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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, JUNE 2, 1783
Ordered, That a commission be issued to Oliver Pollock, as commercial agent of the United States at the Havannah.
The form of a commission being prepared at the table, was agreed to, as follows:
The United States In Congress Assembled,
To Oliver Pollock Esquire Greeting:
We reposing special trust and confidence in your abilities and integrity have constituted and appointed,
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and by these presents do constitute and appoint you our commercial agent during our pleasure, at the city and port of Havannah, to manage the occasional concerns of Congress, to assist; the American traders with your advice, and to solicit their affairs with the Spanish Government, and to govern yourself according to the orders you may from time to time receive from the United States in Congress assembled. And that you may effectually execute the office to which you are appointed, we request the Governor, Judges and all other officers of his Catholic Majesty to afford you all countenance and assistance.
In Testimony whereof we have caused the Seal of the United States of America to be hereunto affixed. Witness his Excellency Elias Boudinot, President of the United States in Congress assembled, the second day of June in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty three, and of our Sovereignty and Independence the seventh.1
[Note 1: 1 This commission was entered only in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs and in Secret Journal No. 4. A copy is in Secret Journal No. 6, Vol. III.]
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [Thomas] Fitzsimmons, Mr. [Richard] Peters and Mr. [Samuel] Holten, to whom was re-committed their report on a motion of Mr. [Samuel] Holten, respecting bonds given by commanders of private armed vessels:
Resolved, That theTreasurer of the United StatesAgent of Marine, for the time being be, and he is hereby authorised and directed, whensoever complaints are exhibited of public abuses or private injuries committed by the captains or commanders of any privateers or armed vessels sailing under the authority of the United States, to cause such legal measures for obtaining redress, by means of the bonds given on taking out commissions for such privateers or armed vessels, for any abuses or injuries contrary to their
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instructions, or in violation of the maritime ordinances of the United States, or the laws and customs of nations, as to justice appertains;
and upon measuring or receiving the penalty of the bonds after deducting the necessary charges to cause a distribution to the parties aggrieved at the time by the malversation of any such captain or commander, according to the injuries they may respectively have received, and the overplus (if any) be returned to captain or commander, or his sureties;
all prosecutions for private injuries upon said bonds to be at the risque and expence of the complainants, or the persons said to be aggrieved.
That the said treasurer of the U. S. cause the bonds before mentioned to be lodged in the Secretary's office of the respective states or other public office to which access may from time to time be had that in case in further injuries either of a public or private nature be committed than those complained of by the party applying in the first instance such farther measures may be taken thereupon as to right and justice appertain.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Thomas FitzSimons, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 28, folio 183. A duplicate in the writing of Samuel Holten, except the last paragraph, which is in the writing of Richard Peters, is on folio 181.]
The Committee of the week [Mr. Eleazer McComb, Mr. John Montgomery and Mr. Gunning Bedford] report That the letter of 25th March 1783 from Mr. Du Radieu of Nantz with its enclosures, be referred to a special Committee.
That the Petition of Lieutenant Beaulieu of Armand's Legion respecting promotion, be referred to the Secretary at War to report.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of Eleazer McComb, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 32, folio 505. The indorsement gives it this date. The letter of Du Radieu, enclosing a plan proposed for establishing a manufactory for printing Calicoes in Philadelphia, was referred to Mr. [Thomas] FitzSimons, Mr. [Hugh] Williamson, and Mr. [Ralph] Izard. It is in No. 78, VIII, folios 1--16.
On this day, as the indorsement states, a letter of May 30 from the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Delegates of Maryland, transmitting papers relative to the permanent residence of Congress in that State, was read and referred to Mr. [Nathaniel] Gorham, Mr. [Alexander] Hamilton, Mr. [Jonathan] Arnold, Mr. [Oliver] Ellsworth and Mr. [Ralph] Izard. It is in No. 46, folio 23. The record in Committee Books No. 186 and No. 191 shows that a report was delivered June 4, and acted upon the same day.]
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