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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 --FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 1780
A letter, of 17th, from Will. Palfrey, paymaster general, was read, with sundry papers enclosed:
Ordered, That the same be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Ezekiel] Cornell, Mr. [James] Lovell and Mr. [John Morin] Scott.
A letter, of this day, from Governor J. Rutledge was read: Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of five:
The members chosen, Mr. [Thomas] Bee, Mr. [Samuel] Adams, Mr. [John] Henry, Mr. J[oseph] Jones and Mr. [Timothy] Matlack.
A letter of S. J. Atlee was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury to take order.
A letter, of 8, from Thomas Cooke to Doctor Scudder was laid before Congress and read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of 14, from the Board of Admiralty was read.2
[Note 2: 2 Palfrey's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 165, folio 557; Rutledge's letter is in No. 72, folio 528; Atlee's letter dated August 16, is in No. 78, I, folio 361; Cooke's letter is in No. 78, V, folio 499; the Board of Admiralty's letter is in No. 37, folio 307, a copy of the letter being in the Marine Committee Letter Book, Continental Congress, folio 316.]
A report from the Board of Admiralty was read; Whereupon,
Admiralty Office, August 14th. 1780.
The Board of Admiralty beg leave to represent to Congress, that notwithstanding repeated written and verbal messages to John Nixon and John Maxwell Nesbitt, Esqrs, Continental Agents for Pennsylvania, they have not been able to induce them to exhibit
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their accounts, and as it is of importance that monies arising from the Sale of the Continental share of prizes should be immediately applied to answer the public exigencies, therefore the board beg leave to report the following motion:
Resolved, That it is not necessary any longer to continue John Nixon and John M. Nesbit, Esqrs. in their agency for prizes; and therefore,
Resolved, That the said John Nixon and John M. Nesbit, continental agents for prizes in the State of Pennsylvania, be discharged, and that they account, without delay, with the Board of Admiralty.
Resolved, That until the farther order of Congress, the Board of Admiralty, ex officio, take charge of and direct the disposition of all prizes which may be brought into the State of Pennsylvania.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 37, folio 291.]
Congress resumed the consideration of the proceedings of the court martial on the trial of Doctor Shippen, director general, when a motion was made by Mr. [Timothy] Matlack, seconded by Mr. [William Churchill] Houston, as follows:
That the court martial having acquitted the said Doctor W. Shippen, the said acquittal be confirmed.
A motion was made by Mr. [Samuel] Adams, seconded by Mr. [John Morin] Scott, to strike out the words, "the said acquittal be confirmed," in order to insert, "Ordered, that he be discharged from arrest."
On the question shall the words moved to be struck out stand, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John] Henry,
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So it passed in the negative, and the words were struck out.
On the question to insert the words moved,
Resolved in the affirmative.
A motion was made by Mr. [Abraham] Clark, seconded by Mr. [Nathaniel] Folsom, to amend the motion, by inserting after W. Shippen, these words, "excepting that part of the 2d charge relating to his speculating in hospital stores, on which the court judge him highly reprehensible."
On the question to agree to this amendment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Nathaniel] Folsom,
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So it passed in the negative.
The motion being amended to read,
The court martial having acquitted the said Doctor W. Shippen, Ordered, that he be discharged from arrest,
On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Nathaniel] Folsom,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
A letter, of this day, from the Board of War was read:1
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 148, I, folio 173.]
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Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury. Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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