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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, FEBRUARY 20, 1783
Congress took into consideration the report of the committee of the whole; and having spent some time thereon,
The house was again resolved into a committee of the whole, to consider farther the means of restoring and supporting public credit, and of obtaining from the states substantial funds for funding the whole debt of the United States, and after some time the President resumed the chair, and Mr. [Daniel] Carroll reported, that the committee have considered farther the subject referred to them, but not having come to a conclusion, desire leave to sit again:
Ordered, That leave be granted.
The assistant secretary at war having reported to Congress the result of his enquiry, respecting the goods imported in the ship Amazon, for the use of British and German prisoners of war, accompanied with a report of the commissioners appointed pursuant to the resolutions of the 24 of January last:
Resolved, That it does not appear to Congress that any abuse has been made of the passport granted by the Commander in Chief, for the protection of cloathing and other necessaries sent from New York in the ship Amazon, for the use of the British and German prisoners of war.
Resolved, That the goods imported in the said ship Amazon, and contained in the returns laid before Congress by the assistant secretary at war, are fully covered and protected by the said passport, and ought to be sent with all expedition, and
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without any let or hindrance, to the prisoners for whose use they were designed.1
[Note 1: 1 From this point to the end of the day, the proceedings for February 20, were entered only in the manuscript Secret (Domestic) Journal and in Secret Journal No. 8.]
On the report of a committee consisting of Mr. [Alexander] Hamilton, Mr. [Richard] Peters, Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, Mr. [John] Rutledge and Mr. [Thomas] Mifflin, to whom was referred a letter of 30th January last from the Commander in Chief;
Resolved, That the Commander in Chief be informed that Congress, always happy to receive his sentiments either on the political or military affairs of these states, the utility of which they have upon so many occasions experienced, have paid all the attention to his letter of the 30th of January which the importance of it demands;
That, should the war continue another campaign, every motive of policy and oeconomy would operate in favour of the enterprize should the means to accomplish it be within the power of Congress suggested; but that such are the present situation and prospects of these states that it would be inexpedient at this time to determine upon the plan, or to enter upon the expensive preparations which it would require;
That the official accounts received by Congress corresponding with other intelligence afford appearances of an approaching peace.
Ordered, That the Secretary for foreign affairs make a confidential communication to the Commander in Chief of the state of the negotiations for peace when the last advices were received.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of Alexander Hamilton, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, VI, folio 415.]
The committee of the week [Mr. Eliphalet Dyer, Mr. John Lewis Gervais, and Mr. John Montgomery] to whom was referred a memorial of Thomas Liston, Lieutenant of the late South Carolina Artillery Regiment praying that he might receive two hundred dollars on
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account of pay due him to enable him to support his family and to pay his debts and to return to Charlestown in a flag now in the river, recommend that said memorial be referred to a special committee.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of John Lewis Gervais, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 32, folio 447. According to the indorsement it was passed on this day, and the record in Committee Book No. 186 shows that Dyer, Gervais, and Montgomery were appointed and delivered a report February 26.]
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