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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 --FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 1783
Congress resumed the consideration of the report on finance, and the following paragraph being under debate:
That as a further mean, as well of hastening the extinguishment of the debts, as of establishing the harmony of the United States, it be recommended to the states which have passed no acts towards complying with the resolutions of Congress of the 6 September and 10 October, 1780, relative to territorial cessions, to make the liberal cessions therein recommended; and to the states which may have passed acts complying with the said resolutions in part only, to revise and complete such compliance.
A motion was made by Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, seconded by Mr. [John] Rutledge, to strike out the words "and to the states which may have passed acts complying with the said resolutions in part only, to revise and complete such compliance:"
And on the question shall those words stand ? the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Theodorick] Bland,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
Congress proceeded in the consideration of the report, and sundry amendments being made,
Resolved, by nine states, That it be recommended to the several1 states, as indispensably necessary to the restoration of public credit, and to the punctual and honorable discharge of the public debts, to invest the United States in Congress assembled with a power to levy for the use of the United States the following duties upon goods imported into the said states from any foreign port, island or plantation:
[Note 1: 1 From this point the entries in the Journal are by George Bond.]
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Provided, that none of the said duties shall be applied to any other purpose than the discharge of the interest or principal of the debts contracted on the faith of the United States, for supporting the war, agreeably to the resolution of the 16 day of December last, nor be continued for a longer term than twenty-five years: and provided, that the collectors of the said duties shall be appointed by the states, within which their offices are to be respectively exercised, but when so appointed, shall be amenable to, and removable by the United States in Congress assembled, alone; and in case any State shall not make such appointment within one month after notice given for that purpose, the appointment may be made by the United States in Congress assembled:
That it be further recommended to the several states, to establish for a term limited to twenty-five years, and to appropriate to the discharge of the interest and principal of the debts contracted on the faith of the United States for supporting the war, substantial and effectual revenues of such nature as they may judge most convenient, for supplying their respective proportions of one million five hundred thousand dollars annually, exclusive of the aforementioned duties, which proportion shall be fixed and equalized, from time to time, according to the rule which is or may be prescribed by the Articles of Confederation; and in case the revenues established by any State shall at any time yield a sum exceeding its actual proportion, the excess shall be refunded to it; and in case the revenues of any State shall be found to be deficient, the immediate deficiency shall be made up by such State with as little delay as possible, and a future deficiency guarded against by an enlargement of the revenues established: provided that until the rule of the Confederation can be carried into practice, the proportions of the said 1,500,000 dollars shall be as follows, viz.
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The said last mentioned revenues to be collected by persons appointed as aforesaid, but to be carried to the seperate credit of the states within which they shall be collected.
That an annual account of the proceeds and application of all the aforementioned revenues, shall be made out and transmitted to the several states, distinguishing the proceeds of each of the specified articles, and the amount of the whole revenue received from each State, together with the allowances made to the several officers employed in the collection of the said revenues.
That none of the preceding resolutions shall take effect until all of them shall be acceded to by every State, after which unanimous accession, however, they shall be considered as forming a mutual compact among all the states, and shall be irrevocable by any one or more of them without the concurrence of the whole, or of a majority of the United States in Congress assembled.
That as a further mean, as well of hastening the extinguishment of the debts as of establishing the harmony of the United States, it be recommended to the states which have passed no acts towards complying with the resolutions of Congress of the 6th of September and 10th of October, 1780, relative to the cession of territorial claims, to make the liberal cessions therein recommended, and to the states which may have passed acts complying with the said resolutions in part only, to revise and complete such compliance.
That as a more convenient and certain rule of ascertaining the proportions to be supplied by the states respectively to the common treasury, the following alteration in the Articles
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of Confederation and perpetual union, between these states be, and the same is hereby agreed to in Congress; and the several states are advised to authorise their respective delegates to subscribe and ratify the same as part of the said instrument of union, in the words following, to wit:
So much of the 8th of the Articles of Confederation and perpetual union, between the thirteen states of America, as is contained in the words following, to wit:
"All charges of war and all other expences that shall be incurred for the common defence or general welfare, and allowed by the United States in Congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several states in proportion to the value of all land within each State granted to or surveyed for any person, as such land and the buildings and improvements thereon shall be estimated according to such mode as the United States in Congress assembled shall, from time to time, direct and appoint," is hereby revoked and made void; and in place thereof it is declared and concluded, the same having been agreed to in a Congress of the United States, that "all charges of war and all other expences that have been or shall be incurred for the common defence or general welfare, and allowed by the United States in Congress assembled, except so far as shall be otherwise provided for, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several states in proportion to the whole number of white and other free citizens and inhabitants, of every age, sex and condition, including those bound to servitude for a term of years, and three-fifths of all other persons not comprehended in the foregoing description, except Indians, not paying taxes, in each State; which number shall be triennially taken and transmitted to the United States in Congress assembled, in such mode as they shall direct and appoint."1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 415. A.printed copy of the report of March 18 was used, and altered by Charles Thomson, to satisfy the changes made by Congress. A printed copy of the resolutions, with those of February 17, is in No. 56, folio 447.]
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On the question to agree to the foregoing act, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Jonathan] Arnold,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.1
[Note 1: 1 Here Charles Thomson resumes the entries in the Journal.]
That the money to arise from the said duty be appropriated and applied to payment of the annual interest at 6 per cent. of the debt due to the army of the U. S. and the surplus from time to time, towards sinking the principal or to payment of the interest and principal of the money which may be borrowed for discharging the said debt to the army, and to no other purpose whatsoever. And that the said duty be continued, until the debts above mentioned shall be fully paid and satisfied.
Negatived.2
[Note 2: 2 This motion, undated, in the writing of John Rutledge, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36. II, folio 21.]
That the resolutions of theinstant be transmitted to the several statesby their Delegateswith a circular letter from the President to the Executive of each State, requesting that the said resolutions
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may be immediately laid before the legislature of such State, and that if the legislature should not be sitting when the said resolutions shall be received by the Executive, that they may be called to sit, as soon as possible, in order that they may take the measures necessary for complying with the requisitions of Congress within the time limited for that purpose.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, undated, in the writing of John Rutledge, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, II, folio 23.]
The committee of the week [Mr. Benjamin Hawkins, Mr. John Collins, and Mr. Gunning Bedford] report,
That the letter from Darius Stoddard with its enclosures be referred to the Superintendant of finance to report thereon.
That the petition of Lieutenant Ignace Penet be read in Congress.2
[Note 2: 2 This report in the writing of Benjamin Hawkins, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 32, folio 469. The indorsement states that it was passed on this day. The letter of Darius Stoddard, dated April 17, asking for a settlement, is in No. 78, XXI, folio 301. According to the record in Committee Book No. 186, it was referred to the Superintendent of Finance on this day, and the memorial of Ignace Penet to the Secretary at War.
On this day, as the indorsement indicates, a memorial, dated Philadelphia, April 18, of John Blake, Joseph Bindon, John Dyer Mercier and Benjamin Thompson, Merchants and Traders formerly of Quebec, was referred to Mr. [Samuel] Osgood, Mr. [Abraham] Clark, and Mr. [James] Madison. It is in No. 41, II, folio 134.]
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