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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 --WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1781
The committee to whom was referred the letter from Dr. Oliphant, delivered in a report:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War to take order.
The committee appointed to devise ways and means for an immediate supply of the public treasury delivered in a
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report, which was read and taken into consideration, and, after debate:
Ordered, That it be postponed.
The report of the committee to whom was re-committed their report on the estimate of articles for the quartermaster's department, was taken into consideration; and Thereupon,
The Committee to whom was recommitted the estimate from the Board of War of stores wanted for the Quartermasters Department for the Northern Army beg leave to report,
That after examining the Contents of the Articles and the deductions made by the Board at the foot of the Account, and having conferred with the Board fully on the subject, they fund no reason to recede from their former report: the Committee cannot however omit taking notice, that the returns of rent and stores on hand in the said Department is by no means so regular or exact as they ought to be: notwithstanding your Committee have seen a copy of an order issued by the Board of War to the head of the Quartermasters Department so early as the month of November last whereupon your Committee report the following Resolution:
Ordered, That the Board of Treasury report immediately the ways and means for furnishing the Board of War with the sum of two hundred and eighty-five thousand eight hundred and sixteen dollars and nineteen ninetieths in bills of the new emission or other money equivalent, in addition to the five hundred thousand dollars which, on the 22nd March last, they were ordered to report the ways and means of furnishing to the said Board, to enable the said Board to procure the articles necessary in the quartermaster general department, according to an estimate presented by the Board.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Theodorick Bland, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 22, folio 163a.]
The committee to whom was referred the letter, of 26 January, from J. Gibson, delivered in a report.
The report of the committee on the letters, of 2 and 3 of December last, from the minister plenipotentiary of these
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United States at the Court of Versailles, and the memorial from the minister plenipotentiary of his Most Christian Majesty, of 24 March, was taken into consideration; and, Thereupon,
The Committee to whom were referred the letters of the 2nd. and 3rd. of December last from the Minister Plenipotentiary from these United States at the Court of Versailles and the Memorial from the Minister Plenipotentiary of his Most Christian Majesty to these United States of the 24th of March 1781.
Report,
That upon the conference with his Most Christian Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary, it appeared to your Committee that the Court of Versailles is at all times attentive to the situation and circumstances of these United States and extremely disposed to give every assistance which the peculiar affairs of France will admit of for extricating the affairs of these States from their difficulties and embarrassments. That his Most Christian Majesty will not only liberally perform all his engagements but also will give very powerful succours of Sea and Land forces for the operations of the ensuing Campaign. That the arrival of very considerable reinforcements of troops and ships of war may be seasonably expected; but that the disposition state and arrangement of his Finances will not admit of the supplying funds for the payment of bills of exchange drawn on the Minister of these States at his Court beyond the provisions already made which amount to one million of livres tournois for the last, and three millions of the same livres for the present year. Being however desirous of assisting these United States in measures for establishing their Finances, and for carrying their operations on with vigor and effect, his Majesty is willing that his Ministers make such arrangements respecting the supplying of his forces in America as may admit of the constituting a fund in France for the purposes of Congress, of the monies destined for the paying for such supplies, and therefore if Congress can give assurances that such supplies will be duly furnished, at the prices for which they could be purchased in specie payment shall be made by his Majesty's Paymaster in America in Bills on the Treasury of France, which shall be punctually discharged. That as this Proposition is intended for the convenience and advantage of these United States if Congress deem it inexpedient his Majesty does not wish them to adopt it; But if they deem it expedient it will be necessary
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that they take measures for furnishing supplies of provisions for 12 thousand land and as many Sea forces at the least.
Besides this general subject his Most Christian Majesty's Minister communicated to your Committee that the Minister of Finance in France had obtained from the Minister of these United States a letter of credit on Congress for supplies to the amount of four hundred thousand dollars, which your Committee suppose to be the same mentioned in the letters from Dr Franklin referred to them and which appears to have been in consideration for funds to enable him to discharge the bills drawn on him by Congress.
These last supplies your Committee are of opinion ought to be furnished at all events, as well because the faith and honor of Congress requires that they should perform engagements made by their Minister for procuring funds to enable him to pay their bills and support their credit as because it is probable that the supplies may be relied on for the subsistance of the succors which his Majesty has destined for the ensuing campaign, and your Committee know of no resources in the power of Congress from whence the said supplies can be furnished except from the arrears of the specific supplies required from the States by the Resolutions of the 25th of February 1780.
Your Committee cannot discover that any powers or resources at present vested in Congress can enable them to give assurances to be relied on for supplying the provisions which are the object of the first proposition communicated to them, and therefore are of opinion that Congress ought not to enter into such engagement.
Upon the whole they submit the following Resolutions,
That the Committee be instructed to inform the Minister Plenipotentiary of his Most Christian Majesty that Congress have a just and high sense of his Majesty's friendly and liberal attention to the affairs of these United States.
That the candor and sincerity becoming honest Magistrates and faithful Allies forbid their holding up assurances of the certainty of which they have not the fullest conviction.
That the situation of the affairs of these United States does not at present afford them such assurances for furnishing supplies of provisions for the forces which his Majesty has destined for the succour of these States, to be paid for in bills drawn by his Majesty's Paymaster on the Treasury of France, and they therefore cannot avail themselves of his Majesty's good intentions for enabling them to establish such a fund in aid of their finances.
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Resolved, That the United States in Congress assembled will take every measure in their power for furnishing the supplies to the amount of four hundred thousand dollars for which their minister hasgiven a letter of credit on them for entered into engagements, and will give immediate orders for forming magazines of flour, biscuit, Indian corn, and flesh provisions to be in readiness for the officers of his Most Christian Majesty:1
[Note 1: 1 This resolution was also entered in the manuscript Secret Journal. Foreign Affairs.]
But at the same they cannot be absolutely certain that the quantity required can be delivered.
Ordered, That the Board of War cause Magazines of flower, Indian corn and flesh, to be formed of the arrears of the specific supplies, required by the Resolution of the 25th of February 1780 and causehundred weigh; of biscuit to be prepared from the proper materials afforded by the said specific supplies. And they lay before Congress as soon as may be a return of the supplies aforesaid.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of Thomas Burke, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 25, I, folio 435.]
Ordered, That the remainder of the report be re-committed.
Ordered, That a warrant issue on Thomas Smith, commissioner of the continental loan office, in favour of Cha. Thomson, Secy, for three hundred dollars new emission, on account of money due to him.
The report of the committee on rules for conducting business was taken into consideration, and some process being made therein;
Treasury OfficeApril 11th. 1781.
The Board of Treasury having considered the petition of William Kinnan copper plate Printer to the United States referred go them by Congress the 26th ultimo setting forth the insufficiency of the pay heretofore allowed him, and praying go be allowed a salary adequate to his services; and the Board having conferred with him on the subject find, that less than five hundred pounds specie or other current money equivalent per annum will not be satisfactory to him and in their opinion is no more than a sufficiency for his services. Whereupon the following resolution is submitted:
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Resolved, That Wm. Kinnan, copper plate printer to the United States, be allowed a salary of 1333 dollars and 1/3 of a dollar specie, or other current money equivalent per annum.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, V, folio 231. It was read on this day, as the indorsement indicates, but, apparently, not acted upon.]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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