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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 --TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1781
A letter, of 15, from J. Pierce, was read;1 Whereupon,
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 165, folio 517.]
Resolved, That the order, of the 13, to the deputy paymaster, "to give certificates to the individuals of the German regiment for the balances that may be due to them" be and is hereby repealed.
A letter, of 14 September last, from the honble H. Laurens, on board theVestal, British frigate, St. John, Newfoundland, was read.2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is printed in theDiplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (Wharton) IV, 56.]
A report from the Board of War, on the case of Colonel Donald Campbell, was read:
At a Board of WarJanuary 13th 1781
Genl Ward
Genl Cornell
The Board having reconsidered their report of the 29th of October [November 17] in the case of Col Donald Campbell, upon which they are directed to report specially, beg leave to inform Congress, That on the 17th. of July 1775 he was appointed by Congress D Q M General for the New York department, with the rank of Colonel, in which he continued for some time, but was arrested and tried by a Court Martial in 1776, the sentence of which was unfavorable to him, but was not finally approved as Congress will see by Genl. Gates's report on their Journals of the 18th of Jany 1777 to which the Board beg leave to refer. It operated however to take from him his employment of D Q M Genl and on the 13th of February 1777. Congress resolved: "That he be continued in his former pay and rank; and directed to repair immediately to the Commissioners for auditing accounts of the Northern Army, and settle with them the accounts of his late department"
Upon this state of the matter, and taking into consideration that Col Campbell has not done one day's public duty, except settling his own public accounts, since the last mentioned resolve, the Board submit the following resolution:
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That Col Donald Campbell be considered as out of the service from and after the 1st. day of January 1781; and that he receive his pay and subsistence to that time without any allowance for depreciation.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, VI, folio 77.]
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three.
The members, Mr. [Thomas] McKean, Mr. [George] Walton, Mr. [Joseph] Montgomery.
It being represented to Congress by the delegates of South Carolina and Georgia that all the treasury and public papers belonging to those states were deposited some time since in Virginia, and they have reason to apprehend they may be in danger of falling into the enemy's hands; Therefore,
Ordered, That on the application of the delegates aforesaid, a warrant issue in their favour on Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Pensylvania, for twenty thousand dollars of the old emissions, to enable them to remove the said public papers to some place of greater security, and for which sum the said states respectively are to be accountable: South Carolina for two thirds, and the said State of Georgia for one third, of the said sum.2
[Note 2: 2 This order and preamble were also entered in the manuscript Secret (Domestic) Journal.]
The committee to whom was referred the report of the Board of Treasury on Mr. A. Lee's accounts, and
The Committee of Commerce, delivered in reports.
The Commercial Committee beg leave to Report that from a desire of discharging the duties assigned them, they have applied to the books and papers of their predecessors, but have found them in such extreme disorder, as utterly to defeat all hope of their obtaining in any reasonable time, a sufficient knowledge of the state of the Department.
That in their opinion this disorder in the affairs of the Department has in a great measure if not wholly arisen from the practice of committing them to Members of this House, who had it not in their
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power to give them the requisite attention, without neglecting some of the more immediate and important business of Congress, for this reason the Committee submit the following Resolution:
That an agent be appointed with a competent salary whose duty it shall be to arrange and state the accounts of the former Committees of Commerce and to manage the Commercial transactions of Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 31, folio 225.]
War OfficeJany. 15th 1781
Sir.
The Board have been honored with an order from Congress to draw a warrant in favor of Thomas Bates late a soldier in Colonel Moylans Regiment whose case is exactly similar to those of great numbers who have been refused at this Board, and of those who never had it in their power to apply. If this warrant is drawn it will expose Congress to repeated applications and as there is no Money in the Military Chest even if warrants are drawn, they will either be useless or sold about the City for trifling considerations. The Board foresaw the present inconveniences and reported to Congress on the 22nd of December on the subject. If the monies recommended to be put into the hands of the Pay Master General are provided we shall be happy to distribute them among the appliers. But at present we submit to Congress whether giving a Warrant or paying money to one soldier and not to others under like circumstances will not be of more disadvantage than benefit to the public.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, VI, folio 73. It is indorsed: "Read Jany 16, 1781. Ordered to lie on the table."]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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