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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, MARCH 31, 1781
A letter, of 10, and one of 16, from Major General Greene, were read, the latter giving an account of the action between him and the army under Lord Cornwallis, on the 15th;
Ordered, That this letter be referred to the Committee of Intelligence.
A letter, of 25, from Major General the Marquis de la Fayette, was read.2
[Note 2: 2 Greene's letter of 10th is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 155, I, foIio 595; that of 16th is in No. 155, II, folio 1. Lafayette's letter is in No. 156, folio 109.]
The delegates for South Carolina laid before Congress a letter, of 22 January last, from Doctor Oliphant:3
[Note 3: 3 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XVII, folio 313.]
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members, Mr. [John] Mathews, Mr. [James Mitchell] Varnum, Mr. [John] Witherspoon.
A letter, of 27, from the Board of War, was read; Whereupon,4
[Note 4: 4 This letter is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, VI, folio 339.]
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Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of the paymaster of the Board of War and Ordnance for fifty-three thousand three hundred and thirty-three dollars and one-third of a dollar new emissions, to enable the said Board to make the necessary preparation for the ensuing campaign; and
That a warrant issue on Thomas Harwood, commissioner of the continental loan office in the State of Maryland, in favour of Michael Hillegas, treasurer aforesaid, for the like sum of fifty-three thousand three hundred and thirty-three dollars and one-third of a dollar new emissions, to enable the said treasurer to discharge the warrant aforesaid.
A report from the Board of Treasury was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That on the application of Mr. [John] Mathews, one of the delegates for the State of South Carolina, 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, for which the said State is to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, V, folio 213.]
The report of the committee to whom were referred the report of the Board of Treasury, of January 22, relative to the owners of rum, &c., and sundry memorials from the said owners, was taken into consideration; and, Thereupon, it was ordered as follows:
Whereas, on the 28 October, 16 November, and 8 December, last past, sundry warrants were granted in favour of Ephraim Blaine, commissary general of purchases, to enable him to pay for rum contracted for by order of Major General Howe, for the use of the army, and particularly the garrison at West Point, which being drawn payable in bills of the old emissions have not been answered:
Ordered, therefore, That the said warrants be returned to the Board of Treasury to be cancelled, and that in lieu of
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them the following warrants be issued in favour of the said Ephraim Blaine, commissary general of purchases, payable in the new emission, to discharge as far as they will extend the said contracts, and for which the said commissary general is to be accountable; viz.
One on Nathaniel Appleton, commissioner of the continental loan office for the State of Massachusetts, for ten thousand six hundred and three dollars, and sixty-ninetieths of a dollar; another on the same, for eight thousand and ninety-seven dollars and fifty-six-ninetieths:
One on Abraham Yates Commissioner of the Continental lean office in the State of New York for 8,097 56/90 dollars.
One on Joseph Borden, commissioner of the continental loan office in the State of New Jersey, for seven thousand and thirty-five dollars and seventy-eight ninetieths of a dollar: and
One on Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office in the State of Pensylvania, for six thousand seven hundred and one dollars and twenty-two-ninetieths of a dollar.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of William Churchill Houston, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, IV, folio 15.]
A letter, of 30, from Colonel Pickering, quartermaster general, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in thePapers or the Continental Congress, No. 192, folio 57.]
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The Members, Mr. [Abraham] Clark, Mr. [Joseph] Montgomery, Mr. [Daniel] Carroll.
The report of the committee on the letter of 13, from R. Morris, was taken into consideration; and the first paragraph being read, viz.
That the Superintendant of Finance be, and he hereby is authorised to remove from office or employment, for incapacity, negligence, dishonesty or other misbehaviour, all persons entrusted with and immediately employed in the expenditure of the public money, and also all such as are or
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shall be, in his judgment, unnecessary; provided that such power of removal from office shall be limited to the duration of the present war.
On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Samuel] Adams,
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So it passed in the negative.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock on Monday.
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