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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, JUNE 26, 1781
The Board of Admiralty laid before Congress a letter, of the 6th, from Captain J. Barry of the Alliance, which was read:
Ordered, That it, together with the letter, of 11th March, from the honble. John Laurens, be referred to the Committee of Intelligence.
A letter, of this day, from J. L. Clarkson, was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That John L. Clarkson be allowed, in addition to his salary as clerk to the Board of Treasury, a sum at the rate of two hundred and fifty dollars per annum, for extra services in executing the duties of secretary of that Board. The committee of the week made report; Whereupon,
The Committee of the week report as follows, viz.
Upon the petition of Robert Lamb commissary of hides,
Resolved That it do lie upon the table to be taken up with the report of the Board of War, upon the subject of depreciation.
Ordered, That a memorial of Doctor D. Jackson be referred to the Board of Treasury;
That so much of the petition of John Gooch as relates to pay, rations and cloathing be referred to the Board of War;1
[Note 1: 1 Clarkson's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, VI, folio 41; Jackson's memorial, dated June 25, 1781, is in No. 41, IV, folio 414; Gooch's petition is in No. 42, III, folio 232.]
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That a petition of James Winthrop and William Winthrop be referred to the delegates for the State of Massachusetts;1
[Note 1: 1 This petition, dated May 15, 1781, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 42, VIII, folio 229.]
That the account of the owners of the schooner Hawk for freight be referred to the Committee of Commerce;
That the memorial of James McGee and others be referred to the Board of War to take order;
The Petition of Benjn. Wheeler assistant commissary of hides.
Resolved, That it do lie upon the table to be taken up with the Report of the Board of War, upon the subject of Depreciation.
That the petition of Benjamin Wheeler lie on the table;2
[Note 2: 2 McGee's memorial, dated June 24, 1781, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, VI, folio 237; Wheeler's petition, dated May 24, 1781, is in No. 42, VIII, folio 233.]
The memorial of William Trent in behalf of himself and others,
Resolved, That it be referred to the delegates from the State of New Jersey.
That a memorial of William Trent in behalf of himself and others be referred to the committee on the cessions of western lands by the States of Virginia, New York and Connecticut.3
[Note 3: 3 This report, in the writing of Meriwether Smith, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 32, folio 179.]
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 one thousand dollars of the new emissions, for which the State of South Carolina is to be accountable:
Ordered, That so much of the report as relates to Christian Wirts be referred to the delegates of Pensylvania.
A report from the Board of War was read; Whereupon,
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War Office June 25, 1781
Sir,
The invalid regiment being pressingly required by his Excellency the Commander in Chief to march to West Point is principally detained for the want of the three months pay, for which warrants have been drawn a considerable time ago, but no money can be obtained from the Paymaster General as he is not supplied for the purpose.
There is a difficulty also arises with respect to a number of the men of this regiment belonging to the States of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia on account of their having no settlement for depreciation. Perhaps as these men are particularly circumstanced, being unable to travel from personal disabilities, and besides the regiment would be much weakened by detaching the men of these States merely for the purpose of obtaining a settlement, it may be proper for Congress to resolve
Resolved, That it be recommended to the States of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, to settle with the officers and men of the invalid regiment, who are citizens of those states, on certificates from the commanding officer of the regiment, without requiring their personal attendance on the auditors or persons appointed by the said states respectively, to liquidate their accounts for depreciation.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in file Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, V, folios 413 and 417.]
Another report from the Board of War was read, respecting Robert Elliot:
War Office, June 26, 1781.
Sir.
The Board have been frequently applied to by Mr. Robert Elliot, who claims to be a Lieutenant in the service of the United States by Appointment of Oliver Pollock Esqr. at New Orleans, for his Pay while serving under Capt. James Willing and at Fort Pitt. Not being acquainted with any orders to Mr. Pollock for making Appointments of Officers or with any thing relating to the service of Officers so appointed farther than is shown by the Certificates of those officers to one another, we trouble Congress with the matter, that they may be pleased to take such order therein as to them shall seem proper.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, II, folio 219.]
