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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, JUNE 5, 1783
On motion of Mr. [Hugh] Williamson, seconded by Mr. [Abraham] Clark,
Whereas the safety of packets, ships of war, or armed vessels in the service of the United States, may be greatly affected by loading goods or merchandises on board such vessels under the name of ballast, officers' privileges, or under other such pretexts.
Resolved, That if any captain or commander of any packet, ship of war or armed vessel in the service of the United States, shall lead, or suffer to be laden on board the vessel of which he has the command, any goods and merchandise, without the express order or permission of Congress or their agent of marine, he shall forfeit his commission for such offence.1
[Note 1: 1 This preamble and resolution, in the writing of Hugh Williamson, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, II, folio 151.]
[Motion of Mr. Theodorick Bland, seconded by Mr. Alexander Hamilton, June 5th 1783, Referred to the Grand Committee of 30 May 1783.]
Whereas it has pleased the Almighty disposer of human affairs, to put a period to a long and bloody war which has terminated in the establishment of Independance to these United States; and whereas it is the duty as well as the wish of Congress to remove as speedily as possible every cause which might disturb the tranquility and harmony of these States, so happily united in one great political interest, as well as to reward the brave and virtuous who have by their valor and perseverance established that Independance and strengthened that union and to provide for the future government and prosperity of these states;
Resolved, Therefore, That Congress will and do hereby accept the Cession of Territory made to the U. S. by the Act of the assembly of Virginia bearing date theday of178, on the terms therein stipulated, except so far as relates to a specific guarantee of the remaining territory reserved by the said State.
Resolved, That if the aforesaid acceptance shall be agreeable to the said state, and they shall be willing to withdraw the said stipulation;
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and if the consent and approbation of the army of the United States shall be signified to the following act of the United States in Congress Assembled, then and in that case the following ordinance shall begin to take effect and be in full force for all and every the purposes therein mentioned viz:
It is hereby ordained by the United States in Congress Assembled, That in lieu of the commutation for the half pay of the army, and in lieu of the arrearages due to the officers and soldiers of the armies of the United States, and of all other debts due to the said officers and soldiers who now constitute the said army or who have served therein for a term not less than three years during the war, and for the Representatives of such officers and soldiers who shall have died in the service. That there shall be assigned and set apart a tract of unlocated or vacant territory laying within the boundaries of the United States as ceded by the preliminary articles between Great Britain and America, and bounded as follows--viz: (here insert the boundaries); that the said territory shall be laid off in districts not exceeding two degrees of Latitude and three degrees of Longitude each, and each district in townships not exceedingmiles square. That the lines of the said districts shall be run at the expence of the United States by surveyors appointed by the U. S. in Congress assembled, and amenable to Congress for their conduct--that each of the said districts shall, when it contains 20,000 male inhabitants, become and ever after be and constitute a separate, Independent free and Sovereign state, and be admitted into the union as such with all the privileges and immunities of those states which now compose the union. That each officer and soldier now in the army of the U. S. shall be entitled to and shall have a grant for thirty acres of the said land for every dollar which shall appear to be due to such officer or soldier from the United States, for his services in the army, over and above the bounty promised by an act of Congress of theday of1776; and moreover that every officer and soldier who shall make it appear that he has served three years in the Army of the United States, shall be entitled to receive a grant of the said lands, equal to the bounties promised to officers and soldiers serving during the war in lieu of all debts due for their said services, half pay &c.; or, where the said debts have been liquidated, they shall be entitled to receive a grant of thirty acres for every dollar ascertained to be due to them in like manner as the officers and soldiers, whose commutation and arrearages have been liquidated. And be it further ordained, That out of every
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hundred thousand acres so granted, there shall be reserved as a domain for the use of the United States, ten thousand acres, each of which ten thousand acres shall remain forever a common property of the United States unalienable, but by the consent of the U. S. in Congress assembled; the rents, issues, profits and produce of which lands, when any such shall arise, to be appropriated to the payment of the Civil List of the United States, the erecting frontier forts, the founding Seminaries of larning, and the surplus after such purposes (if any) to be appropriated to the building and equiping a Navy, and to no other use or purpose whatever; and be it further ordained that the said lands so granted to the officers and soldiers, shall be free of all taxes and quitrents for the space of seven years from the passing this ordinance.1
[Note 1: 1 This motion, in the writing of Theodorick Bland, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 36, II, folio 153. The indorsement shows that it was presented and referred as above stated.
On this day, or an approximate date, was read a letter of June 5, from the Agent of Marine transmitting the papers in the case of the courts martial of Matthew Parke and Samuel Cooper. The papers are in No. 137, II, folios 503--547, the letter of transmittal being on folio 541.
On June 6 was read a letter of Lieutenant Colonel Lewis Fleury to M. De Marbois. It is in No. 149, III, folio 19. Fleury's memorial, dated Cap Hispaniola, 17 April, 1783, is on folio 25, and Marbois's letter of transmittal on folio 29. According to the indorsement and the record in Committee Book No. 186, they were referred to the Secretary at War, June 6.]
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