| 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, JUNE 24, 1780
The Committee on the Post Office, to whom was referred the petition of Charles Freeman, brought in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That the said petition, together with the papers enclosed, be referred to the Board of Treasury.
The Committee of Commerce, to whom was referred the communication of the Minister of France, and the letter of 18 May, from Mr. Carabasse, of Cape François, brought in report, which was read; Whereupon,
That it appears to your Committee a very considerable quantity of Merchandize belonging to the United States as also the materials for completely equipping two Frigates of 36 guns each are in the hands of Mr Carabasse at Cape François.
That the said merchandize consists principally of cloths, linnen, blankets and other articles necessary for the Army to a considerable amount and as your Committee have not the means of bringing those
Page 556 | Page image
effects from Cape François having no public vessels under their direction, they therefore submit the following Resolution.
Resolved, That the Board of Admiralty be directed to order one of the continental frigates to proceed as soon as possible to Cape François, and to take on board all such public goods and stores as Mr. Carabasse may have in his hands to ship; and proceed therewith to Delaware or Chesapeak Bay.1
[Note 1: 1 This resolution was also entered in the manuscript Secret (Domestic) Journal.
The report, in the writing of James Searle, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 31, folio 217.]
The Medical Committee brought in a report; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the Medical Committee be authorised to take proper measures for the sustenance and relief of the sick in this city, as well belonging to the army and navy of these States, as to those of our ally.
The committee to whom was referred the letter from the chambers of accounts, respecting certain directions given to them by the Board of Treasury, report,
"That, by the ordinance for establishing a Board of Treasury and the proper officers for managing the finances of these United States, passed the 30 day of July, 1779, the Board of Treasury are entrusted with the general superintendance of the finances of these United States, and are required to see that all public debtors are brought to account, frauds detected, and defaulters punished; they are likewise empowered to instruct in their duty all officers concerned in the finances and accounts, and to suspend any of them for negligence or misdemeanor, until the pleasure of Congress shall be known; where objections shall be discovered against the reports of the commissioners or auditors, the Board of Treasury are to correct their errors; and where the commissioners or auditors may be in doubt, to instruct them; and it is provided, that all orders and instructions to the chambers of accounts and
Page 557 | Page image
auditors of the army, shall be communicated through the auditor general."
From this review of the ordinance the committee observe,
"That the Board of Treasury are made immediately responsible for the settlement of the public accounts, and that they are invested with a general superintending power over the chambers of accounts; that they have a right to assign reasonable hours of office to the respective chambers for the despatch of the public business which ought to be publicly notified that accountants may be informed that it is necessary to the execution of this high trust, that reasonable hours of office be assigned by the chambers, and publicly notified, that the Board of Treasury, as well as the public accountants, may know when to have recourse to them for the despatch of business; that the Board of Treasury, being expressly required to call public debtors to account, and to detect frauds, authority to direct the settlement of one account in preference to another, is necessarily implied; and it is the duty of the chambers to inform the Board of Treasury, whenever required, of their progress in the settlement of any of the public accounts."
"It is also the opinion of the committee, that the said chambers are bound to observe such general instructions, for correcting errors, removing doubts, and facilitating the settlement of the public accounts, as shall be given to them by the Board of Treasury; conforming themselves, as far as possible; to fixed and established rules for administering justice equally and impartially between accountants and the public."1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of James Duane, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 165.]
Resolved, That Congress agree to the said report.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock on Monday.
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |