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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 --SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 1780
A report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
Treasury Office, June 8, 1730.
The Board of Treasury having considered the letter of the Board of War of the 6 instant, referred to them by Congress report,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of Joseph Carleton paymaster to the Board of War for eighty eight thousand dollars, to enable the said Board to discharge their contract with Philemon Dickinson for one hundred and ten barrels of flour and one thousand and three bushels of Indian corn, for which the said paymaster is to be accountable.
The Board having considered the Extract of a letter from the Board of War dated June 6, 1780, with its inclosures referred to them by Congress, report
That the Board of Treasury, by Ordinance of Congress of July 30th 1779 establishing the same, are authorized to "examine into the merits of all Requisitions for the advance of money for public services, and report thereon to Congress, to grant warrants under their seal on the Treasurer for balances of accounts and partial payments."
That by the Resolutions of Congress passed October 17, 1777 for establishing the Board of War the said Board are empowered and directed "to obtain and keep exact accounts of the numbers and disposition of the forces of the United States, to obtain and keep exact accounts of all the Artillery, Arms, Ammunition, Warlike stores, Clothing, Medicines and Provisions belonging to the United States: and of the manner in which, and the places where, the same
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shall from time to time be lodged and employed," and in general to superintend the several branches of the Military Department: and all military and other officers attending upon or connected with the army of the United States are required and enjoined to observe the directions of the said Board in making and transmitting proper returns and such other matters as may tend to facilitate the Business of the said Board.
That by several Resolutions of Congress relative to the Quarter Master and Commissary General's Departments, particularly those of May 14, 1777, April 14, 1778, it is specially required that "the Returns of the said Departments be transmitted to and subjected to the inspection and direction of the Board of War"
That the Board of Treasury are not furnished with any general account of the Expenditures in the Quarter Master Department, and therefore cannot judge whether the sums required by the Assist. Quarter Master General on the Estimates referred for the Deputy Quarter Master General in the State of New Jersey ought to be issued as a balance or a partial payment.
They are not by their Office enabled to come at the knowledge of the objects of the military operations, the force of the Army, the dispositions, the requisite movements, the state and situation of magazines, or the situation of posts: and therefore cannot be enabled to judge whether any particular estimates of supplies which may be laid before them, is requisite for the public service, and consequently cannot merely on any such estimate report that the advances of money required for the same ought to be made. They presume that the Board who are immediately intrusted with the superintendance of the Officers, and who are empowered to obtain the materials necessary for giving due information, are alone competent to determine on the propriety of Estimates of supplies and services for which advances of public money are required: and the Board of Treasury find themselves obliged to require certificates of approbation from the Superintending Boards as the best, and indeed only competent testimony on which they can report that advances ought to be made.
That the Estimates aforesaid cannot for the reasons aforesaid be judged of, or reported upon by the Board of Treasury as services and supplies for which an advance of public money ought to be made: and as the Board of War, who are particularly charged with the superintendance of the Quarter Master General's department, and before whom the general plans, estimates and returns are presumed
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to be, decline to take upon themselves to declare that the supplies and services in the said estimates are proper and necessary, the Board of Treasury cannot take upon themselves to report that money ought to be advanced for the same.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 333.]
Ordered, That the remainder be referred to the committee on the letter, of the 6th, from the Board of War.
The report from the committee on the letter, of 8, from the Board of War was read:
Ordered, That it be re-committed.
A motion being made by the delegate for the State of Rhode Island, for an advance of money to that State in part of a ballance said to be due:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock on Monday.
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