| 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 --SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 1780
Mr. Francis Kinloch, one of the delegates for South Carolina, attended and produced the credentials of the delegates for that State, which were read, as follows:
State of South Carolina.
In the House of Representatives
The first Day of February, 1780
The Honourable the Senate being come into the House of Representatives:
The Members of both Houses proceeded, jointly, to ballot for Five Delegates to represent this State in the Congress of the United States:
After which the Honourable the Senate withdrew, leaving one oftheir Members to see the Poll closed.
And the Ballots being reckoned:
Mr. Speaker reported, That upon casting up the Ballots, it appeared, that the Honourable Henry Laurens, John Mathews, Thomas Bee, and Francis Kinloch, Esquires, were, by a Majority of the Votes of all the Members present, duly elected Four of the Delegates to represent this State in the Congress of the United States.
A true Extract from the Journals.
Pete Timothy Clerk
of the House of Representatives.1
[Note 1: 1 The original is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, South Carolina, Credentials of Delegates.]
Congress being informed that Mr. [James] Forbes, one of the delegates for the State of Maryland, died this morning, and that it is proposed to inter his remains to-morrow evening;
Resolved, That Congress will in a body attend the funeral to-morrow evening, at five o'clock, as mourners, with a crape around the left arm, and will continue in mourning for the space of one month:
That Mr. [George] Plater, Mr. [Allen] Jones, and Mr. [John] Matthews, be a committee to superintend the funeral,
Page 286 | Page image
and that the Rev. Mr. White be notified to officiate on the occasion.
That the said committee be directed to invite the general assembly and the president and supreme executive council of Pensylvania, the Minister Plenipotentiary of France, and other persons of distinction now in town, to attend the funeral.
A letter, of the 20, from General Washington, was read.
A letter, of 23, from Charles Pettit, enclosing a copy of a letter of intelligence from W. Patterson, was read:
Ordered, That the letter from Mr. Pettit, with the paper enclosed, be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of 20, from Joseph Ward, memorials of John Pierce and Jacobus Wynkoop, and a remonstrance, memorial and petition of Henry Hollinsworth, were read:1
[Note 1: 1 Washington's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, VIII, folio 451; the letter of Pettit in No. 78, XVIII, folio 271; the memorial of Pierce, dated March 25, 1780, is in No. 41, VIII, folio 104; that of Wynkoop, dated February 29, 1780, in No. 41, X, folio 424; the paper of Hollingsworth, undated, is in No. 43, folio 99.]
Ordered, That they be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A letter from Governor Rutledge to the delegates of the State of South Carolina, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury. The committee, to whom were referred the papers relative to the capture of the brig Eagle, brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the papers and original affidavits relative to the capture of the brig Eagle, John Ashmead, commander, under a fort in the island of Saba, be filed in the office of the secretary of the United States in Congress assembled.
That authenticated copies thereof, signed by the said secretary, be transmitted to their High Mightinesses the States General of the United Provinces, by the Minister Plenipotentiary of these United States at the Court of Versailles;
Page 287 | Page image
and that he be directed to apply to them for their aid in procuring satisfaction for the loss of the said brig Eagle and cargo; and for some assurance that the flag of the United States of America shall be protected from insult when in the ports of the United Provinces.
Ordered, That the report of the committee on the device of a great Seal for the United States in Congress assembled, be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [James] LoveIl, Mr. [John Morin] Scott, and Mr. [William Churchill] Houston.
Congress took into consideration the report of the Board of War on a motion for reducing the battalions in the army, together with Baron Steuben's thoughts thereon:
Ordered, That the consideration thereof be postponed to the first of December next.
The committee, to whom was re-committed the report respecting loan office certificates brought in another report, which was read:
The Committee to whom was recommitted the Report respecting the payment of the principal and interest of Loan office certificates, beg leave to submit the following resolutions.
That the holders of certificates for monies lent to the United States, before the first day of March 1778 have the option of receiving the Postponed. principal sum deposited for each certificate at the time the same becomes due, or of continuing it on loan for the further term of three years on the following conditions.
1. That the principal of all certificates taken out before the 1st day ofand which shall be so continued Postponed. on Loan be discharged with the like nominal sum in Specie or other current money equivalent.
2. That the principal of all certificates taken out on or after the date last above mentioned, and before the 1st day of March 1778 and continued as aforesaid, be discharged in bills of exchange, Postponed. or specie or other current money equivalent as aforesaid, diminishing the sum to be paid in proportion to the encreased quantity of continental bills of credit in circulation from time to time above themillions of dollars.
Page 288 | Page image
3. That the annual interest arising and growing due after the principal is so continued as aforesaid be discharged in Postponed. the same manner as the principal at the rate of 6 per cent upon the principal ascertained by the rules above mentioned.
That the principal of all certificates taken out on or after the 1st day of March 1778 and before the first day of March 1780 be discharged according to a progressive rate of depreciation in geometrical proportion to the time from two dollars in Continental bills of credit for one dollar in specie on the said first day of March 1778 to forty or the former for one of the latter on the first day of March 1780, in bills of exchange or specie or other current money equivalent.
That the principal of all certificates taken out on or after the said first day of March 1780 be discharged at the rate of one dollar in specie or other current money equivalent for forty dollars in continental bills of credit.
That the annual interest be discharged in the same manner as the principal at the rate of 6 per cent upon the principal ascertained as aforesaid.
That the Board of Treasury prepare the proper Tables for direction of the Commissioners of Continental loan offices in the several States in paying the principal and interest of Loans.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of William Churchill Houston, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 29, folio 181. It is endorsed by Thomson: "Read March 25, to be considered on Tuesday, March 28; March 28 referred to committee of the whole, the committee to sit to morrow; April 24 to be considered April 25."]
Ordered, That the same be taken into consideration on Tuesday next.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock on Monday.
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |