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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, JANUARY 12, 1781
A letter, of 11, from the committee appointed to confer with the supreme executive of Pensylvania, was read.2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, IX, folio 469.]
A letter, of 6th, from Lotbinier, was read:3
[Note 3: 3 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XIV, folio 405.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
A letter, of 28 December, from Thomas Barclay, and
A letter, of 16, from Samuel Beall, were read:4
[Note 4: 4 Barclay's letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, IV, folio 69; Beall's is in No. 78, IV, folio 261.]
Ordered, That the requests contained in the said letters be granted, under proper restrictions.
A report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That on the application of Cha Thomson, secretary of Congress, a warrant issue in his favour on Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pensylvania, for twenty thousand dollars old emissions, part of the salary due to him, and for which he is to be accountable:
That on the application of Ezekiel Forman, one of the commissioners of the Board of Treasury, a warrant issue in
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his favour on Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pensylvania, for ten thousand dollars old emissions, part of the salary due to him, and for which he is to be accountable:1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 186, V, folio 25.]
Treasury OfficeJany 12th 1781
The Board of Treasury having considered the letter of John Standfort Dart of the 8th instant (referred to them by Congress) beg leave to report,
That the Claims upon the United States for Articles furnished and services performed, so far exceed the present Resources that are in the Power of Congress to call forth and especially at this Juncture, that the Board cant consistent with their Ideas of Justice, report the advance asked for by Mr Dart but submit the Determination of this matter to Congress who can best judge of the necessity of the measure.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, V, folio 27.]
That a warrant issue on the said Thomas Smith, in favour of John Sandford Dart, for fifteen thousand dollars advanced to him, to enable him to proceed to the southern department, and for which he is to be accountable.
Congress took into consideration the report of the Board of War of December 8; Whereupon,
At a Board of War,Decr. 8, 1780
Present Mr Peters, Genl. Ward, Genl. Cornell
The Board of War beg leave to report
That in virtue of the resolution of Congress of the twenty sixth day of July last, enpowering them to arrange the affairs of the department of Commissary General of Military Stores, and fix the pay of the Officers and men employed therein, they have on account of the alteration of circumstances, since their regulation of the 12th. of August last reported to and approved of by Congress, thought it advisable to supersede the said regulation so far as respects the pay of the Officers and men, both in the Civil and Military branches of that Department, and they request Congress that it may be
Resolved, That from and after the 1st day of August last, the pay and appointments of the officers in the department
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of the commissary general of military stores be as follows, the sums hereafter mentioned to be paid in bills of the new emissions, and all moneys received in bills of the old emissions, since the said 1st day of August, to be accounted for according to the table of depreciation, as fixed by the Board of Treasury, viz.: commissary general of military stores,115 100 dollars per month, 3 rations per day; deputy commissary general, 80 dollars per month, 2 rations per day; commissaries, 70 dollars per month, 2 rations per day; deputy commissaries, 55 dollars per month, 2 rations per day; conductors, 45 dollars per month, 1 ration per day; clerks, 40 dollars per month, 1 ration per day.
No rations in addition to the number above mentioned, are to be allowed for servants:
That the officers and men of the regiment of artillery artificers, have the same pay, from and after the said 1st day of August, in bills of the new emissions, as was originally fixed in bills of the then emissions, by the regulations of the department, made by Congress, on the 11th day of February, 1778, and that they draw the number of rations then directed:
That the appointments of the field commissary of military stores, and his subordinate officers, be as follows, from and after the 1st day of August last, the pay to be received in bills of the new emissions: field commissary, 90 dollars per month, 2 rations per day, servants included; deputy field commissary, 70 dollars per month, 2 rations per day, servants included; conductor, 45 dollars per month, 1 ration per day, servants included; clerk, 40 dollars per month, 1 ration per day, servants included:
That the commanding officer of artillery, for his extra services in the affairs of the ordnance department, receive 40 dollars per month, in addition to his pay as an officer in
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the line, in bills of the new emissions from and after the first day of August last:
That the surveyor of ordnance for defraying his expences in the exercise of his office, be allowed from and after the first day of August last, 40 dollars per month, in bills of the new emissions, besides his appointments as a field officer of artillery.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, IV, folio 721.]
At a Board of WarDecr. 8th 1780
Present Mr Peters
Genl. Ward.
The Board of War beg leave to lay before Congress a letter from Mr. Pierce Dy. Pay Master Genl. respecting the additional sums allowed to Aids de Camp, Brigade Majors and Regimental Clothiers and Pay Master, Adjutants and Regimental Qr. Masters and submit the following Resolution
Resolved, That the additional pay of aids-de-camp, brigade-majors, adjutants, and regimental quartermasters, agreeably to the act of 27 May, 1778, be considered as fixed in specieat the times when the several allowances in addition to the pay of these officers in the line were made by Congress; and that the same, from and after the 18 day of August last, be drawn in bills of the new emission:
That the pay of a regimental paymaster and clothier, in addition to his pay as an officer in the line, be thirty dollars per month, in bills of the new emissions, and that the several states, in making up the depreciation of such officers from the times of their respective appointments, calculate upon the additional pay as being thirty dollars per month in specie.
