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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 --TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1782
On the report of the Secretary at War, to whom was referred a letter of 8, from Captain Carnes, relative to the recruiting the second partizan corps:
War Office, September 10th, 1782.
Sir,
On the letter from Captain Carnes on the subject of recruiting the Second Partizan Corps, I beg leave to observe that when Congress on the 23rd October 1780 ordered two partizan Corps to be raised--They ordered that the Commander in Chief, direct a mode of completing, recruiting and supplying the said Corps.
It is therefore necessary that the application for recruiting this Corps, which has been made to Congress should be to the Commander in Chief, for it is unknown to them what measures have been pursued by him, and what orders he may have issued on the subject, or whether he thinks, under the present appearance of things any are necessary.
Should Congress be of this opinion, they will please to order the Secretary at Wax to forward to the Commander in Chief a Copy of General Greene's letter on the subject, and direct the Secretary at
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War to inform Captain Carnes that his farther attendance on this business can be dispensed with.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 149, I, folio 675.]
Ordered, That the Secretary at War forward to the Commander in Chief a copy of Major General Greene's letter on the subject; and that he inform Captain Carnes that his farther attendance on this business can be dispensed with.
On motion of Mr. [James] Madison, seconded by Mr. [Arthur] Lee,2
[Note 2: 2 Madison's motion and the vote and resolution following it, in regard to confiscated property, were also entered in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs. The motion and the resolution were also entered in Secret Journal, No. 4.]
Resolved, That the Secretary for Foreign Affairs be and he is hereby directed to obtain as speedily as possible authentic returns of the slaves and other property capable of being identified which have been carried off or destroyed in the course of the war by the enemy, and to transmit the same to the ministers plenipotentiary for negociating a peace.3
[Note 3: 3 This resolution, in the writing of James Madison, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, I, folio 379. The vote is indorsed on it.]
On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Turbett] Wright,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
Resolved, That in the meantime the Secretary for Foreign Affairs inform the said ministers that great numbers many thousand of slaves and such other property as aforesaid to a very great amount have been carried off or destroyed by the enemy.
That the said ministers be instructed in case any stipulations should become unavoidable in a treaty of peace in favor of restitution of property confiscated within the United States to contend in the most earnest manner for a restitution to the citizens of the United States of such slaves and other property as aforesaid, as shall appear to have been plundered from them by the Enemy or their adherents.1
[Note 1: 1 These resolutions, in the writing of James Madison, are in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, I, folio 379.]
And that in the opinion of Congress the great loss of property which the citizens of the United States have sustained by the enemy will be considered by the several states as an insuperable bar to their making restitution or indemnification to the former owners of property which has been or may be forfeited to or confiscated by any of the states.2
[Note 2: 2 This resolution, in the writing of John Rutledge, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, I, folio 377.]
On motion of Mr. [Thomas] Smith, seconded by Mr. [Eliphalet] Dyer,
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Resolved, That the agent of marine be, and he is hereby, directed to collect and lay before Congress, as soon as may be, authentic returns of the seamen who have been captured and admitted to parole, or otherwise liberated, by private vessels of war, or letters of marque commissioned by Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of Thomas Smith, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, I, folio 381.]
The grand committee, consisting of Mr. [John Taylor] Gilman, Mr. [Jonathan] Jackson, Mr. [David] Howell, Mr. [Eliphalet] Dyer, Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [John] Witherspoon, Mr. [George] Clymer, Mr. [Thomas] McKean, Mr. [Daniel] Carroll, Mr. [Arthur] Lee, Mr. [Hugh] Williamson, Mr. [John] Rutledge, and Mr. [Edward] Telfair, to whom were referred the resolutions of the 4th, in order to assess the quotas of the several states of the one million two hundred thousand dollars, required for the payment of the interest of the domestic debt, report,
That the 1,200,000 dollars, to be raised for the payment of the interest of the domestic debt of the United States, be apportioned to the several states according to the following quotas, viz.
