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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 --TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 1783
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. [John Taylor] Gilman, Mr. [Eliphalet] Dyer, Mr. [Abraham] Clark, Mr. [John] Rutledge and Mr. [John Francis] Mercer, to whom was referred a letter of 12, from the Commander in Chief:
Ordered, That the Superintendant of finance lay before Congress an account of the payments made to the army, in consequence of the resolution of the 25 day of January last, and what sums the state of the public finances will enable him to pay to the army at present; [and also that he communicate
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to Congress what steps have been taken towards settling the accounts of the army since the said resolution]1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of John Taylor Gilman, the part in brackets being in the writing of Elias Boudinot, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, VI, folio 419.]
The committee consisting of Mr. [Nathaniel] Gorham, Mr. [John] Collins, and Mr. [Thomas] Fitzsimmons, to whom was referred a memorial of the inhabitants of Nantucket, reported the draught of an ordinance, which was read a first time:
The committee appointed to consider the petition of Samuel Starbuck and William Rotch in behalf of themselves and the other inhabitants of the Island of Nantucket, have attended that service and find that the inhabitants of Nantucket have been and still continue in a very distressed state, owing to the destruction of their whale fishery. That the enemy at New York being sensible of their distreses and of the defenceless situation of said island, have been induced to grant protections to a certain number of vessels belonging to said Island, to prosecute said fishery, which, considering the circumstances of said inhabitants, your commitee cannot think was unjustifiable; but it having been doubtful whether said protections will not operate to the condemnation of vessels found with them on board, your committee beg leave to submit the following resolve:
Resolved, That the inhabitants of the Island of Nantucket in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in consideration of the great distreses into which they are involved in consequence of the loss of the whale fishery be permitted to receive protections from the Commanding Officer of his Britannick Majesty's ships in North America for their vessels in the prosecution of said fishery and said protections shall not operate to the condemnation of said vessels in any of the Courts of Admiralty within the United States aforesaid; provided that every vessel furnished with said protection be provided with a Certificate from the Selectmen of said Island that she is bona fide the property of the inhabitants of said Island; and provided further that nothing be found on board her but the necessary whaling utensils, provisions for the voyage and the product of the fish taken therein, anything in the ordinance ofagainst double papers to the contrary notwithstanding.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of Nathaniel Gorham, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, VII, folio 95.]
Ordered, That it be read a second time to-morrow.
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The committee consisting of Mr. [Nathaniel] Gorham, Mr. [Alexander] Hamilton, Mr. [James] Madison, Mr. [Thomas] Fitzsimmons and Mr. [John] Rutledge, "appointed to consider 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," having brought in a report; and the same being under consideration,
Resolved, That it be recommended to the several states, as indispensably necessary to the restoration of public credit, and to the punctual and honorable discharge of the public debts, to invest in the United States in Congress assembled, 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.
Upon all other goods except arms, ammunition and cloathing or other articles imported for the United States, a duty of five per cent. ad valorem, provided that there be allowed a bounty of 1/8th of a dollar for every quintal of dried fish exported out of these United States and a like sum for every barrel of pickled fish, beef or pork to be paid or allowed to the exporters thereof at the port from which they shall be exported.
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 which shall have been contracted on the faith of the United States, for supporting the present war, agreeably to the resolution of the
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16th day of December last, nor be continued for a longer term than twenty-five years; and provided that the colletors of the said duties, shall be appointed by the States within which their offices are to be 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 each appointment within one month after notice given for that purpose, the appointment may then 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, which shall have been contracted on the faith of the United States, for supporting the present 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 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 of dollars shall be as follows, viz.1
[Note 1: 1 This paragraph, in the writing of James Madison, is indorsed upon a printed copy of the report, in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 412. The amount is stated as two millions.]
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The said revenues to be collected by persons appointed as aforesaid, but to be carried to the separate credit of the states within which they shall be collected:
That an annual account of the proceeds and application of 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.1
[Note 1: 1 The following extract of a report, in the writing of a clerk, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 427. The indorsement states that on March 21, it was recommitted to Mr. [Nathaniel] Gorham, Mr. [Alexander] Hamilton, Mr. [James] Madison, Mr. [Thomas] FitzSimons, and Mr. [John] Rutledge.
"Extract of Report of a Committee appointed to consider the means of restoring and supporting public credit &c. That it be further recommended to the several States, to establish for a like term, not exceeding twenty five years, and to appropriate to the discharge of the interest and principal of the debts which shall have been contracted on the faith of the United States, for supporting the present war, substantial and effectual revenues of such nature as they may respectively judge most convenient, to the amount of two millions Dollars annually and in the proportions following, viz.
The said Revenues to be collected by persons appointed as aforesaid but to be carried to the separate credit of the States within which they shall be collected, and be liquidated and adjusted among the States according to the Quotas which may from time to time be allotted to them according to such rule as is or may be prescribed by the Articles of Confederation.
That an annual account of the proceeds and application of 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."]
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 means, 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 September and 10th October, 1780, relative to territorial officers, 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 compleat such compliance.
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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 of Confederation and perpetual union between these states, be, and the several states are advised to authorize 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 eighth 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 numbers 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, in form of a printed copy, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 415. The first three paragraphs in the writing of Thomas FitzSimons are on folio 423. They were also indorsed by Elias Boudinot on the back of a copy of the first printed report, folio 412; and by Thomson in the margin of another copy of the first printed report, on folio 411.]
A motion was made by Mr. [James] Wilson, seconded by Mr. [Alexander] Hamilton, to add thereto as follows: "also a tax of one quarter of a dollar per hundred acres on all located and surveyed land within each of the states:"
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And on the question to agree to the motion, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] Wilson,
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So it passed in the negative.
[Report of Mr. Alexander Hamilton, Mr. Richard Peters, and Mr. Samuel Osgood on the Memorial of Thomas Wiggans]
The committee submit the following resolution:
Resolved, That Thomas Wiggans be referred to the Quarter Master General to be employed in his department in such station as he shall judge him qualified for.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Alexander Hamilton, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 41, X, folio 600. The indorsement states that it was read on this day. Wiggans's memorial is on folio 597, and the report is indorsed on it.]
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