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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 --WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1782
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, Mr. [Daniel] Carroll, and Mr. [Samuel] Osgood, to whom was referred a letter of 14, from the Secretary at War:
Resolved, That commissions issue immediately to all officers of the army of the United States, who were actually appointed by their respective states and can produce certificates of such appointments prior to the passing of the resolution of the 11th of July last.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Samuel Osgood, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 27, folio 195.]
With respect to the pay of the army mentioned in the letter of the Secretary of War of theday ofyour Committee [Mr. Theodorick Bland, Mr. Daniel Carroll, Mr. Samuel Osgood] Report,
That Congress having on theday of1781 made a requisition on the States for 8 millions of dollars in which was comprehended the estimate for the pay of the army, and having declared by their act of the 1st of Oct. 1782 that no monies paid by any of the States to the officers and soldiers of the army of the United States as pay for the year 1782 be considered as advanced in behalf of the United States and that the same be not credited to the State by which the advance shall have been made and request require by the same act that speedy payment be made of the respective quotas into the public treasury, that Congress might be thereby enabled to pay the officers and soldiers of the American army the amount of their pay for the present year--and having been informed by the Superintendant of Finance, that he has taken every step in his power, on the basis of those resolutions to obtain a speedy compliance therewith and likewise measures to draw supplies from such other sources as may be most immediately productive for relief to the army in point of pay.
Your Committee are of opinion that Congress can adopt no plan which can assure so much success as those above mentioned.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of Theodorick Bland, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 21, folio 301. The indorsement says it was negatived on this date.]
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the grand committee, consisting of a member from each State,
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which was agreed to as follows, ten states being represented and assenting to the same:
The Grand Committee report the following estimate of the sum necessary for the service of the year 1783, viz. for--
And your Committee recommend that Congress make a requisition from the several States of 2,800,000 dollars in such Quotas as Congress may assign to them respectively as a part of the sum necessary for the service of the next year in expectation that the remainder may be procured on loan.1
[Note 1: 1 The report, in the writing of John Rutledge is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 367. A copy with the amendments made is on folio 369, and is the copy used here.]
That the estimate for the service of the year 1783, be as follows:
Amounting in the whole to six millions of dollars.
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Resolved, That a requisition be made from the several states of two million dollars, in such quotas as Congress may assign to them respectively, as a part of the sum necessary for the service of the next year; and that any farther requisition be suspended until the result of the measures taken by Congress for obtaining loans shall be known.
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Elias] Boudinot, Mr. [John] Rutledge and Mr. [Joseph] Montgomery, to whom was referred a letter of 10, from the Secretary at War, together with a letter from the Commander in Chief and the report of the commissioners appointed by him to negotiate a general cartel:1
[Note 1: 1 From this point the entries in the Journal are by George Bond.]
That the Commissioners appointed by his Excellency General Washington for settling a General Cartel met the British Commissioners appointed by Sir Guy Carleton and Admiral Digby at Tappan on the 25 September last; but on an interchange of Powers, it appeared that the British Commissoners were not authorised to settle or agree to any cartel, which should bind the British Nation, and could proceed no farther than the personal authority of their constituents would warrant.
That the settlement of past accounts for subsistence of prisoners of war and provision for their future support were entirely kept out of sight by the Commissions with which they were invested, wherefore the American Commissioners refused to proceed to business, having decently remonstrated against the neglect on the part of the British, of making the necessary provision for the future subsistence of their soldiers prisoners of wax with us, and stating that there were large sums of money due as a balance on these accounts, satisfaction for which the said Commissioners claimed and required in behalf of these States and declaring that on failure thereof, Congress would be compelled to take measures however disagreeable, for diminishing a burthen which has become intolerable.
Your Committee having fully considered the progress of this business recommend the following resolutions:
Resolved, That Congress do approve of the conduct of the commissioners appointed by the Commander in Chief to settle a general cartel, with the British commissioners appointed
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by Sir Guy Carleton and Rear Admiral Digby, met at Tappan, on the 25th of September last.
Resolved, That the Secretary at War do immediately take order for reducing in the most effectual manner, the present intolerable very heavy expence attending the subsistance of British prisoners of war in possession of these United States, so as the same be compatible with the health of such prisoners.
Resolved, That Congress will not go into any partial exchanges of prisoners of war in future, but will take the most effectual measures in their power, for the safe keeping of all prisoners of war, until a general cartel on liberal and national principles be agreed to and established.
And your Committee having considered the other papers referred to them recommend the following resolutions thereon:
Resolved, That the Commander in Chief be instructed to confirm the late exchanges of Lord Cornwallis's family (made Postponed. by the Marquis La Fayette in France with the approbation of Dr Franklin) on receiving an adequate compensation therefor by the liberation of our officers of equal rank.
Resolved, That the Commander in Chief be instructed to accede to the propositions of General Sir Guy Carleton, "for the mutual liberation of all clergymen, physicians, surgeons and apothecaries, and to prevent their being hereafter considered as prisoners of war," in the first general cartel that shall be settled under his direction.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Elias Boudinot, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 28, folio 105. The letter of October 10, from the Secretary at War, is in No. 149, II, folio 1, and the report of the commissioners, Majors General Heath and Knox, is on folio 7.
The resolutions were entered in the Journal by George Bond.]
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