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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 --FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1782
Congress proceeded to elect two members to receive and conduct the Minister of France to his seat at the Audience on Monday next.
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The members: Mr. [John] Rutledge and Mr. [Samuel] Wharton.1
[Note 1: 1 These proceedings were also entered in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs.]
War Office, May 9th, 1782.
Sir:
I have attentively read Count Beneowsky's propositions for raising a German Corps for the service of United States of America referred to me, and the observations which have been made thereon by his Excellency General Washington in his answer to the Count, which are so full as to render further remarks at present unnecessary.
If it should be the opinion of Congress, that the powers delegated are competent to the purpose, that the money can be advanced for raising the Corps and the land asked for secured to it; that our finances will in future be so arranged as to enable us to pay with punctuality the stipulated monthly wages and those of our own Army; that the half pay for life to the Officers and Men will so comport with the ideas of the United States as that they will make full provision for the payment thereof; the easy terms on which the Legion can be obtained and the Services they would probably render are strong incitements to our accepting the propositions of the Count.
But as these are questions to be determined, and to which Congress are alone competent, and as they are the Basis on which rests the propriety or impropriety of our acceding to the offers of the Count, no opinion can I think be given on the subject till they are decided.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 149, I, folio 845.
According to the indorsement, it was read on this day, and "Tuesday next assigned." Committee Book, No. 186, shows that, on May 14, it was referred to Mr. [Abraham] Clark, Mr. [John] Rutledge and Mr. [Theodorick] Bland.
On this day, according to the indorsement, a letter of the same day from the Superintendent of Finance, inclosing a state of the American commerce, was read. It is in No. 137, I, folio 447, and is printed in the Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (Wharton) V, 410.]
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