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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 --MONDAY, MARCH 31, 1783
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Daniel] Carroll, Mr. [Nathaniel] Gorham, and Mr. [John] Rutledge, to whom was referred the report of a committee on a letter of May 6, 1782, from Mr. J. Hancock, formerly President of Congress:
The committee on the allowance to John Hancock Esq., as president of Congress, have attended that service and find that Mr. Hancock
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acted as president from the 19th day of May 1775 to the 19th day of October 1777 being two years and five months. They also find that the allowance made to Mr. Lawrence for thirteen months service as president was thirty five thousand dollars paper money equal to fourteen hundred and fifty six dollars specie. They therefore beg leave to submit the following resolve:
Resolved, That there be allowed and paid to J. Hancock, esquire, three thousand two hundred and forty eight dollars, in full, for household and other expences for two years and five months, being the time he acted as President of Congress; and that the Superintendant of finance take order for the payment thereof.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Nathaniel Gorham, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, III, folio 17.]
Ordered, That Mr. [John Taylor] Gilman have leave of absence.2
[Note 2: 2 This sentence was entered in the Journal by George Bond.]
War Office, March 27th., 1783.
Sir,
Colonel Varick in his letter to your Excellency requests that it may be recommended to the State of New York to make up the depreciation of his pay to the 1st of August, and to pay him the ballance of his pay from the 1st of August to the 12th of January, 1781.
Colonel Varick is one of those officers, who, on being deranged, were to receive a sum of money equal to one year's pay. Some part of it has been paid him and that in depreciated money. He solicits Congress that while in service, the depreciation of the pay which he received may be made good to him, and that the year's pay promised on the dissolution of the Department of Commissary-General of Musters, in which he was an officer, may be made equal to hard money.
As there are many officers who belonged to that Department, as well as several officers of the line who were deranged in 1778 under similar circumstances with Col. Varick, I beg leave to suggest the propriety of passing a resolve, which shall comprehend them all.3
[Note 3: 3 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 149, II, folio 403. According to the indorsement it was read on this day and entered.]
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War Office, March 27th., 1783.
Sir,
On the petition of the late sergeant Menerson referred to me, I beg leave to report that there are more than twenty thousand men who have similar pretensions to be supplied with clothing from the United States, and with whose claims it is altogether impossible to comply.
If it shall appear upon a Surgeon's examining his wounds, that he has been thereby incapacitated from earning his bread, I would beg leave to recommend him to the provision made for disabled soldiers by the resolves of Congress of April 22nd., 1782.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 149, II, folio 407. According to the indorsement it was read on this day and entered.]
The Committee [Mr. James Madison, Mr. John Rutledge and Mr. Thomas FitzSimons] to whom was referred a letter from the Secretary of F. A. of the 28th Inst. informing Congs. that there remain in his hands about 7300 dollars savd. from the salaries of the Foreign Ministers by the course of exchange during the last year and requesting some order of Congs. relative to the disposition thereof, Recommend that in consideration of the expences incurred by the Sd. Secy. since his appointment. beyond the Salary annexed to it, as appears by his letterof dayof and of the extra service discharged by him in transacting the business from which the savings above mentioned have resulted, he be allowed to retaindollars out of the same and that he be directed to place the residue in the hands of the Superintendent of Finance.
[Whereupon ordered that the money in the hands of the Secretary of foreign affairs be paid to the order of the Superintendent of finance.
[Whereupon ordered that the money in the hands of the Secretary of foreign affairs saved from the salaries of foreign ministers by the course of exchange be placed in the hands of the Superintendent of finance.]2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of James Madison, except the paragraphs in brackets, which are in the writing of Abraham Clark, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, III, folio 595. According to the indorsement, and the record in Committee Book No. 186, the report was delivered March 31, 1783, read and entered. It was debated May 16, 1783, and postponed and on March 1, 1785, was referred to Mr. [Samuel] Hardy, Mr. [John] Beatty and Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry. The paragraphs in Clark's writing appear to have been added during debate.]
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Ordered, That a committee be appointed to inquire fully into the proceedings of the Department of Finance, including the several branches of the same, and report the result of their inquiry.
The Members chosen, Mr. [Nathaniel] Gorham, Mr. [Thomas] Fitzsimmons, Mr. [William] Hemsley, Mr. A[rthur] Lee and Mr. [Stephen] Higginson.1
[Note 1: 1 This order was entered only in the journal kept by the Secretary of Congress for the Superintendent of Finance: Morris Papers, Congressional Proceedings. The record in Committee Books No. 186 and No. 191 shows that this committee was a renewal of one appointed January 6, 1783, that committee having consisted of Mr. [Nathaniel] Gorham, Mr. [Jonathan] Elmer, Mr. [Samuel] Wharton, Mr. [Thomas] FitzSimons and Mr. [John Taylor] Gilman; and that a report was delivered June 10, and entered.]
Ordered, That a letter of 31st March, 1783, from the Superintendant of Finance respecting Mr. McCall be referred to Mr. [John Lewis] Gervais, Mr. [William] Hemsley and Mr. [Nathaniel] Gorham.2
[Note 2: 2 This order was entered only in the journal kept by the Secretary of Congress for the Superintendent of Finance: Morris Papers, Congressional Proceedings. According to the record in Committee Books No. 186 and No. 191, a report was delivered April 1 and negatived, April 4. Morris's letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 137, II, folio 253.
On this day, as the indorsement states, was read a letter of March 18 from the Governor of Rhode Island transmitting a copy of the resolutions of that State on the subject of Mr. Howell. It is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 64, folio 530.
Also a letter of March 24 from Nathaniel Stevens, late Deputy Commissary-General of Issues, stating that he has received no money from the Commissary General of Issues. It was referred to Mr. [Oliver] Wolcott, Mr. [Stephen] Higginson and Mr [Thomas Sim] Lee. It is in No. 78, XXI, folio 293.
Also a letter of March 30 from the Secretary at War. It was referred to Mr. [Thomas] FitzSimons, Mr. [John] Rutledge and Mr. [Samuel] Osgood. It is in No. 149, II, folio 411.]
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