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Ordered, That it be re-committed and that the Board report a state of facts.
The report of the committee, ∥consisting of Mr. Clymer, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Mathews,∥ on the letter from Mr. Morris, was read; Whereupon,
The Committee upon Mr Morris's third letter of the 22 June Report,
That they perfectly agree with Mr Morris in the expedience of appointing investing some person with a public character to reside at the Havannah for the purposes mentioned in his said letter--they therefore offer the following resolution
Resolved, That an agent be immediately for the United States of America be appointed to reside at the city of Havanna: there to represent these United States, to manage the occasional concerns of Congress, to assist the American traders with his advice and to solicit their affairs with the Spanish government.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of George Clymer, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, IV, folio 319.]
Ordered, That to Morrow be assigned for electing the said agent; and that the committee who brought in this report prepare the draught of a commission and instruction for the said agent.2
[Note 2: 2 This order and the paragraph on the election of a vice-consul were also entered in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs.]
Congress proceeded to the appointment of a captain to command the ship America: and, the ballots being taken, Captain John P. Jones, esq. was unanimously elected.
Congress proceeded to the election of a vice consul, conformable to the resolution of 21 of this month; and, the ballots being taken, Thomas Barclay was elected, having been previously nominated by Mr. [George] Clymer.
The committee to whom were referred the letters from the hon(ble) F. Dana delivered in a report: Whereupon,
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The Committee to whom was referred the letters of Mr. Dana and the motion of Mr. Mathews report the following resolutions:
Resolved, That Mr. F. Dana, until he can proceed to the Court of Petersburg, either in a public or private character, without risking the interest or dignity of the United States, be and he is hereby appointed secretary to the ministers plenipotentiary of these United States for negotiating a peace with Great Britain, with the salary allowed to him by the act of the 4 October, 1779. That in case Mr. Dana shall have proceeded, or shall hereafter proceed to Petersburg, or to any part of the dominions of the Empress of Russia, the ministers appointed by the act of Congress of the 15 June, 1781, or a majority of such of them as shall assemble, be and they are hereby authorised to appoint a secretary to transact the business of their negotiations their commission, and that he be allowed entitled to receive, in proportion to his time of service, the salary of one thousand pounds sterling per annum allowed to Mr. Dana.
That the President furnish Mr. Dana with letters of credit on the minister of these United States at the Court of Versailles for the amount of his salary while he acts as secretary to the ministers plenipotentiary of the United States for negotiating a peace, or during the time he shall be in a private character in Russia.
That the President furnish Mr. Dana with letters of credit on the minister of these United States at the Court of Versailles, for such a sum as Mr. Dana shall think reasonable sufficient to enable him to engage a private secretary, or clerk, when he shall assume his public character of minister plenipotentiary to the Court of Petersburg.1
[Note 1: 1 This resolution was entered only in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs, and in the More Secret Journal. The report, undated, in the writing of Daniel Carroll, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 31, folio 299.]
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Ordered, That the several reports on the case of Baron d'Arendt be referred to the last committee on that subject.
On motion of Mr. [William Churchill] Houston, seconded by Mr. [William] Sharpe,
Resolved, That the Board of Admiralty inform John Barry, esq. commander of the frigate Alliance, that Congress approve his conduct in releasing the ship belonging to subjects of the republic of Venice, re-taken by him from a British privateer on the 4th of March last, it being their determination always to pay the utmost respect to the rights of neutral commerce.
A report from the Board of War was read, with an estimate of money wanted for purchasing a quantity of hay and corn for the post at Philadelphia:
War Office June 26th 1781
Sir,
The Board have the honour to enclose Congress an estimate from the Deputy Quarter Master of Pennsylvania for eleven thousand five hundred pounds specie for the purpose of purchasing a quantity of Hay and Corn for the post of Philadelphia.
The Board beg leave to observe that the Magazines of forage at this place are nearly exhausted, and the department must inevitably suffer, if the necessary supplies of Hay and Corn are not provided1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, V, folio 421.]
Ordered, That it be transmitted to the quartermaster general to report thereon.
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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