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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, APRIL 22, 1782
Pursuant to the resolution of 27th of February last, the Superintendent of finance reports, that he means to appoint Mr. Jonathan Burrell, of the State of Connecticut, a commissioner to settle the accounts in the commissary's department, unless Congress disapprove the choice.3
[Note 3: 3 The Superintendent's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 137, I, folio 401.]
On a report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Ezekiel] Cornell, Mr. [Joseph] Montgomery and Mr. [Philemon] Dickinson, to whom was referred a report of the Secretary at War:
War Office April 11, 1782.
Sir,
The officers have lately been indulged with drawing on their own private credit from the contractors such parts of their rations as they chose, for which they have been charged according to the price fixed for the component parts of a ration, and have been monthly paid for their whole ration, and have as often settled with the contractors.
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This has created an expence to the contractors by small issues to which they are not bound by their contracts. It likewise subjected them to a loss, as the officers had it hereby in their power to draw as was most convenient for them, and reject the other parts of the ration.
It becomes necessary therefore to ascertain the number of rations which each officer shall be entitled to draw (as in warm weather especially the contractors must know as near as may be what will be the daily issues)--but, if not drawn, they are not hereafter to be accounted for, and that each officer be allowed in addition thereto a monthly subsistence, making no mention of the number of rations.
Under these ideas, I beg leave to submit to the consideration of Congress the following resolves.
Resolved, That from and after the first day of May next, all resolves of Congress heretofore passed relative to rations, subsistence or allowances to officers over and above their pay and what they are entitled to from the quartermaster's department, except the allowance to the general commanding the southern army, be, and they are hereby repealed: that from and after the first day of May next, each officer shah be entitled to draw daily the number of rations, and to receive monthly as subsistence the number of dollars and parts of dollars, affixed to their several ranks, viz.
{table}
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All officers in the line of the army employed in any of the staff departments, shall be entitled, while acting therein, to draw the same number of rations and like subsistence to which they are entitled by their ranks in the army; and when any persons, not in the line of the army, are employed in any of the staff departments, they shall be entitled to draw the same number of rations and subsistence as officers of the line, acting in similar stations in the staff with them, are entitled to draw.
No compensation shall hereafter be made to those officers who may neglect to draw rations to which they are entitled.]1
[Note 1: 1 The portion in brackets is in the writing of George Bond in the Journal.
The report of the Secretary of War is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 149, I, folios 227 and 229.]
Report of a Committee on Col. Carrington's memorial:
The Delegates of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia to whom the memorial of Lieut Colonel Carrington and the letter of Capt Pierce of the Artillery &c were referred beg leave to report that it is their opinion that the two regiments of artillery--the one annexed to the Pennsylvania Line and the other to Virginia--cannot at present be incorporated without obvious injustice being done to some very deserving officers in both regiments.
As to the memorial of Lieut Colonel Carrington claiming the command of the artillery of Pennsylvania, your Committee do not think themselves competent to decide upon his claim; but beg leave to observe, that if Congress should be of opinion that his claim, founded upon the general practice of the artillery corps in the army, antecedent to the ratification of the Articles of Confederation, is well founded, Then they will please to resolve,
That Lieutenant Colonel Carrington be appointed to the command of the fourth or Pennsylvania regiment of Artillery.
The determination of Congress on the above resolution will answer Capt. Pierce's petition.2
[Note 2: 2 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, I, folio 543. The indorsement indicates that it was referred to Mr. [Joseph] Montgomery, Mr. [Theodorick] Bland and Mr. [Philemon] Dickinson to confer with the executive of Pennsylvania. See April 26 post.]
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[Motion of Mr. Arthur Middleton:]
Resolved, That the Paymaster General discharge the arrearage due to Col. Win. Massey of the compensation granted by Congress by resolve of 12th Jany. 1780 upon the discontinuance of his office of Deputy Commissary of Musters in the Southern Department.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of Arthur Middleton, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 149, II, folio 141. It was referred to the Secretary at War.]
The Committee [Mr. James Madison, Mr. John Morin Scott, Mr. Daniel Carroll] to whom was referred the letter from Mr Jay of the 3rd of October 1781 recommend the following answer thereto, to be subscribed by the President Secy. of Foreign Affairs:
Your letter of the 3rd of October last was received by Congress on the -- of -- and I am authorised to acquaint you, that, your conduct as therein detailed has met with their entire approbation.
The limitation which you have affixed to the proposed surrender of the navigation of the Mississippi in particular corresponds with the views of Congress. They observe with much surprize and concern that a proposition so liberal in itself which removed the only avowed obstacle to a connection between his Catholic Majesty and the United States and from which the latter had formed the most sanguine expectation, should have produced so little effect on the Councils of his Catholic Majesty. The perseverance of his Ministers, notwithstanding this relaxation on the part of Congress, in perplexing your negotiation by multiplied and dilatory pretexts, no less inconsistent with their own professions than disrespectful to the United States, but too well justifies your surmise as to their latent purposes. The surrender of the navigation of the Mississippi was meant as the price of the advantages promised by an early and intimate alliance with the Spanish Monarchy. If this alliance is to be procrastinated till the conclusion of the war, during a continuance of which only it can be necessary, the reason of the sacrifice will no longer exist. Nay, every day which the expected treaty is delayed by the Spanish Court, detracts from the obligation and inducement of Congress to adhere to their overture, and will consequently justify you in representing in strong terms the obligation it imposes on Spain to make the Treaty the more liberal on her part. This may easily be done, either by enlarging her pecuniary aids, by facilitating to the Citizens of the United States the use of the Mississippi, or by indulgencies in the commerce of her American Colonies, particularly by following the example of his Most Christian Majesty in establishing a free port or
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ports in some of them. In the mean time, however, you will employ your utmost address in ascertaining the real views of the Spanish Cabinet with regard to a Treaty with the United States and communicate the result from time to time to Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of James Madison, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, III, folio 263. The indorsement states that on April 22 it was referred to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs to report.
On this day, according to the indorsement, a letter of April 20, of the Superintendent of Finance on the subject of appointing a person to superintend contracts for the army was referred to Mr. [Abraham] Clark, Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, Mr. [Samuel] Osgood to confer with the Superintendent of Finance. It is in No. 137, I, folio 405.
Also, according to the indorsement, was read a letter dated Amsterdam, December 2, 1781, from Thomas Barclay. It is in No. 145, folio 83.]
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