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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 --THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1782
Ordered, That the order of the day for electing a Secretary for foreign affairs, be postponed till Thursday next.
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Abraham] Clark, Mr. [Thomas] Fitzsimmons, and Mr. [Daniel] Carroll, to whom was referred a letter of 12, from the Secretary at War, respecting the pay of artificers in Colonel Baldwin's regiment:
That they have examined the several resolutions of Congress establishing the pay of Artificers, and find that Col. Baldwin's regiment was originally raised at twelve dollars per month, but that on the 11th of February, 1778, the pay of Artificers was raised to twenty dollars per month, which augmentation it is presumed, was made on
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account of the depreciation of the bills of credit, at that time. That on the 12th of January, 1781, it was resolved that the Officers and men of the regiment of Artillery Artificers have the same pay from the 1st of August 1780 in bills of the new emissions, as was fixed in the bills of the old emissions by the regulation of the Department made by Congress on the 11th of February 1778.
That at the time of passing the last resolution Congress might not have recollected the reason that induced the augmentation made on the said 11th of February 1778, or might at that time have considered the bills of the new emissions in a depreciated state; in either case your Committee can discover no just reason for settling the pay of Artificers in specie--equal to the pay affixed in depreciated money, upon the whole your Committee report as follows:
Resolved, That all the artificers, who have not been settled with up to the last day of December, 1781, be settled with for pay and depreciation from the first day of August, 1780, to the last day of December, 1781, at the rate of twelve dollars per month, and upon such settlement receive their dues in funded certificates.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Abraham Clark, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 27, folio 219. The Secretary at War's letter is in No. 149, II, folio 199 and the Quartermaster General's letter, of December 6, which he enclosed, is on folio 195.]
The committee, consisting of Mr. [David] Ramsay, Mr. [Abner] Nash, and Mr. [Richard] Peters, to whom was re-committed the draught of a supplementary ordinance for regulating the Post Office, reported another draught, which was read a first time, and to-morrow assigned for the second reading.
The Committee consisting of Mr [David] Ramsay, Mr [Abner] Nash and Mr [Richard] Peters, to whom were referred sundry papers respecting the Post Office Department--report,
That in their opinion the privilege of franking letters should be extended to all letters on public service to and from the Inspector General, the Adjutant General, the Director of the Hospitals, the Quartermaster General, the Commissary General of Prisoners, and the Paymaster General, and also to and from the heads of the like departments in any separate army.
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In order to prevent the multiplicity of franks becoming too burdensome to the public your Committees farther recommend that the allowance not exceeding twenty per cent on what would be the postage of free letters if they were charged be discontinued, and that in lieu thereof the public be charged with no farther Commissions on free letters, though they contain enclosures, than the officers of the Post Office department would be entitled to on the postage of the same number of single letters coming the same distance.
Your Committee further recommend, that that clause of the [ ordinance of] 18th of October last which directs the Postmaster General or his deputies to furnish extraordinary expresses be repealed.
If Congress approve of these Sentiments they will please to order a new ordinance for the above purposes.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of David Ramsay, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 59, III, folio 373. According to the indorsement, it was read on the 18th, and agreed to on this day, and "referred back to the committee to report an Ordinance conformable thereto."]
Ordered, That a Letter of December 12th from the Superintendant of Finance for settling the rate of foreign coins be referred to Mr. [Thomas] Fitzsimmons, Mr. [Samuel] Wharton, Mr. [John] Rutledge, Mr. [Alexander] Hamilton and Mr. [Nathaniel] Gorham.
That a committee, consisting of Mr. [Abraham] Clark, Mr. [Thomas] Fitzsimmons, Mr. [James] Madison, Mr. [Samuel] Wharton and Mr. [Nathaniel] Gorham, be appointed to enquire fully into the proceedings of the Office of Finance &ca. See November 21st.2
[Note 2: 2 These two orders were entered only in the journal kept by the Secretary of Congress for the Superintendent of Finance: Morris Papers, Congressional Proceedings.
On this day, according to the indorsement, was read a letter, dated December 10, from George Read, accepting the office of Judge of the Court of Appeals. It is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XIX, folio 439.
According to the indorsement the state of the Invalid regiment was this day referred to Mr. [Alexander] Hamilton, Mr. [Richard] Peters, Mr. [Daniel] Carroll together with the letter of October 29 from the Secretary at War on the subject. It is in No. 149, II, folios 811--8. See ante, October 30.]
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