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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 --SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1780
A letter, of 13 October, from Major General Gates was read, with sundry papers enclosed:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 154, II, folio 293.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to the committee on the letter from General Washington of the 22nd.
The Board of Admiralty, to whom were re-committed their report and sundry papers relative to an account of William Duet, Esquire, for masts, reported specially: Whereupon,
Admiralty Office Octr. 26 1780.
The Board of Admiralty to whom were recommitted the enclosed papers relative to an account of William Duer, Esquire, for Masts he supplied the Continental Frigates built at Hudson's River beg leave to report to Congress thereon viz--
That it appears by the enclosed Certificate of Lancaster Burling master builder of the said frigates that the masts charged in the inclosed account of Mr Duer were actually furnished for the use of said frigates in Feby 1776.
That it appears by the certificate of Augustine Lawrence and Samuel Tudor, Superintendants of the Building of the said frigates that the masts furnished by Mr. Duet have not been paid for.
That it appears by the Certificate of Samuel Tudor one of the Superintendants of said frigates, that Mr. Duer did in the Spring of the year 1776, apply to him for payment of said masts: but he not knowing anything of the contract could not make any payment for them
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From the foregoing State of facts the Board are of opinion that Mr. Duer should be paid for the said masts and beg leave to mention that the same be referred to the Treasury for that purpose. They do not know that any payments have been made to Mr. Duer on account of these masts.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 37, folio 333.]
Ordered, That the said account be referred to the Board of Treasury for payment.
A report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That on the application of Ephraim Blaine, commissary general of purchases, accompanied with estimates approved by the Board of War, a warrant issue on the treasurer in his favour, for four hundred and seventy thousand dollars, for the use of his department; and for which the said Ephraim Blaine is to be accountable.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 655.]
That another warrant issue in his favour on Nathaniel Appleton, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Massachusetts Bay, for one hundred thousand two hundred and thirty five dollars, to enable him to discharge a contract made by Major General R. Howe, between Henry Wykoff and George Fechem; and for which the said Ephraim Blaine is to be accountable.
And that another warrant issue in his favour on John Hopkins, Junior, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Virginia, for one hundred and two thousand two hundred and forty one dollars and 58/90 of a dollar, for the use of his department; and for which he is to be accountable.3
[Note 3: 3 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 687.]
On motion of Mr. [Abraham] Clark, seconded by Mr. [John] Fell,
Resolved, That the director of the hospitals, the chief physicians and surgeons of the hospitals and the army,
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and the other physicians and surgeons of the hospitals, the purveyor, apothecary and their respective assistants, and the stewards, do severally take the oaths or affirmations directed by a resolution of Congress of the 3d of February, 1778; and deposite duplicate certificates of taking the same with the Medical Committee as soon as possible; that the said officers, respectively, be subject to the pains and penalties mentioned in the resolutions of the above date, for neglecting to take the said oaths or affirmations; and that the director of the hospitals take measures for carrying this resolution into immediate effect.
A motion being made by the delegates for South Carolina, for forwarding loan office certificates to the commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of South Carolina:
Resolved, That the Commissioners of the Treasury do immediately send forward to the Loan Office for the State of South Carolina and now established in North Carolina, Loan Office certificates to the amount of two millions of dollars.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of Thomas Bee, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 29, folio 193.]
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of five:
The members chosen, Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [Thomas] Bee, Mr. [Jared] Ingersol, Mr. [Abraham] Clark and Mr. [Samuel] Adams.
Ordered, That the committee report whether it will in their opinion be proper to continue the loan open on the present establishment.
On motion of Mr. [John] Mathews, seconded by Mr. [James] Madison,
Ordered, That a warrant issue on Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office in the State of Pensylvania, for one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, in favour of Major General Greene; and for which he is to be accountable.
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That a warrant issue on Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pensylvania, in favour of Ephraim Blaine, commissary general of purchases, for six hundred thousand dollars, for the purchase of beef for the army; and for which sum the said E. Blaine is to be accountable.
On motion of Mr. [James] Lovell, seconded by Mr. [Samuel] Adams,
Resolved, That the hon. John Adams be, and hereby is, authorised and instructed to accept the bills of exchange drawn on the hon. Henry Laurens, in pursuance of the resolution of Congress of the 6th instant, in the same manner as he is authorised and instructed to accept those heretofore drawn on Mr. Laurens, according to the resolution of November 23d, 1779; [and in case of the absence of Mr. Adams, the authority hereby granted be, and is hereby, extended to the hon. Francis Dana].1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of James Lovell, except the portion in brackets, which is the writing of James Duane, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, I, folio 107.]
A petition of Oliver Bowen was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Ezekiel] Cornell, Mr. [George] Walton and Mr. [Willie] Jones.
A letter, of this day, from Baron Steuben, M. G. was read.2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 164, folio 198.]
A report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That on the application of James Wilkinson, cloathier general, approved by the Board of War, a warrant issue on the treasurer in his favour, for fifty thousand dollars, for the contingent expences of his office; and for which the said James Wilkinson is to be accountable.
That on the application of Benjamin Armitage, superintendant of the paper making, a warrant issue on the treasurer
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in his favour, for eight thousand dollars, for which he is to be accountable.
