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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, MAY 22, 1781
A letter, of 20, from A. Lee; and
A letter, of this day, from the supreme executive council of Pensylvania, were read.
A letter from the Board of War was read:2
[Note 2: 2 Lee's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XIV, folio 433; the Pennsylvania letter is in No. 69, II, folio 385; the Board of War letter, dated May 22, 1781, is in No. 148, I, folio 377. Another letter, of May 22, from the Board of War was read on this day, as the indorsement indicates; it is in No. 148, I, folio 373.]
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members, Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, Mr. [John] Mathews, Mr. [Richard] Howly.
The committee of the week delivered in a report; Whereupon,
The Committee upon the dispatches,
Report
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury to take order.
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Mr. Atlee praying to be directed in the settling the accounts of Supernumerary officers and such as have been prisoners with the Enemy
Ordered, That Mr. Howell's Letter be referred to a special Committee.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Samuel John Atlee, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 32, folio 443; Howell's letter is in No. 78, XII, folio 151; Scudder's is in No. 78, XXI, folio 77.]
Ordered, That a letter, of 21, from J. Scudder, be referred to the Board of Treasury to take order;
That a letter, of May 16, from J. Howell, auditor of the army, be referred to a committee of three:
The members, Mr. [James Mitchell] Varnum, Mr. [Isaac] Motte, Mr. [Daniel] Carroll.
A letter, of this day, from the supreme executive of Pensylvania to the delegates of that State was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 69, II, folio 381.]
Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three:
The members, Mr. [Samuel] Livermore, Mr. [Joseph] Jones, Mr. [Samuel] Johnston.
The report of the committee, ∥consisting of Mr. Witherspoon, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. M. Smith, Mr. Clymer,∥ appointed to devise farther ways and means to carry on the present campaign, &c. was taken into consideration; and that clause being under debate, where the states are to be informed, "That it is expected they will severally direct their treasurers to accept the bills that may be drawn upon them by the treasurer of the United States as soon as presented, and take effectual measures to enable their respective treasurers to pay them punctually as they become due, in real efficient money, that is to say, either in silver and gold, or in paper money equivalent thereto, according to the common rate or difference between such paper and silver in the course of dealings in their respective states at the time of payment."
On the question to agree to the latter part of this clause, from the word "due" to the end, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. T[homas] Smith,
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{table}
So it passed in the negative.
The report being farther debated, was agreed to as follows:
Resolved, That the whole debts already due by the United States, be liquidated as soon as may be to their specie value, and funded, if agreeable to the creditors, as a loan upon interest.
That the states be severally informed, that the calculations of the expences of the present campaign are made in solid coin, and consequently that the requisitions from them respectively, being grounded on those calculations, must be complied with in such manner as effectually to answer the purpose designed.
That experience having evinced the inefficacy and futility of all attempts to support the credit of paper money by arbitrary [compulsory] acts, it is expected they will no longer deceive themselves and embarrass public measures by continuing their tender laws [it is recommended to such states, where laws making paper bills a legal tender yet exist, to repeal the same:]
That the states be further informed, that the exigency and situation of public affairs is such, that any further delay in
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complying with the requisitions of Congress must prove ruinous; and that therefore the treasurer of the United States is directed immediately to draw orders on the treasurers of the several states, payable at thirty days' sight, for their respective quotas of the three millions of dollars, called for on the 26 day of August, 1780, and which was to have been paid into the continental treasury on or before the last day of December last; and that he will in like manner continue to draw orders on them for their respective quotas of the sums called for by the acts of the 4th of November and 16th of March last, as they become due; and that it is expected the states will severally direct their treasurers to accept those orders as soon as presented, and take effectual measures to enable their respective treasurers to pay them punctually as they become due:
in real efficient money, that is to say, either in silver and gold or in paper equivalent thereto, according to the common Rate or Difference between such paper and silver in the course of dealings in their respective states at the [time of payment,] and that the orders shall be drawn in terms conformable thereto.
That the paper money expressed in these orders shall be the Bills emitted pursuant to the Act of the 18th of March, 1780, and no other, and that in ease those Bills shall when received into the public Treasury be found to have depreciated, a certain proportion of them so paid in, not less that oneshall be cancelled and destroyed, and the States shall be called upon to make Good any Deficiency that may arise from this Act.
Resolved, That the committee who brought in this report be authorised to converse with the superintendant of finance, and in conjunction with him to take order for obtaining a sum of hard money gold and silver for the most pressing exigencies of public affairs, and provide for the punctual performance of the stipulations in such contract on the part of the United States.1
[Note 1: 1 This resolution was also entered in the manuscript Secret (Domestic) Journal.]
That the Board of War be, and they are hereby directed to estimate the supplies necessary for the northern and
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southern army in rations, specifying of what a ration is to consist; and that proposals be taken in for supplying these at a stipulated price in gold and silver, by a contract or contracts. from the 1st of July next to the 1st clay of January, 1782:
That a right shall be made out to the contractor or contractors, to receive the specific supplies required by Congress, at such price as shall be agreed on, in part payment of the stipulations in the contracts.
That on theday ofCongress Will take into Consideration the Lines to which they will extend their Guarantee to each particular State as its western Boundary, and declare the Remainder the property of the United States as a Fund of Credit for their common Interest and the General Defence.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Meriwether Smith, except the passages in brackets which are in the writing of Samuel Huntington, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 291.]
Ordered, That the remaining members of the committee on the resolutions and acts of Connecticut, New York and Virginia respecting the cession of western lands to the United States report with all convenient dispatch.
A letter from the honorable the minister plenipotentiary of France, enclosing a copy of a letter from his Most Christian Majesty, was read.2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is printed in the Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (Wharton), IV, 427.]
The committee on the letter from the Board of War;
The Committee appointed to confer with the Board of War.
Report.
That the Board of War be authorized to remove the Convention prisoners to such place or places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Bay as they shall think proper.
That the States of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts Bay through which they may pass be desired requested to furnish the necessary guards and supply the said prisoners and their guards with provisions and the means of transportation as they pass for carrying them to the place through their respective States, and in case the said States should
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neglect so to do, the Board of War be authorized to cause an impress of such provisions and means of transportation in the said States respectively.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of John Mathews, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 27, folio 141. It is indorsed: "Report of the Committee on the letter of 22 from the Board of War."]
The Medical Committee; and
The committee on the motion of Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, delivered in their respective reports.
Treasury Office May 22nd. 1781.
Upon the letter of Jacob Hiltzheimer on the 19 instant requesting that he might be enabled to make provision for the horses under his care referred to this Board to take order, the Board beg leave to report,
That they know of no present funds which they can draw, to enable him to make the said provision.
Agreeably to the order of Congress dated the 21st instant to report upon the letter from Col Pickering Qr Mr Genl, the Board beg leave to report,
That so far as they are enabled to judge from the returns made by the respective loan officers compared with the warrants already drawn upon them, no money can be reported, which has the least probability of being paid.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, V, folio 319. It was read, the indorsement shows, and probably on this day.]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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