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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 --WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1784.
Congress assembled: Present, eleven states as yesterday.
A motion was made by Mr. [Samuel] Hardy, seconded by Mr. [Richard Dobbs] Spaight,
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That two commissioners be appointed for negotiating treaties of commerce, in addition to Mr. Adams, Mr. Franklin and Mr. Jay, now in Europe, to be chosen in such manner that the commercial interest of the different parts of the union may be equally attended to.
A motion was made by Mr. [David] Howell, seconded by Mr. [William] Ellery, to postpone that motion, in order to take into consideration the report of the committee on the reduction of the civil list, which is as follows:
The committee, consisting of Mr. [Hugh] Williamson, Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, Mr. [James] Tilton, Mr. [Thomas] Jefferson and Mr. [James] McHenry, appointed to consider what reductions may be made in the civil list, have agreed to the following resolutions:
That the following offices be discontinued, to wit: The chargé des affaires at the Court of Madrid, whose salary is 4444 dollars. Agent at the Hague, 920 dollars. Second under secretary of foreign affairs, 700 dollars. The Secretary of the war office, 1000 dollars. Agent of marine 1500 dollars. Paymaster, 1000 dollars. Commissary of prisoners, 1200 dollars. The assistant to the Superintendant of finance, 1850 dollars. Three clerks in the office of finance, meaning that three shall remain, 1500 dollars. One clerk to the Comptroller, 500 dollars. Two auditors, 2000 dollars. One Chaplain, 400 dollars. The establishment of a jail, 1338 1/3dollars; doorkeeper to Congress, 400 dos, annual saving will accrue to the United States of 18,752 1/3 dollars.
That the following salaries may be reduced, by taking from the allowances heretofore established, sums: The Superintendant of finance, 2000 dollars. The three foreign ministers each, 1111 1/3 dollars, 3333 1/3 dollars, whereby an annual saving will accrue to the United States
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of 5333 1/3 dollars: That instead of the annual salary heretofore allowed to the judges of the court of appeals, they be allowed, on every special occasion wherein they shall be called on, the sum of 14 dollars each for every day they shall sit in court, and the same for every day necessarily employed in travelling to and from court.
On the question to postpone for the purpose above-mentioned, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [David] Howell,
{table}
So the question was lost.
A motion was then made by Mr. [David] Howell, seconded by Mr. [William] Ellery, to strike out the words, "two commissioners," and insert, "one commissioner:" and on the question to agree to this amendment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Richard Dobbs] Spaight,
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{table}
So the question was lost.
On the question to agree to the main question, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Samuel] Hardy,
{table}
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So the question was lost.
A motion was then made by Mr. [Samuel] Hardy, seconded by Mr. [Thomas] Stone,
That one commissioner be appointed, in addition to Mr. Adams, Mr. Franklin and Mr. Jay, for the purpose of negotiating treaties of commerce.
A motion was made by Mr. [David] Howell, seconded by Mr. [John] Beatty, to postpone that motion, in order to take up the following:
That the interests of the United States do not require that more than three ministers plenipotentiary should be supported in Europe, to negotiate treaties of commerce.
On this question the previous question was moved by the State of Virginia, seconded by the State of North Carolina; and on the question to agree to the previous question, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John] Beatty,
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So it was resolved in the affirmative, and the motion was set aside.1
[Note 1: 1 The proceedings for this day to this point were also entered in the Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs.]
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A motion was then made by Mr. [William] Ellery, seconded by Mr. [Roger] Sherman, to postpone the motion of Mr. [Samuel] Hardy, to take up a motion to the same effect, with one which was made by them, on the 27 of March last, and which was referred to a committee, and not yet reported on.
On this a question of order was moved, whether, when a motion has been made, and that motion has been referred to a committee, it be in order to make or to move to postpone, in order to take up a motion to the same effect, before the committee have reported or been discharged
The President determined it was not in order.
An appeal was made to the house by Mr. [William] Ellery, and on the question, shall the decision of the President be reversed; the yeas and nays being required by [William] Ellery,
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So the question was lost.
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On the question, shall the proposition for which the motion is made to postpone, and which has been declared not to be in order, be entered on the Journal the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Richard Dobbs] Spaight,
{table}
So the question was lost.
On the question to agree to the motion of Mr. [Samuel] Hardy, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John] Beatty,
{table}
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So the question was lost.1
[Note 1: 1 This vote was also recorded in the manuscript Secret Journal, Foreign Affairs.]
The Committee, consisting of Mr [Jacob] Read, Mr [Elbridge] Gerry and Mr [Jonathan] Blanchard, to whom was referred the petition of Bodo Otto, report.
That the purport of the petition being principally to know when Congress will be able to pay the petitioner any thing on his half pay or Commutation as a surgeon in the hospital department cannot now be answered. The Committee therefore recommend that the petition be filed.2
[Note 2: 2 This report, in the writing of Jacob Read, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, IV, folio 471. The indorsement states that it was read on this day. Otto's petition is in No. 42, VI, folio 81.]
The Committee consisting of Mr. [Jacob] Read, Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry and Mr. [Jonathan] Blanchard, to whom was referred petition of John David Woelpper, formerly a Captain in the German Regiment and late of the Invalid Regiment in the baracks of Philadelphia,
Report, that the petition of John David Woelpper be referred to the Superintendant of the Finances of the United States who is direct to enquire into the facts stated in the said petition and if found to be true to give the petitioner, all the relief which the nature merit and circumstances of the case will admit, but that if the relief prayed for by the petitioner should not be found proper to be granted consistently with the general arrangement of affairs of the like nature, that in such case the said Superintendant of Finance do present to
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the petitioner the sum of three hundred dollars, as a relief in his present distressed situation.1
[Note 1: 1 This report, in the writing of Jacob Read, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 19, VI, folio 585. The indorsement states that it was read on this day. Woelpper's petition is in No. 42, VIII, folio 286.]
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