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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, SEPTEMBER 22, 1780
Mr. [George] Plater, a delegate for Maryland, attended and took his seat in Congress.
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A petition of Charles McCarthy was read:1
[Note 1: 1 This petition, dated September 21, 1780, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, V, folio 209.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A petition of William Murray was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the committee appointed to report regulations relative to captures by sea.2
[Note 2: 2 A marginal note says: "See July 27."]
A report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That on the application of the Board of War, a warrant issue on Nathaniel Appleton, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Massachusetts Bay, for thirty thousand dollars, payable in the bills of credit subject to the orders of Congress by their resolution of the 18 March last, in favour of Joseph Carleton, paymaster to the Board of War and Ordnance, to enable Messrs. Otis & Henly, agents, cloathiers in Boston, to pay for the fulling of blankets and making up cloathing, &c. for the use of the armies of the United States; and for which the said paymaster is to be accountable.3
[Note 3: 3 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 597.]
Treasury Office Sept 19th. 1780
The Board of Treasury Report,
That by letters and Returns lately received from the Commisioners of the Loan offices, in the States of Virginia, Maryland and Connecticut, it appears few or none of the Bills of Exchange ordered to be sent to those offices, by the Resolution of Congress of the 19 of May last, have been disposed of.
That it appears to the Board, a contract has been entered into by Messrs Otis & Henly of Boston; agents for purchasing Cloathing on Continental Account, with Nathaniel Tracy of New Berry Port, to a considerable sum, in sterling money of Great Britain.
That the agent of the said Tracy is now attending in consequence of his memorial to Congress referred to this Board, and offers to receive the Bills drawn by the orders of Congress on their Ministers in Europe, in discharge of the Contracts aforesaid, at Par, which
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appears to the Board, to be for the interest of the United States; Wherefore they beg leave to offer the following Resolution,
Resolved, That the Board of Treasury be authorised to recall from the commissioners of the loan offices, in the States of Virginia, Maryland and Connecticut, the Bills of Exchange lodged with them for sale, in pursuance of the resolution of Congress of the 19th. of May last, and that they be empowered to pay the same in part discharge of the debt due to Nathl Tracey & Co. for Cloathing purchased by Otis & Henly for the use of the army.
That on the application of Gillam Aertson a Clerk in the War Postponed. office a Warrant issue on the Treasurer in his favor for five thousand dollars on account of his salary.
The Board having taken into consideration, those parts of the memorial of Mordecai Sheftall, referred to them by Congress, beg leave to report,
That the said Sheftall in respect of the pay due to him as a deputy Commissary General of Issues, should apply to his principal, for the adjustment of his pay; and to the Commissary General Postponed. of Purchases for Reimbursement of the Rum, sold him for the use of the Troops.
The Board beg leave to represent, that it would be of the worst consequence to the Public Interest to admit demands of this kind to be made here, without Certificates of the adjustment of the accounts from the proper officers, placed at the heads of the several departments, who should be charged with the sums paid at the Treasury on such Certificates.
On the application of Timothy Pickering Esqr Quar Mastr General accompanied with an estimate of the cost of one thousand tents the Board beg leave to report, the following resolution
Resolved, that the Board of Treasury be authorised to deliver to Colonel T. Pickering Q. M. G,, bills of exchange to the amount of six thousand, five hundred and six dollars, for the purpose of purchasing Tents for the use of the Southern Army.
The Board beg leave further to Report,
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That they have considered the memorial of David Shaffer referred to them by Congress, and are of opinion, that the Information. present state of the Public Funds renders a compliance with the request of the memorialist impracticable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 591.]
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on the medical department, and on the consideration of the following paragraph, viz.
"That the several officers whose pay is established as above, except the clerks and stewards, shall at the end of the war be entitled to a certain provision of land in the proportion following, viz.
The director to have the same quantity as a brigadier general. Chief physicians and purveyors, the same as a colonel. Physicians and surgeons and apothecary the same as lieutenant colonel. Regimental surgeons and assistants to the purveyor and apothecary, the same as a major. Hospital and regimental surgeons mates, the same as a captain."
A motion was made by Mr. [Frederick A.] Muhlenberg, seconded by Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, to amend the paragraph by inserting after the words, "intitled to" the words following, viz. "half pay in the same manner and under like restrictions as officers of the line"; and on the question to agree to the amendment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John] Fell,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
On the question to agree to the paragraph as amended, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Ezekiel] Cornell,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative,
Ordered, That the paragraph respecting the pay be recommitted.
