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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 --WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1780
A letter, of 20, from Mr. R. Izard.
One, of 19, from J[ohn] Mathews, in behalf of the committee at headquarters, enclosing copy of a letter, of 17th,
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from General Washington, and of a circular letter from committee to the states, dated 19, were read.
A letter, of 2d, from J. Ely was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A letter, of 25, and one, of 26 July, from John Mangnall, were read:1
[Note 1: 1 Mathews's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 39, I, folio 227; it was transcribed in Committee Book, 1780, Proceedings of the Committee appointed the 13th April, 1780, folio 47; Ely's letter is in No. 78, VIII, folio 351; that of Izard in No. 78, XIII, folio 175; that of Mangnall dated July 16 (26 being an error), is in No. 78, XVI, folio 61; Mangnall's letter of July 15 (25 being an error) is on folio 65.]
Ordered, That they be referred to the Committee of Foreign Affairs.
A petition from the justices and field officers of the county Northampton, in the State of Virginia, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This petition, dated August 8, 1780, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, VI, folio 39.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A petition from sundry inhabitants of Kentucke was read.3
[Note 3: 3 This petition is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 48, folio 247.]
Congress took into consideration the report of the Board of Treasury on the letter from Colonel Pickering, Q. M. G., and thereupon came to the following resolutions:
Treasury Office, Aug 22nd. 1780
On that part of Timothy Pickering's letter of the 15th. instant referred by Congress which relates to Certificates,
The Board beg leave to report,
That the power of issuing Certificates by the Quarter Master General, or any other department may be productive of evil, but may also, under our pressing necessities have a happy tendency by answering the purposes of money, and if properly regulated, the disadvantages apprehended in a great measure guarded against.
Wherefore the Board submit the following Resolution,
That Timothy Pickering Quarter Master General be authorised to issue certificates for all services performed, or articles purchased in his department under the following Regulations and restrictions to wit:
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Resolved, That no certificates issued in the quarter master's and commissary's departments after the 15th day of September next, afford any claim upon the United States, unless issued under the following regulations:
[Note 1: 1 In the report the date is given October 18th last; but February 25 is correct.]
Resolved, That certificates issued under and agreeably to the foregoing regulations, shall bear an interest of six per cent. per annum, from the time stipulated for payment, until paid.
Resolved, That the quarter master general and commissary general be, and hereby are strictly enjoined to make monthly returns of their purchases and proceedings to the Board of War, and make monthly returns, to wit, on the last day of every month, to the Board of Treasury, of all certificates so issued as aforesaid and that the quarter master general
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and commissary general have the power aforesaid until the farther order of Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 531.]
On motion of Mr. [Thomas] McKean, seconded by Mr. [Robert R.] Livingston,
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to ascertain and declare the privileges of members of Congress until the confederation shall be ratified by all the states in the Union.
The members chosen, Mr. [Thomas] McKean, Mr. [Robert R.] Livingston and Mr. [John] Henry.
A letter, of this day, from Governor Rutledge was read.2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 72, folio 530.]
The Board of Treasury, to whom was referred the report of the Board of War, delivered in a report;3 Whereupon,
[Note 3: 3 A marginal note says: "See August 7, 21."]
Treasury Office, August 23, 1780.
On the Report from the Board of War of the 21st. instant referred by Congress;
The Board beg leave to Report,
That in consequence of a Resolution of Congress of the 21st. April last, Bills of Exchange on the Hon'ble John Jay Esqr. to the amount of seventy one thousand three hundred and forty dollars, specie, were reserved for the use of the Prisoners of War of the United States, and that the same bills remain unappropriated.
Resolved, That the Board of Treasury be and hereby are empowered to direct Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office, for the State of Pensylvania, to sell, under their direction, for specie, the bills ordered to be drawn on the hon. J. Jay, which were reserved for the use of the prisoners of war of the United States, amounting to seventy one thousand three hundred and fifty [forty] dollars, specie:
That one half of the specie aforesaid be applied, under the direction of the Board of War, for the purpose of supplying
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the prisoners of war in the States of South Carolina and Georgia:
That the other half of the specie aforesaid, be forwarded, under the direction of the Board of War, to the commanding officer of the southern Department to be by him forwarded to the Commissaries of Prisoners in Charles Town commissary of prisoners, in the middle department, for the supply of the prisoners at New York:
That the Board of Treasury be and hereby are empowered to prepare bills of exchange, to be drawn on the hon. Benjamin Franklin, minister plenipotentiary at the Court of Versailles, at ninety days sight, to the amount of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, specie; the amount of the estimate from the Board of War. That so much thereof as will compleat the estimate of the Board of War, be sold for specie, and forwarded to the commissaries of prisoners in the middle and southern departments, under the same regulations, and for the same purposes as aforesaid; the residue of the 150,000 dollars, to replace the 71,340 dollars aforesaid, be reserved for the special direction of Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 These resolutions were also entered in the manuscript Secret (Domestic) Journal. The report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 535.]
The committee on the letter from Sol: Southwick, and the committee on the letter, of 18, from Governor Rutledge, delivered in their respective reports.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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