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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 --THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1782
Mr. [Joseph] Montgomery and Mr. [Jesse] Root made a report respecting their mission, which was read.
The Committee appointed to make certain representations to the several states eastward of Pensylvania,
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Beg leave to Report,
That in pursuance of their appointment they went to every State eastward of Pensylvania and made the representations given them in charge to the legislatures of each respective State, and pressed on them the importance and necessity of speedy and vigorous measures and of their punctually complying with the requisitions of Congress in order to support the public cause, of which the legislatures of the different States seemed generally to be convinced, and gave assurance that the several objects communicated to them by your Committee, should be attended to with that seriousness and despatch their importance demanded, but as your Committee were obliged to hasten from one State to another with despatch in order to meet the different legislatures they had not opportunity of receiving official information of the measures taken by any State in consequence of the representation made.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Jesse Root, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 24, folio 413.]
The report of a committee being postponed, to whom were referred a report of the Secretary at War, on a letter of June 4, from Major General Parsons, and a letter of the 10, from General Washington, with a copy of a letter of 18 June, from Brigadier General Glover,
The committee [Mr. Ezekiel Cornell, Mr. Abraham Clark, and Mr. Joseph Montgomery] to whom was referred the report of the Secretary at War and a letter from Brigadier General Glover report,
That Major General Parsons and Brigadier General Glover in consequence of their requests on account of their infirm state of health be considered as retired from service and that they be entitled to the same allowance as general officers of the same rank and who retire may be entitled to at the end of the war under the resolution of the 28th of Novr, 1780.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of Ezekiel Cornell, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 149, I, folio 513.]
A motion was made by Mr. [James] Duane, seconded by Mr. [Noble Wimberly] Jons,
That agreeably to the request of Major General Parsons, he have leave of absence from the army until called for by the Secretary at War; and that in the mean while he may
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be at liberty to remain within these states, or to go into foreign parts, as he shall judge most conducive to the recovery of his health, and that his pay and emoluments be suspended during his absence from the army.
On questions for amendment, the words "and that in the mean while he may be at liberty to remain within these states, or to go into foreign parts, as he shall judge most conducive to the recovery of his health," were struck out; and between the words "army" and "until," were inserted the words "on account of his ill state of health."
A motion was then made by Mr. [Jesse] Root, seconded by Mr. [Eliphalet] Dyer, to amend farther, so that it read "and that his emoluments and one half of his pay be suspended," &c.
On the question to agree to this amendment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [David] Howell,
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So the amendment was lost.
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On the question,
Resolved, That agreeably to the request of Major General Parsons, he have leave of absence from the army on account of his ill state of health, until called into service by the Secretary at War; and that his pay and emoluments be suspended during his absence from the army.
Resolved, That on the representation of Brigadier General Glover, he have leave of absence from the army on account of his ill state of health, until called into service by the Secretary at War; and that his pay and emoluments be suspended during his absence from the army.
On motion of Mr. [David] Ramsay, seconded by Mr. [John] Witherspoon,
Resolved, That the Postmaster General take the most speedy and effectual methods to apprehend the robbers of the public mail, and that he shall be reimbursed by these United States any sums of money, not exceeding fifty guineas two hundred and thirty-three dollars and one-third, which he shall bona fide expend on this business.1
[Note 1: 1 This resolution, in the writing of David Ramsay, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, II, folio 193. It was entered only in the manuscript Secret, (Domestic) Journal No. 8, A.]
The Committee of the week [Mr. Jesse Root, Mr. Thomas Smith, and John Taylor Gilman] report that the petition of Lewis Joseph de Beaulieu respecting his Exchange and pay &c be referred to the Secretary at War.
That the letter of J. Middleton Cornet of Dragoons respecting the pay of certain expences incurred by him in the public service by order of Genl. Green be referred to the Secretary at War.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of Jesse Root. is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 32, folio 463. It is undated. The petition, dated Philadelphia, July 16, 1782, of Lewis J. de Beaulieu is in No. 42, I, folio 286, and the letter, dated July 15, from J. Middleton, Cornet in the Partizan Legion, is in No. 78, XVI, folio 307. According to Committee Book No. 186, both were referred to the Secretary at War on this day.]
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