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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 --MONDAY, JUNE 19, 1780
Mr. [Roger] Sherman, a delegate for the State of Connecticut, attended and took his seat in Congress.
A letter, of 12, from the president of the senate and speaker of the house of delegates of Maryland, was read,
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enclosing certain resolutions passed by the general assembly of that State:
Ordered, That so much of the said resolutions as relates to arms be referred to the Board of War, and so much as relates to the continental frigates, be referred to the Board of Admiralty.
A letter, of 16, from the committee at headquarters was read, enclosing a letter, of 14, from Major General Greene.
The delegates for New Hampshire laid before Congress a letter, of 27 May, from the president of the council of that State, which was read, and a motion being made thereon,1
[Note 1: 1 The Maryland letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 70, folio 373; the enclosure is on folio 377. The letter from headquarters is in No. 39, I, folio 79; it was transcribed in the Committee Book, 1780, Proceedings of the Committee appointed the 13th of April, 1780, folio 27. The New Hampshire letter is in No. 64, folio 110.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Thomas] McKean, Mr. [Roger] Sherman and Mr. [Abraham] Clark.
A note from the Honorable the Minister Plenipotentiary of France was read, on which certain resolutions being moved,2
[Note 2: 2 This note, dated June 18, is printed in the Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (Wharton), III, 803.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Robert R.] Livingston, Mr. [Thomas] McKean and Mr. [Oliver] Ellsworth.
The committee, appointed to prepare a plan for the defence of the southern states, brought in a farther report, which was read; Whereupon,
Resolved, That it be earnestly recommended to the States of Virginia and North Carolina, to use their utmost exertions to recruit, remount and equip Baylor's and White's regiments
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of light dragoons, so as to compleat them to at least one and fifty rank and file in each regiment:
That it be recommended to General Washington, if they can be possibly spared not incompatible with the service, to order the infantry belonging to Major Lee's corps, now in Virginia, to proceed on their route and join the southern army, there to be mounted as cavalry or otherwise employed as the commander in chief commanding officer in that department shall think best.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Thomas Bee, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 21, folio 233.]
A report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on Nathaniel Appleton, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Massachusetts Bay, in favour of Michael Hillegas, treasurer of the United States, for eight hundred thousand dollars; for which the said Michael Hillegas is to be accountable.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 355.]
Ordered, That the plan for conducting the quartermaster general's department be referred to a committee of five:
The members chosen, Mr. [Philip] Schuyler, Mr. [Artemas] Ward, Mr. [Ezekiel] Cornell, Mr. [John] Armstrong and Mr. [Roger] Sherman.
Congress took into consideration the report of the committee on the representation and petition of John Garcia Duarti; and thereupon,
Resolved, That the board of war of Massachusetts Bay, at Boston, forthwith deliver to the said John Garcia Duarti, or to his order, on request, all the coin deposited in their hands, and all the effects yet unsold, being parts of the cargo of the snow Nostra Senhora de Carmel et Saint Antonio, without charging him any commission thereon;
That the board of war of Massachusetts Bay, at Boston, do pay, upon demand, to John Bradford, continental agent
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at Boston, eighteen thousand four hundred and sixty one pounds thirteen shillings and three pence being the amount of the net proceeds of the aforesaid snow and cargo, sold under their direction by order of Congress of the 11th of May, 1778, who is hereby directed to purchase bills of exchange on some merchant or banker in Europe, to as great an amount as the sum of £18,461 13s. 3d. with interest thereon, at 6 per cent. per annum, to the day of buying the said bills, would have purchased at the time of the sale of the snow and cargo aforesaid, and deliver the same to the said John Garcia Duarti, for the use of his owners; and that the said John Bradford report his proceedings in the premises to Congress, without delay.
Resolved, That the bond which Joseph Cunningham gave, at the time he obtained his commission as master or commander of the schooner Phoenix, be forthwith put in suit, and that his said commission be thereupon vacated and made void; and also that the said Joseph Cunningham be not admitted to hold any commission under the United States, on board of any ship or vessel of war, until such time as he shall appear and answer such suit, and satisfy the judgment against him, or procure the same to be reversed or set aside by due course of law; and that the monies recovered on such suit be paid to the said John Garcia Duarti, for the use of his owners:
That the said John Garcia Duarti may also prosecute, or cause to be prosecuted, an action or actions against the said Joseph Cunningham, late commander of the private armed schooner of war Phoenix, the owners of the said schooner, and any person or persons that may be justly deemed guilty of the seizure and capture of the said John Garcia Duarti, with the said snow, her crew and cargo, or any ways accountable for the same, for the benefit and further reparation of the
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owners of the said snow: such prosecution to be at the expence of the United States.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Jared Ingersoll, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, II, folio 115.]
Congress took into consideration the report of the committee appointed to devise means for the more effectual preventing and punishing the making or uttering counterfeit paper bills, of the similitude of the bills of credit emitted by Congress; and thereupon,
Resolved, That if any person or persons shall take and prosecute to conviction any person who shall prepare, engrave, stamp, forge, or print, or cause or procure to be prepared, engraved, stamped, forged or printed, the counterfeit resemblance of any paper bills of credit issued, emitted or made by Congress, or who shall counterfeit or sign. the name or names of the signers to any true bills to such counterfeit paper, with the intention that such counterfeit paper shall be passed in payments, or received as genuine and good bills, whether the same be so passed or received or not; or who shall pay or tender in payment any such counterfeit money, or deliver the same to any other person or persons, with an intention that such counterfeit paper be passed, paid or received, as and for good and genuine, knowing the same to be forged or counterfeited; upon every such conviction, and procuring a certificate thereof, under the hands of the judges before whom such conviction shall be had, or either of them, such person or persons shall receive, of the continental loan officer of the State where such conviction shall be had, the sum of one thousand two thousand dollars in the present continental currency, which the said loan officer is hereby directed and required to pay out of any public money in his hands, and to charge the same to the United States.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of Thomas McKean, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 163.]
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The committee on the memorial of W. Bingham, and
The Committee of Foreign Affairs delivered in reports.
Treasury Office June 19. 1780
The Board having considered the letter from his Excellency Jonathan Trumbull Esqr. Governor of the State of Connecticut with the enclosed Act of the Assembly of said State, referred to them by Congress, beg leave to report,
That the object of the aforesaid letter and Act of Assembly is anticipated, and already provided for in the resolution of Congress dated the seventeenth instant, ordering a Warrant to issue on John Lawrence Treasurer of the State of Connecticut in favor of Charles Pettit Assistant Quarter Master General on account of Nathaniel Greene Quarter Master General, for Six hundred thousand dollars.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 351.]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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