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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 --THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1781
A letter, of 8th, from the governor of Connecticut, was read, enclosing an act passed by the legislature of that State, vesting in Congress, for a limited time, a power to levy and collect duties and imposts within that State, for the purposes mentioned in the act of Congress of 7th February:
Ordered, That the same be referred to a committee of three: the members, Mr. [Oliver] Wolcott, Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [Samuel] Adams.
A letter, of 12, from Charles Pettit, assistant quarter-master general, was read:1
[Note 1: 1 The Connecticut letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 66, II, folio 186; the act enclosed is in No. 75, folio 73; Pettit's letter is in No. 78, XVIII, folio 353.]
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members, Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [Thomas] Bee, Mr. [Jesse] Root.
A letter, of 13, from the Board of War, was read, enclosing an estimate of quartermaster stores wanted for the ensuing campaign:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, VI, folio 285. The estimate in No. 39, III, folios 431--440 grid 447.]
Ordered, That the same be referred to a committee of three:
The members, Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, Mr. [Isaac] Motte, Mr. [Artemus] Ward.
A letter, of 28 February, from Major General Greene; and a letter, of 8th of the present month, from the governor of Virginia, were read.3
[Note 3: 3 The Virginia letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 71, II, folio 53. Greene's is in No. 155, I, folio 580; he enclosed in it, for the information of Congress, a copy of his letter of the same date to General Washington, which is on folio 585.]
That three Commissioners with the same pay as is allowed to the Commissioners appointed for treating with the Northern Indians be appointed to treat with the Cherokees and all other Indians Southward of them within the Limits of the U. States, or who have been at war with them; for the purpose of making peace with them,
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receiving them into the favor and protection of the U. States and removing as far as may be all causes of future Contention or quarrels.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of Oliver Ellsworth, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, IV, folio 473. It is undated, but follows the information conveyed in the enclosure in Greene's letter of February 28 in No. 155, I, folio 585.]
The committee appointed to revise the rules for conducting business in the United States in Congress assembled; and
The committee to whom were referred the report of the Board of Treasury, of the 5th, and the memorial of J. Patton and others, ironmasters, delivered in their several reports.
The delegates for the State of Pennsylvania laid before Congress sundry resolutions passed by the general assembly of that State, respecting the Convention prisoners, which were read.
The letter from R. Morris was again read and considered, and, after debate:
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.2
[Note 2: 2 The following motion, as the indorsement shows, by Theodorick Bland, seconded by [Meriwether] Smith, belongs to this period. It is in the writing of Bland and is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, IV, folio 311:
Whereas the Congress of the United States did by their act bearing date the 18th day of March in the year 1780 and in the -- year of our IndependancePostponed. among other things therein contained declare that the Bills of Credit Issuing in persuance of the said act should bear an Interest ofp cent pr. annum to be paid to the Holder thereof from the date of the said Bills; and whereas the respective states from various causes delayed to concur in the measures necessary to carry the salutary intentions of the aforesaid act into immediate Execution, whereby great embarrassments might ensue and great loss be sustained by the Citizens of these States in the payment of a very large sum for the Interest of the aforesaid Bills from the time of their Intended Issue, and thereby Burthening the public with a debt for which no value has or can be received, and whereas it has been found extremely inconvenient and almost impracticable in the Current passage of the said Bills to Calculate the Interest due thereon; whereby manifest injury must arise to the ignorant or incautious possessor while the more designing will reap an unequal advantage, be it therefore ordained by the United States in Congress assembled, and by the authority of the same it is hereby ordained, that from and after the 1st day of May, none of the said Bills shall Issue from the Treasury of the United States or from any of the Continental Loan Offices in the respective States on which any Interest shall be Calculated or be paid and for preserving the faith of the United States to the Holders of such Bills as have already Issued bearing Interest, and that a due distinction may be made between them and those which shall hereafter issue, it is hereby ordered that the Treasurer be forthwith furnished with proper Instruments, and also the Loan Officers of the respective States and that they forthwith Cause to be stamped on the said Bills before they Issue in payment or otherwise the following words Viz no Interest to be Calculated, received or allowed on this Bill and that the said Treasurer and Loan Officers (in such mode as the board of Treasurer shall direct) do cause the words promising the payment of Interestthereon in Bills of exchange annually to be erased or defaced by a line or lines being drawn through them, and be it hereby ordained that the act of Congress of the 18th of March 1780 in so much as it relates to the Interest to be paid on the Bills so defaced or erased and with the aforesaid words stamped thereon be and it is hereby repealed and held to be void and of no effect.
Provided however and it is hereby ordained that nothing in this act shall be construed in anywise to effect the promise in the aforesaid act for the payment and allowance of Interest on the Bills already Issued, before the passing of this act and the receiving the same at the Continental Treasury in Taxes with an allowance of Interest thereon as is specified in the Resolution of Congress of theday of1781.]
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