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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 --SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 1782
The committee, consisting of Mr. [Thomas] McKean, Mr. [Elias] Boudinot, and Mr. [Richard] Law, to whom were referred an ordinance for establishing a court of appeals, and the form of a law to be passed by the several states for regulating the courts of admiralty, delivered in the draught
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of an ordinance for establishing a court of appeals, which was read a first time:
Ordered, That Tuesday next be assigned for the second reading.
The said committee also reported the form of a law to be recommended to the states for regulating the courts of admiralty:
Ordered, That Tuesday next be assigned for the consideration of this form.
Ordered, That Mr. [Elias] Boudinot have leave of absence. On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Ezekiel] Cornell, Mr. [Elias] Boudinot, and Mr. [Thomas] McKean, to whom was referred a report from the Secretary at War, on a reward for apprehending deserters, and who were directed to confer with the Superintendent of finance and Secretary at War on the subject:
War Office March 26th, 1782.
Sir,
I have considered the proposed resolves recommending to the several states to make laws giving a bounty to all persons who shall apprehend British deserters &c. I beg leave to submit them to the consideration of Congress, draughted anew in the following manner:
Resolved, That it be recommended to the several states to pass laws giving a reward of eight Spanish milled dollars to any person or persons, who shall apprehend and safely confine in the next county jail, any prisoner of war belonging to the British army attempting to make his escape from the place of his confinement and one-eighth of a dollar per mile to pay the travelling expenses to jail and also five ninetieths of a dollar per day for each and every day the prisoner shall therein be confined, all which expense shall be borne by the United States and refunded by the Superintendent of Finance to the states advancing the money, on the accounts being transmitted to him certified by the Governor or President of the said state. And as a farther encouragement for apprehending such deserters, it is recommended to the several states to exempt the person, who shall apprehend and secure a deserter as aforesaid from a tour of Militia duty.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress,. No. 149, I, folio 187.]
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Resolved, That it be and hereby is recommended to the states respectively to pass laws giving a reward of eight dollars to any person or persons, who shall apprehend and safely secure in the next county gaol, or such other place as the executive in each State shall direct, any prisoner of war belonging to the British Army taken from the enemy, who has escaped from the place of his confinement, and one-eighth of a dollar per mile for traveling expences to the said gaol, also five-ninetieths of a dollar per day for the subsistence of each prisoner while confined; all the above sums to be paid by the State in which the prisoner or prisoners shall be confined, and repaid to the State advancing the money as aforesaid by the Superintendant of finance, on the accounts being transmitted to him properly authenticated.
And as further encouragement for apprehending such prisoners,it is apprehend and confine a prisoner as aforesaid from a tour of militia duty. Whereas it may be impracticable from the situation of some of the goals in the State of New Jersey to secure the prisoners agreeable to the foregoing resolutions, the governor is therefore requested, as soon as the State shall pass laws agreeable to these resolutions to point out by proclamation or otherwise the proper places for the confining and safe keeping the prisoners apprehended agreeable to the foregoing resolutions, anything therein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.
[And whereas the legislatures of some of the states may not be in session for some time after this recommendation reaches the State; it is therefore
Resolved, That until the legislature shall sit, all sums of money advanced by the treasurer of such State, by direction or advice of the executive authority thereof, or otherwise borne in the first instance by the person or persons apprehending and securing such prisoners, agreeably to the foregoing resolution. shall, when produced to the Superintendant of finance, properly authenticated, be immediately discharged.]
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Resolved, That it be, and hereby is, recommended to the several states, to take effectual measures to prevent any person or persons from harboring, secreting, assisting, abetting, or comforting, any prisoner of war taken from the enemy, in making his escape from the place of his confinement.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Ezekiel Cornell, except the paragraphs in brackets, which is in the writing of Abraham Clark, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 28, folio 61.]
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