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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, DECEMBER 8, 1780
A letter, of 25 July, from Jon. Williams at Nantes was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XXIV, folio 217.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Admiralty.
Mr. J[oseph] Montgomery, a delegate for the State of Pensylvania, attended and took his seat in Congress.
A report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
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Treasury Office, December 7th. 1780
The Board of Treasury having considered the letter from Mr. Blair Mc.Clenachan merchant in this City of the 4th. inst: beg leave to report
That it appears by the said Letter and oath of the said Blair McClenachan exhibited and fried that the following sets of Exchange drawn by the United States on their Commissioners at Paris in favor of the following persons
and duly issued from the Continental Loan Office for the State of Pennsylvania were remitted by the said Blair Mc.Clenachan in the month of May last to St. Eustatius the 1st and 2d Sets thereof in the Brigantine Active, and the third and fourth Sets in the ship Aurora both of which vessels have been captured by the enemy, and the aforesaid Bills thrown overboard by the masters of said vessels, the truth of all which the Board have no reasons to doubt, and therefore submit the following Resolution
Ordered, That the treasurer of loans sign and deliver to Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pensylvania, to be by him issued to Blair Mc Clenaghan, seven setts of exchange, amounting in the whole to 384 dollars of the number, tenor and date of those filed in the Treasury office by the said Blair McClenaghan, and supposed to be lost; each set to consist of the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth bills, one of the eight only to be paid.
That the treasurer of loans furnish the said Blair McClenaghan with quadruplicate letters of advice, each containing a certified copy of this resolution, and that the aforesaid Blair McClenaghan enter into bond to the loan officer aforesaid on behalf of the United States, with two or more sufficient
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freeholders as securities in double the amount of the value of the said bills, with condition to indemnify the United States against the holder or holders of any of the said bills aforesaid which are said to be lost, should any such appear.
Ordered, That a warrant issue in favour of Cornelius Comegys, a clerk in the Treasury office, on the managers of the United States lottery, for seven thousand dollars, continental currency, in part of the salary due to him, for which sum he is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of Theophilus Gardner, assistant in the auditor general's office for one thousand eight hundred continental dollars, in part of the salary due to him; and for which he is to be accountable.
That a warrant issue on Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pensylvania, in favour of Thomas Bond, Junior, purveyor of the hospitals, on the recommendation of the Medical Committee, for fifteen thousand dollars, to be paid out of the proceeds of a bill of exchange for two hundred dollars, part of those heretofore ordered to be drawn on the honorable Benjamin Franklin, minister plenipotentiary of the United States at the Court of Versailles, at ninety days' sight, to be placed in the hands of the commissioner aforesaid, by order of the Board of Treasury, to enable the said purveyor to make provision for some sick soldiers in immediate want in the barracks in this city; for which sum the said Thomas Bond is to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 745.]
Treasury Office Decr. 2d. 1780
The Board of Treasury beg leave to report
That a warrant issue on Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pensylvania, in favour of William Kennan, copper plate printer, for fifteen
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hundred dollars, to enable him to procure sundries for the use of his press; for which sum he is to be accountable.
The Board having taken into consideration the memorial of Mr. Daniel Hale of the 29th ulto. requesting in lieu of the warrant granted the 28th ulto. on the Treasury of the State of New York for Six hundred and forty seven thousand eight hundred and ten dollars in favor of Ephraim Blaine Esqr. Commy Genl. of Purchases for the discharge of the demand of the said Daniel Hale together with a similar demand of Mr. John Donnald, that two seperate warrants may issue, one on the Continental Loan Officer for the State of Massachusetts Bay, and the other on the Continental Loan Officer for the State of New York, for each one half of his demand: apprehending no inconveniencies therefrom and having deposited the afsd. warrant in this Office: beg leave to report,
That in lieu of the warrant granted on the 28 of last month, the two following warrants issue in favour of Ephraim Blaine, commissary general of purchases, to enable him to pay for rum seized procured for the use of the army; and for which sum he is to be accountable, viz
One on Nathaniel Appleton, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Massachusetts Bay, for three hundred and twenty three thousand nine hundred and five dollars of the old emissions;
And the other on Abraham Yates, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of New York, for the like sum of three hundred and twenty three thousand nine hundred and five dollars of the like emissions.
That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of John Pierce, deputy paymaster general to the main army, for two hundred and sixty four dollars in specie, to be by him delivered to the Commander in Chief.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, IV, folio 737.]
A letter, of 6, from the supreme executive council of the State of Pensylvania, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 69, II, folio 306.]
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Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members chosen, Mr. [Jesse] Root, Mr. [John] Sullivan, Mr. [Theodorick] Bland.
On motion of Mr. [John] Sullivan, seconded by Mr. [Thomas] Bee,
Resolved, That an envoy extraordinary a minister be appointed to proceed to the Court of Versailles for the special purpose of soliciting in conjunction with our Minister Plenipotentiary at that court the supplies aids requested by Congress, and forwarding them to America without loss of time.
Ordered, That Monday next be assigned for electing an envoy the said minister.1
[Note 1: 1 This resolution, in the writing of John Sullivan, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, IV, folio 523. This resolution and order were also entered in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs. The rest of the entry in the Journal for this day is in George Bond's writing.]
A report from the Board of Admiralty was read:
Admiralty Office 5th Decr. 1780.
The Board to whom the enclosed Petition was referred beg leave to Report
That the West Florida, a British Sloop of War Commanded by a Lieutenant Payne of their Navy, was Captured by the Continental Schooner Ship Morris's tender, under the Command of William Pickles Esqr. The said West Florida with her materials and sundry articles then on board pr. inventory, were appraised and valued at the request of Oliver Pollock, Continental agent, and Captain Pickles, who also acted as agent for the Crew at New Orleans, to the amount of Twenty seven hundred Spanish Milled Dollars.
Mr. Pollock took the Sloop at the valuation for the use of the United States, a certificate of which he has given to the Captors. The inclosed is a Copy. The West Florida has since been brought into this Port, and sold. The money arising from the sale, together with a considerable part of the stores, have been applied to the use of the Navy.
Captain Pickles as Agent for his Crew, has appointed Mr. Joseph Pennell (Pay Master to your Navy Board) his attorney for the purpose of paying such of the Crew as may apply, their respective shares of the
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twenty seven hundred Dollars, to which in the opinion of this Board they are entitled. The undersigners to the Petition, except those marked thus X have reentered into the service during the War.
Mr. Pennel, attorney to Captain Pickles, has furnished the Board with the following anecdotes, viz: "There is a further sum of three hundred and fifty nine Dollars belonging to the Crew, for which they have no claim upon the public, making the whole amount of their prize money three thousand and fifty nine dollars, of which Captain Pickles has paid the officers and men, then under his Command, about fourteen hundred and seventy hard Dollars Captain Pickles was very anxious to pay his people their prize money before he went away, but had it not in his power. Captain Pickles was obliged to borrow money for his expences here which is yet unpaid. To continue the agency in the same channel it began and to secure Capt: Pickles's Property, I request the aforesaid sum of twenty seven hundred Spanish Milled Dollars, be ordered into my hands; as his attorney the distribution shall then be properly made."
Whereupon your Board submit the following Resolution.
That a warrant issue on -- in favor of Joseph Pennell attorney for William Pickles Esquire.
For the purpose of paying the several claimants, their proportion of the value of the Sloop of War West Florida, and that the disposition of the said money be under the direction of the Board of Admiralty.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 37, folio 535. The indorsement shows that it was postponed on December 21, 1780.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A petition from Lieutenant Colonel S. Bush was read.
A remonstrance from Jonathan Sturgis was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This remonstrance, undated, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 43, folio 251.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Board of Treasury.
Whereas the propositions moved by the Delegates from Georgia and taken into consideration on the 5th. Instant do essentially affect the claims of Virginia as defined and recognized by Congress in their instructions both to their Minister Plenipo: for negotiating peace and their Minister Plenipo: to the Court of Spain, which claims the State of Virginia has expressly instructed their representatives in Congress to
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insist upon; and it has been urged as a reason for agreeing to the propositions above mentioned that the change of circumstances which has taken place since these instructions were given on the part of Virginia may have changed the sense of that State with regard to the object of them. Resolved, that the further consideration of the said propositions, be suspended until such of the proceedings of Congress and of the communications from their ministers in Spain as relate to this matter together with the said propositions, shah have been transmitted by the Delegates from Virginia to the Legislature of that State, and their ultimate sense thereon be made known to Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of James Madison, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, I, folio 115. It is indorsed: "Motion from the delegates of Virginia, December 8, 1780: postponed."]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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