On motion of Mr. [Robert R.] Livingston, seconded by Mr. [Samuel] Adams,
Resolved, That four thousand pounds sterling, in bills of exchange, of the bills directed to be drawn on Doctor Franklin now in the Treasury, be immediately sold for continental
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money, at the current exchange, notwithstanding any former appropriation thereof.
Resolved, That the State of Pensylvania be informed that Congress will advance one third of the sum necessary for the purchase of one thousand head of cattle, to be immediately forwarded to the army.
A letter, of 5, from Major General Gates was read, enclosing a report from Colonel Williams and a copy of a letter, of 3, from General Gates to General Washington:
Ordered, That the report of Colonel Williams be referred to the Committee of Intelligence.
A letter, of 13, from General Washington was read:1
[Note 1: 1 Gates's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 154, II, 242; Washington's letter is in No. 152, IX, folio 165.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War to take order.
Ordered, That the letter from Major General Gates be referred to a committee of three; and that the committee be instructed to consider what honours are due to the memory of the late Major General the Baron de Kalb, who died of the wounds he received in the battle of Camden, on the 16 of August last.
The members chosen, Mr. [Robert R.] Livingston, Mr. [John] Henry and Mr. [Whitmill] Hill.
The Committee to whom was referred the letter of William Bingham Esqr late Agent for the United States in the West Indies, read the 18th inst, report,
That having conferred with Mr Bingham and taken a general survey of his accounts, they find, that the settlement of them will take up some time.
That as far as appears to your Committee a considerable balance will be due to Mr Bingham, that the immediate payment of part of this balance, by advance, is necessary to enable him to fulfil certain engagements made on behalf of the United States. They therefore submit it to be resolved;
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That the Board of Treasury furnish Mr Bingham as soon as possible with Bills of Exchange on Mr Jay for seven thousand pounds sterling, and charge the same to him in account1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of William Churchill Houston, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, I, folio 349.]
The Committee to whom Govr. Jeffersons letter of the 8th. (with its enclosure) was referred Report.
That Congress approve of the principle which induced his Excellency the Govr. of Virginia to fix a limitation of prices in his instructions for the purchase of Horses to remount Lts Colo. White's and Colo. Baylor's Regt. of Cavalry. At the same time they are sensible of the pressing necessity which now exists of speedily bringing into the field a body of Cavalry to act with the Southern Army which induces them to request a continuance of his exertions for that purpose without confining the purchasers to such prices in future as may have a tendency to retard the purchase, or be a means of procuring horses insufficient in quantity for the purposes they are intended.
That the Style of Lt. Colo. Whites letter of Septr. 2d. 1780, which was addressed to the Governor of Virginia, is improper and inconsistent with the confidence which ought to be reposed in the Executive of a State, exerting itself for the advancement of the common good, by every means in its power.
Your Committee are of opinion that Congress, did not in their former recommendations think it necessary to affix a standard for the Quality of the Horses intended to remount the aforesaid Cavalry, which might probably have prevented the disagreeable effects arising from recruiting officers rejecting horses furnished for that purpose. But in order to prevent disagreeable altercations on that subject in future, and truly sensible, that the Executive of Virginia have hitherto done the best in their power as far as present circumstances will admit, to obtain proper horses for mounting the Cavalry in question; Therefore Resolve that all the horses hitherto purchased, by order of the said Executive for remounting the Regts. aforesaid, and Major Nelson's Corps be appropriated to that purpose, and if on the arrival of the said Horses at the Southern Army, they shall by the Commander of that army be deemed unfit for the service of the Cavalry; That then he order the Dy. Qr. Mr. Genl. with that army to receive such homes as shall be so rejected into his Department and exchange them for others fit for the service of Cavalry if he have such in his
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Department, or if otherwise that he immediately provide others in lieu thereof. And it is furthermore the desire of Congress, that no horses furnished for Cavalry service shall be under fourteen hands and one inch in height, and less than five years old, or more than nine, unless the Commander of the Regiment receiving the horses so furnished shall receive them under that size and age, but that in future fourteen hands and an half, and six years old be the Standard fixed by Congress, to which all purchasers be directed to conform in their purchases as nearly as possible.
Your Committee are of opinion, that it will be more conducive to the public good that the detachment of Major Nelson's Corps, now at the Convention Barracks, should still remain on Duty at that station, if agreeable to the Executive of Virginia, and as they did not conceive that Troop to be annexed to the Southern Army, so they do not imagine it came within the perview of Major General Gates's order to Lt. Colo: White.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Theodorick Bland, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, II, folio 253. It is indorsed by Charles Thomson: "Delivered Sept. 22, 1780; read; Sept. 27 recommitted."]
[Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.]
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