That on the application of D. C. Claypoole, printer to Congress, a warrant issue on the treasurer in his favour, for eight thousand dollars, to be advanced to John Dean, to enable him to proceed in the binding of the 4th volume of the Journals of Congress, and for which the said David C. Claypoole is to be accountable.
That on the application of Nathan Jones Clerk in the War Office, a warrant issue on the Treasurer in his favor for one hundred and twenty five dollars specie, or current money equivalent Postponed in full of his salary for his services from the 17th. of July last until the 17th of Octr. instant, being one quarter of a year.
Whereas Francis Lewis one of the Commissioners of the Board of Admiralty has made application by letter to this Board for nine months salary. The Board being embarrassed respecting this application and others of a similar nature, beg leave to submit Mr. Lewis' letter to the consideration of Congress, in order that they may determine not only what shall be considered equivalent to specie but also to what period the salaries established by the resolutions of the thirteenth and twenty fifth of Septr last shall have retrospect.
They further beg leave to bring to the recollection of Congress their Report on this subject of the 14th. of October instant. The Board having considered the Extract of a letter from Major Genl Schuyler dated the 10th. of October 1780, referred to them by Congress beg leave to report
That a warrant issue on his excellency George Clinton, governor of the State of New York, in favour of Philip Schuyler, Esquire, for seventy five dollars specie, to enable the commissioners for Indian affairs in the northern department to pay the Oneidas that sum for snow shoes; and for which the said commissioners are to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on Abraham Yates, Esquire, commissioner of the Continental loan office for the State of New York, in favor of Mr. Dow, for one thousand dollars in the bills omitted pursuant to the Act of Congress of the 18th of March last (being part of the
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bills aforesaid subject to the orders of Congress) to enable the said Mr. Dow to discharge the debts duly contracted by the commissioners for Indian affairs in the Northern Department, and for which the said commissioners are to be accountable.
The Board further represent upon the Extract aforesd. That Congress not having decided on several reports from this Board for warrants on the respective Loan Officers for payments in the money of the last emission (which Genl. Schuyler in the Extract Referred to the Committee of Ways and Means aforesaid asks for) and this Board conceiving it not the intention of Congress that warrants should be drawn on the respective Loan Officers, beg to be instructed in this matter. At the same time they take the liberty to suggest to Congress, that a failure in the specific supplies to be furnished by the respective States, and the daily applications for money unconnected with those demands evince the necessity to draw money either from their respective Treasurers or Loan Officers, or from both as the occasion may be.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 656.]
Ordered, That the last paragraph of the report of 24th, be referred to the Committee of Estimates and Ways and Means.
Another report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That on the application of Charles Pettit, assistant Q. M. G., accompanied with estimates approved by the Board of War, the following warrants issue in his favour on account of Colonel T. Pickering, Q. M. G., viz.
One on Nathaniel Appleton, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Massachusetts Bay, for forty thousand dollars in bills of credit emitted pursuant to the act of Congress, of the eighteenth of March last, part of the bills aforesaid, subject to the orders of Congress.
One on John Lawrence, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Connecticut, for five thousand dollars in the bills of credit aforesaid.
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One on Abraham Yates, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of New York, for twenty thousand dollars, in bills of credit aforesaid, and
One on Joseph Borden, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of New Jersey, for fifteen thousand dollars, in bills of credit aforesaid.
And one on Thomas Harwood Commissioner of the Continental Loan Office for the State of Maryland for fifteen thousand dollars in bills of credit aforesaid.
And one on the treasurer for two millions of dollars in bills of credit, emitted previous to the eighteenth of March last; for all which sums the said T. Pickering, Q. M. G. is to be accountable.
Ordered, That so much of the report as relates to a warrant on Thomas Harwood be re-committed.
Ordered, That a warrant issue on Nathaniel Appleton, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Massachusetts Bay, in favour of Ebenezer Sullivan, for one thousand six hundred and seventy one dollars, sixty one ninetieths of a dollar and three eights of a ninetieth, in bills of credit emitted in pursuance of the act of Congress, of the 18 March last, part of the said bills subject to the orders of Congress, in order to discharge the balance due on the account aforesaid.
Resolved, That a warrant on the Treasurer in favor of Charles Thomson Esqr Secretary of Congress for five thousand dollars in bills of credit pursuant to the act of Congress of the 18th of March last (part of the said bills subject to the orders of Congress) on account.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 661.]
That on the application of Mr. [William] Few, a delegate for the State of Georgia, a warrant issue on the treasurer in his favour for ten thousand dollars, for which the said State is to be accountable.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 663.]
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Agreeable to order, the Board of War made return of the arms in the several magazines.1
[Note 1: 1 The letter transmitting the return is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 148, I, folio 207; the return is on folio 211.]
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the Committee of Estimates and Ways and Means, and made some progress.
Treasury Office October 28, 1780
Upon the letter from the Board of War and Extract of a letter from Major General Gates referred by Congress--
The Board of Treasury beg leave to report
That they did express their sentiments on this subject in their report of the 13th. instant on the accounts of Colo. John White--That the Board are clearly of opinion with the Board of War--that Congress do appoint an Auditor of Accounts for the Southern Department2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 689. It is indorsed: "Mr. Dart appointed."]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock on Monday.
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