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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 --SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1783
The committee, consisting of Mr. [Nathaniel] Gorham, Mr. [John] Collins and Mr. [Thomas] Fitzsimmons, to whom was re-committed the Ordinance on the memorial from the inhabitants
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of Nantucket, reported the draught of a passport, which was read and agreed to.
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Alexander] Hamilton, Mr. [Eliphalet] Dyer and Mr. [Gunning] Bedford, to whom was referred a motion of Mr. [Eliphalet] Dyer, together with the memorial of the officers of the army, and the report of the committee thereon; Congress came to the following resolutions:
Whereas the officers of the several lines under the immediate command of his Excellency General Washington, did, by their late memorial transmitted by their committee, represent to Congress, that the half-pay granted by sundry resolutions, was regarded in an unfavourable light by the citizens of some of these states, who would prefer a compensation for a limited term of years, or by a sum in gross, to an establishment for life; and did, on that account, solicit a commutation of their half pay for an equivalent in one of the two modes above-mentioned, in order to remove all subject of dissatisfaction from the minds of their fellow-citizens: and whereas Congress are desirous, as well of gratifying the reasonable expectations of the officers of the army, as of removing all objections which may exist in any part of the United States, to the principle of the half pay establishment, for which the faith of the United States hath been pledged; persuaded that those objections can only arise from the nature of the compensation, not from any indisposition to compensate those whose services, sacrifices and Sufferings, have so just a claim title to the approbation and rewards of their country:
Therefore, Resolved, That such officers as are now in service, and shall continue therein to the end of the war, shall be entitled to receive the amount of five years' full pay in money, or securities on interest at six per cent. per annum, as Congress shall find most convenient, instead of the half pay promised for life, by the resolution of the 21 day of October,
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1780; the said securities to be such as shall be given to other creditors of the United States, provided that it be at the option of the lines of the respective states, and not of officers individually in those lines, to accept or refuse the same; and provided also, that their election shall be signified to Congress through the Commander in Chief, from the lines under his immediate command, within one month two months, and through the commanding officer of the southern army, from those under his command, within three six months from the date of this resolution:
That the same commutation shall extend to the corps not belonging to the lines of particular states, [and who are entitled to half pay for life as aforesaid]; the acceptance or refusal to be determined by corps, and to be signified in the same manner, and within the same time as abovementioned:
That all officers belonging to the hospital department, who are entitled to half pay by the resolution of the 17th day of January, 1781, may collectively agree to accept or refuse the aforesaid commutation, signifying the same through the Commander in Chief within six months from this time: that the deranged such officers who as have retired at different periods, entitled to half pay for life, shall be entitled to the same commutation may collectively, in each State of which they are inhabitants, accept or refuse the same; their acceptance or refusal to be signified by agents authorised for that purpose, within six months from this period; that with respect to the deranged officers who have retired on half pay for life such retiring officers, the commutation, if accepted by them, shall be in lieu of whatever may be now due to them since the time of their retiring from service, as well as of what might hereafter become due; and that so soon as their acceptance shall be signified, the Superintendant of finance be, and he is hereby directed to take measures for the settlement of their accounts accordingly, and to issue to them certificate
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bearing interest at six per cent for what shall be found due to them. That all officers entitled to half pay for life not included in the preceding resolution, may also collectively agree to accept or refuse the aforesaid commutation, signifying the same by their agents authorised for that purpose within six months from this time.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Alexander Hamilton, except the words in brackets, which are in the writing of Elias Boudinot, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 21, folios 315 and 332. The vote was transcribed by Thomson on the report.]
[Motion of Mr. Oliver Wolcott, seconded by Mr. Jonathan Arnold]
Whereas an application has been made by a committee of officers from the army, requesting the United States in Congress Assembled, that a composition should be made for tho half pay of such officers as shall be entitled thereto for life, after the expiration of the present war.
And whereas it is the opinion of Congress that five years full pay would be on an average an adequate compensation for the half pay of such officers, as are by sundry acts of Congress entitled thereto as aforesaid.
And whereas it would probably be a matter of convenience to some of the States to settle and discharge the half pay due to the officers of their respective lines, which if it should be effected by them, might prevent those demands upon the funds of the United States which otherwise it would probably be difficult to discharge, it is, therefore,
Resolved, that any State which shall by composition or other satisfactory security settle with the officers of their line, including those who have retired or been deranged therefrom, and who are by acts of Congress entitled to half pay for life after the expiration of the present war, such State shall not be holden to contribute anything on account of said half pay or any composition therefor, to the officers of any other line, excepting only to the line of any State which shall be disabled by the events of the war from making composition or settlement as aforesaid.2
[Note 2: 2 This motion, in the writing of Oliver Wolcott, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 21, folio 331. It is indorsed: "Motion of Mr. Wolcott seconded by Mr. Arnold to postpone the report of the committee on a commutation to the army for their half pay and to take into consideration"]
On the question to agree to the foregoing act, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Silas] Condict,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.1
[Note 1: 1 On this day, according to the indorsement, was read a letter from General Washington, dated March 18, giving the result of the proceedings of the meeting of officers at Newburgh. It is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, XI, folios 131--136, and is printed in the Writings of Washington (Ford) X, 178. According to the record in Committee Book No. 186, it was referred, March 22, together with Washington's letter of March 12, and the Proceedings of the Officers, March 15, to Mr. [Samuel] Osgood, Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, Mr. [Alexander] Hamilton, Mr. [Oliver] Wolcott, and Mr. [Richard]Peters, who delivered a report April 1. See post, April 29.]
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