The reason of the Board being induced to offer the Resolution relative to Regimental Clothiers and Paymasters is that at first the Paymasters had twenty dollars additional Pay allowed them. The Regimental Clothier had thirty dollars additional pay. Afterwards both these duties were directed to be performed by the same person
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and the Officers acting in these capacities claim both additional sums and have applied to their States for the depreciation on both. It is conceived that the thirty dollars stated in the above Resolve are sufficient for the additional trouble thrown upon those Officers especially as they do no duty in the line.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, VI, folio 63.]
A report of the Board of War, respecting Colonel Donald Campbell, was read:
[Extract of a letter from His Excellency, Genl Washington, dated Octr 29, 1780.]
Col. Donald Campbell who was continued in his former pay and rank by a resolution of the 13 February 1777 has continued to draw rations also till lately, when the Commissary of Issues to the Northward has been in doubt whether he was not precluded from drawing Rations by the resolutions of the Tenth of March and 12 June last; the Case having been referred to me, I would wish to know the Sense and pleasure of Congress upon the subject.
At a Board of War,November 17, 1780.
Present Mr Peters, Col. Grayson.
The Board having considered the above Extract of a Letter from General Washington beg leave to report to Congress
Congress not having it in their power consistent with the Arrangement of the Army to employ Colonel Donald Campbell therein,
Resolved, That Colonel Donald Campbell be considered as a Super-numerary and be entitled to all the Benefits allowed to Officers of his rank retiring from Service.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, IV, folio 671.]
Ordered, That it be re-committed to the Board to report specially.
A motion was made respecting Captain Pendleton:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War to take order, the resolution of 4th instant notwithstanding.
A motion was made by Mr. [Abraham] Clark:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
The committee to whom was referred the petition of the inspectors of the press delivered in a report; Whereupon,
Ordered, That the Board of Treasury give orders for the final settlement of the accounts of the superintendants of
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the press, computing their services from the day of the last adjustment, crediting them the original salary allowed by Congress, and charging them respectively the partial payments made to them on account, agreeably to the act of Congress passed the 15 day of November last.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of James Duane, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 23. folio 62.]
Ordered, That a member be added to the committee on the letter, of 25 of November, from Mr. Sullivan, in the room of Mr. [Willie] Jones, who is absent.
The member, Mr. [Samuel] Johnston.
Ordered, That two members be added to the committee on the petition of O. Bowen, in the room of Mr. [Ezekiel] Cornell and Mr. [Willie] Jones.
The members, Mr. [James Mitchell] Varnum, Mr. [James] Madison.
The report of the committee on the affairs of the treasury was called for, and the same being read, was accepted.
Ordered, That it be entered on the journal.
The report is as follows:
"That they met upon the business to them referred, and received the complaint of Ezekiel Forman and John Gibson, two of the commissioners of the Board of Treasury, against the commissioners of the Chambers of Accounts, in writing, which contains the five following charges, or articles: to wit; 1, neglect of duty; 2, indolence; 3, inattention to the public interest; 4, incapacity; and 5, partiality:
That the committee furnished the commissioners of the Chambers of Accounts with the said complaint, and afterwards heard the testimony, proofs, allegations and observations of the several parties; and after mature deliberation thereupon, find that the commissioners of the Chambers have settled above two hundred accounts between the 1st December, 1779, and the 1st December, 1780, several of
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which required the examination of many thousand vouchers and papers; and that all the accounts which have been referred to them are reported to the auditor general's office, four or five excepted, for the delay of which satisfactory reasons were given to the committee:
That the committee cannot ascertain with any precision the time that might be necessarily employed in the transacting this business, but conceive it might have been done with more facility if the present system established by Congress did not necessarily create great delays, and therefore they are, upon the whole, of opinion that the said commissioners cannot justly be censured on account of any of the three first articles or charges:
That the committee had no evidence of incapacity in the said commissioners, or either of them, save from Mr. John Nicholson, one of their clerks, whose conduct had been complained of by them, and who had recriminated the said commissioners previous to the giving his evidence; and besides, the committee are not satisfied that he is a competent judge of this matter:
That they have carefully attended to every suggestion of partiality, and, having fully investigated every particular relating to this charge, do not find any trace of the sort:
The committee, therefore, are of opinion, that the commissioners of the Chambers of Accounts, and every of them, should be acquitted of each of the charges exhibited against them."1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Thomas McKean, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 245.]
Whereupon,
Resolved, That Congress are satisfied with the said report.
The Board of Treasury, to whom was referred the report of the Board of War relative to the contract for shot and shells, delivered in a report:
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Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three.
The members, Mr. [James Mitchell] Varnum, Mr. [George] Clymer, Mr. [Jesse] Root.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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