2: 2 In the margin, against this paragraph, Thomson has written, "this repealed, January 21."]
Ordered, That the remainder of the report be re-committed. The committee, to whom was referred a motion and report for regulating the departments of the staff, brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That three commissioners, one of whom to be a member of Congress, be appointed to enquire into the
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expences of the staff departments, and the means of retrenching the same; that they, or any two of them, be authorised to enquire by inspection, or otherwise, concerning the several posts and places where officers of the staff are stationed, and to require of them any information relative to their respective departments; to discharge supernumerary and delinquent officers, and men of the said departments; to break up unnecessary posts, and to establish posts where requisite; to stop all issues of rations and other supplies not indispensably necessary for the service. That they repair to head quarters, and that they, or any two of them be authorized, in conjunction with General Washington, to reduce the number of horses and wagons employed in the army, and to adopt the cheapest and most certain mode of transportation; and any other measures for promoting oeconomy in the said departments:
That, for the present, they be empowered to stop all issues of rations of every kind, for the term of three months, due to persons not in camp, who can be otherwise supplied than from the public stores; and to report the sum to be paid for the rations so stopped:
That they report such arrangements, in any or all of the said departments, as they may judge expedient; having regard to the resolutions of Congress of the 14th and 17th of December last it being the expectation of Congress that purchases of provisions and forage in the departments of the quartermaster and commissary general will be made in the several States by persons appointed by and acting under the said states respectively.:
That the department of the barrack master general be abolished, and that he be called to an immediate account for the money advanced him by the United States.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 21, folio 221.]
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Resolved, That to-morrow be assigned for electing the commissioners.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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