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of John Rutledge, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 349.]
A motion was made by Mr. [John Taylor] Gilman, seconded by Mr. [Arthur] Lee, that the quota of New Hampshire be reduced to 42,000.
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And on the question to agree to this amendment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John Taylor] Gilman,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was made by Mr. [Samuel] Osgood, seconded by Mr. [Jonathan] Jackson, that the sum of 9000 dollars be taken from the quota of Massachusetts, and added to that of Virginia.
And on the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Samuel] Osgood,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was made by Mr. [Ezekiel] Cornell, seconded by Mr. [David] Howell, that 2800 be taken from the quota of Rhode Island and added to that of New Jersey.
And on the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Ezekiel] Cornell,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was then made by Mr. [Eliphalet] Dyer, seconded by Mr. [Benjamin] Huntington, that 33,200 dollars be taken from the quota of Connecticut.
On which the yeas and nays being required by Mr [Eliphalet] Dyer,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was then made by Mr. [Daniel] Carroll, seconded by Mr. [Turbett] Wright, that 13,750 dollars be taken from the quota of Maryland and added to the quota of Connecticut.
And the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Daniel] Carroll,
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So it passed in the negative.1
[Note 1: 1 On this day, according to the indorsement, a letter of August 20 from the Governor of North Carolina, was read. It is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 72, folio 155.]
A motion was made by Mr. [James] Duane, seconded by Mr. [Ezra] L'Hommedieu, that 9600 dollars be taken from the quota of New York.
And the yeas and nays being required thereon by Mr. [James] Duane,
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So it passed in the negative.
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A motion was then made by Mr. [Thomas] Smith, seconded by Mr. [Samuel John] Atlee, that 3000 dollars be taken from the quota of Pensylvania and added to that of Virginia.
And the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Thomas] Smith,
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So it passed in the negative.
A motion was made. by Mr. [Noble Wimberly] Jones, seconded by Mr. [William] Few, that 7200 dollars be taken from the quota of Georgia, in consideration of the ravages of the war.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of Noble Wimberly Jones, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 351.]
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And the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Noble Wimberly] Jones,
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So it passed in the negative.
The question being taken on the respective quotas of the several states, was agreed to, and the report of the grand committee confirmed.
The Committee of the Week, [Mr. Samuel John Atlee, Mr. Silas Condict, Mr. William Few] Report a memorial of Captain Leibert, praying payment of a sum of money advanced by him for the use of his company in Col. Hazen's Regiment,
Referred to the Superintendant of Finance Secretary at War to report.
A petition from David Turner a British prisoner in the new goal, praying to be discharged from his imprisonment and the liberty of
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becoming a citizen of America, having married into a reputable family in this city.
The Committee recommend that the petitioner have the liberty granted to the German prisoners, by the instructions given to the Superintendant of Finance and Secretary at War of the [5] day of June last--
A petition from Seth Phelps of the Regiment of invalids requesting leave to retire &c.
Referred to the Secretary at War to report.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Samuel John Atlee, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 32, folio 393. It is undated but belongs to this period. The memorial of Captain Philip Leibert, dated Philadelphia, September 9, 1782, is in No. 41, V, folio 290. The petition of Seth Phelps, dated West Point, September 4, 1782, is in No. 41, VIII, folio 166. According to Committee Book No. 186, both were referred to the Secretary at War on this day.
On this day, according to the indorsement, was read a letter of September 9 from the Agent of Marine, reporting that he has purchased the ship Washington. It is in No. 137, I, folio 749.
Also, a letter of the 9th, from the Superintendent of Finance, on his proposal to borrow four millions in Europe, was read and referred to Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [Joseph] Montgomery and Mr. [James] Madison. It is in No. 137, I, folio 753.
On September 11, according to the indorsement, was read a letter of September 8 from General Washington. It is in No. 152, X, folio 715.]
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