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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 --MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 1781
A letter, of 6, from Major General the Marquis de la Fayette;
One, of the 17, and one, of 19 July, from Major General Greene, with sundry papers enclosed, were read:3
[Note 3: 3 Lafayette's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 156, folio 218; Greene's of 17th is in No. 155, II, folio 193; that of 19th is on folio 209.]
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Ordered, That they be referred to the Committee of Intelligence.
A letter, of 29 May, from the honble J. Jay;
One, of 2, and one, of 11 June, from Mr. W. Carmichael; and1
[Note 1: 1 Jay's letter is printed in the Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (Wharton), IV, 459; Carmichael's, of June 2, is on page 466.]
One, of 25, from Richard Harrison, were read.
A letter, of 2, from J. Moylan, cloathier general, was read:2
[Note 2: 2 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XVI, folio 227.]
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of War.
A report of the committee of the week was read; Whereupon,
[Ordered], That a petition of Fabian Hamerly be referred to the Board of War;3
[Note 3: 3 This petition, dated August 2, 1781, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 148, II, folio 183.]
That a petition of sundry merchants be referred to the committee to whom was referred a like memorial on Friday last.4
[Note 4: 4 This report, in the writing of James Duane, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 32, folio 219. The petition, dated March, 1781, from merchants of Massachusetts Bay, is in No. 41, VI, folio 259.]
The committee of the week was elected:
Mr. [Joseph] Jones, Mr. [Daniel of St. Thomas] Jenifer, Mr. [Daniel] Mowry.
A report of the Board of Treasury on the memorial of Archibald McClean, was read; Whereupon,
Treasury Office August 9th. 1781
The Board of Treasury having considered the Memorial of Archibald Mclean of York Town in Pennsylvania in behalf of Mary Meem Widow setting forth, that the said Mary had deposited on the 4 May 1778 in his hands, as a Commissioner appointed by the State of Pennsylvania under an Act of Congress of 22nd Novr 1777 to receive Monies for the Loan Office of the United States in Pennsylvania in order to obtain loan office certificates for the same: but not having
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an opportunity of forwarding the money to the Loan Office, then removed to Philadelphia until October following, it was refused to be received, by the Commissioner of the said Loan Office on the condition of ante-]dating the certificates to the time the money was received by the said McClean and by reason thereof the said Mary is to this day without certificates for the money deposited by her, as aforesaid:
Upon this State of facts the Board are of opinion, certificates ought to issue to the said Mary for 800 dollars, bearing date the 4 day [of] May 1778 1780, upon the Memorialist paying into the Loan Office the Money deposited with him by the said Mary (unless Congress should be of opinion that the said McClean is answerable for the depreciation of the Money while it lay in his hands under the pretext he offers) and thereupon submit the following resolution:
Resolved, That Congress concur in opinion with the Board; and Thereupon,
Order, That so much of the memorial of Archibald McClean, of the town of York in the State of Pennsylvania, a commissioner appointed by the State of Pennsylvania under a resolution of Congress dated the 22 November, 1777 11 June, 1779, to receive money for the loan office of the United States in the said State as respects the issuing loan office certificates bearing date the 4 day of May, 1778 1780, for the sum of eight hundred dollars deposited by Mary Meem on loan, be referred to the Board of Treasury to take order.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, V, folio 441.]
The committee appointed to revise the several reports before Congress which have not been acted on; and
The committee on the communications of the honble the Minister of France, delivered in their respective reports:
Ordered, That to Morrow be assigned for the consideration of the latter report;
And Thursday next for the consideration of the former.
A motion was made by Mr. [John] Mathews, seconded by Mr. [Roger] Sherman, and another by Mr. [James Mitchell] Varnum:
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Ordered, That they be referred to a committee of three:
The members, Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [John] Mathews, Mr. [James Mitchell] Varnum.
A letter, of this day, from Lieutenant J. Townes, was read;1 Whereupon,
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XXII, folio 467.]
Congress took into consideration a report of the Board of War of the 20th July; and, thereupon,
War Office July 20th. 1781.
Sir,
The Board have considered the resolution of Congress respecting the payment of the money due for the passages of the several Continental officers from Charlestown to this place, and enclose a list of them, and of their ranks, as also an account of the money due for the passages of those already reported to the Board amounting to one hundred Guineas as certified by the Honorable Brigadier General McIntosh. The Board are farther of opinion that considering the particular situation of these gentlemen three months effective pay ought to be advanced them. The Board have not funds either for the payment of the passages, or for the three months' pay, and therefore they submit the same to the wisdom of Congress.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 148, II, folio 75.]
Ordered, That the Board of War draw warrants on the paymaster general, in favour of the several officers of the army of these states, lately prisoners of war in South Carolina and Georgia, for six months nominal pay in the new emissions.
A report of the Board of War on a letter of 29 June, from A. Hammond, was read; Whereupon,
Ordered, That the letter of A. Hammond, requesting leave to go to sea for the recovery of his health, be referred to the Commander in Chief; who is hereby empowered to enquire into the circumstances of his case, and to grant his request if he thinks it proper and expedient.3
[Note 3: 3 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 148, II, folio 157.]
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On motion of Mr. [Roger] Sherman, seconded by Mr. [James] Lovell,
Resolved, That the establishment of the office of interpreter of the French and Spanish languages be, and hereby is abolished.
[REPORT OF COMMITTEE. INSTRUCTIONS TO MR ADAMS]
Should you succeed in forming a treaty of Amity and Commerce, according to your Instructions in which the United Provinces shall recognize the Independence of the United States, you will be silent upon the subject of an Alliance offensive or defensive; but should you find it impracticable to obtain such recognition on these principles, you will then enter into a defensive alliance upon the following conditions, having the strictest regard to the Treaty of Alliance already subsisting between the Court of Versailles and the United States:
1. Their High Mightinesses shall expressly acknowledge the Sovereignty and Independence of the United States of America.
2. Their High Mightinesses and the United States shall so far make the war a common cause, that neither of them shall make peace or truce with Great Britain till the Court of Versailles and both the Republics shall agree to and be included in a General Pacification the same. This Article is upon Condition that the Court of Versailles has or will enter into a similar engagement with the United Provinces.
3. You shall not involve the United States in any offensive operations in favor of the United Provinces.
4. You shall not enter into a guaranty of the Dutch possessions in the West Indies or elsewhere, unless you find such a measure absolutely necessary to obtain an acknowledgement of the Independence of the United States and in that case, you must obtain guaranty for guaranty. In other matters not repugnant to these Instructions, you will use your best discretion.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of James Mitchell Varnum, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 25, I, folio 459, and, according to indorsement, was delivered and read on this day. See post August 16.]
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock to Morrow.
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